NURSERY pupils have rallied around a teacher taking on a marathon challenge for her mum.

On Monday last week, Piccolo Pre-School Nursery, in Sherborne St John, held a mini-marathon in support of the Alzheimer's Society as one of the teachers is running the Brighton Marathon on Sunday, 15 April for the charity.

Helen Heaver has personal reasons to support this charity as her mum is in the late stages of the disease after she was diagnosed 10 years ago at the age of 63.

Helen has seen this disease slowly change her mum from a successful theatre manager working in a private hospital to now being bedridden and unable to do anything for herself.

After failing to get into the London Marathon, Helen and some friends from Fitness Flex Bootcamps decided to enter the Brighton Marathon and they have been training since January.

At Piccolo Pre-School Nursery the children and staff wanted to show their support with the mini-marathon and raised £180.63.

To sponsor Helen, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/fitnessflexlegends.