A SCHOOL sports day raised nearly £900 in memory of the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack.

Woodhey High School in Ramsbottom raised the money by letting pupils give a small donation to come dressed in the colours of their school house, and by charging for face painting and refreshments.

A total of £878 was raised for the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund by the school.

Introducing the event, deputy headteacher Lisa Dobson said: “Today is sports day, our annual event, but it is a little different today.

“We are gathered here as a school community not just to show our strengths and passion in athletics but to celebrate the resilience and compassion we have for those in our immediate community and all around.”

The event had extra significance as it took place on the same day as the funeral of Olivia Campbell-Hardy, the 15-year-old bombing victim who attended Tottington High School two miles away.

Headteacher Brian Roadnight was attending the funeral at St Anne's Church in Tottington with several Year 11 pupils to represent the Woodhey High School community.

Some of the money will also be donated to Tottington High School to support its commemoration of Olivia.

Ms Dobson added: “Sadly Olivia was one of 22 people who lost their lives on May 22 and following a minute’s silence, we are going to release 22 balloons in their memory.

“As we release the balloons feel free to cheer in celebration of the lives of the 22 people who died and also in celebration of all of our lives going forward from this moment.”

Twenty-two pupils from each house then ran a 22-lap relay of the school’s running track in memory of the 22 people who were killed by Salman Abedi when he blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert on May 22.

Twenty-two staff members also completed the relay.