Bake sales, games and a beat-the-goalie competition are among the schemes that have helped Hitchin Boys’ School students raise £1,715.32 for charity over the past year.

The senior prefect team at Hitchin Boys’ presented a cheque for the full amount to Janet Woodall of the British Heart Foundation yesterday.

The charity was chosen by students as their national charity for the 2016-17 academic year – and the money was raised by a week-long programme of events in July.

These included two bake sales, a ‘wear it red’ non-uniform day, games like Splat the Rat and apple bobbing, the jazz band playing, and a beat-the-goalie contest against teachers Mr Kelly and Mr Rayner.

Year 13 head Emily Christou said: “Our new senior prefect team really hit the ground running in July with their fundraising efforts for the BHF.

“Special thanks go to community and charity prefects Sam Hnatiuk and Hector Duncan for arranging an assembly and producing a display about the BHF in the sixth form centre.”

Janet added: “We were thrilled to have been chosen by Hitchin Boys’ School for their charity week and are hugely grateful for all that the pupils, parents and staff have done to raise funds to help the BHF realise its vision of a world where people don’t die prematurely or suffer from cardiovascular disease.”

Students at Hitchin Boys’ are set to vote next week to choose which national and local charities they will support this year, with the results set to be announced on Friday.