SCHOOL pupils raised £570 for African farmers with a fish and chip supper.

The fundraisers at St Amand's Catholic Primary in East Hendred also dressed up as fish and watched fishy film Finding Dory.

It was all part of a Lent fundraising campaign organised by the Catholic international development charity CAFOD to help 'turn little fish into big fish'.

Matthew, aged nine, said of the evening: "It was brilliant, everybody had a fun time.

The best bit was watching the film and eating popcorn with my friends."

Nathaniel, eight, added: "Even the adults had lots of fun. The fish and chips cooked by Debbie and Mrs Moss were outstandingly yummy."

The fundraising fishy fun day on Friday, March 17, also saw Hedgehog class, featuring pupils from year 3 and year 4, hold a cake sale -without fish - which raised £80.50.

The school near Wantage raised a further £100 with a non-uniform day, with some children coming to classes in fish-themed clothes.

The main event – a fish and chip family supper in the evening – was followed by movie Finding Dory for the children and a quiz and raffle for adults.

The whole day raised more than £570 – which the charity said was a 'fantastic' amount.

Their efforts will help give people in developing countries the means to feed their families, by helping them get training on setting up their own small businesses, such as fish farms.

This, CAFOD said, will enable them 'turn one fish into a whole business'.

Headteacher Helen Ellery said: "Children, parents, staff and governors came together to respond to CAFOD’s request to turn little fish into big fish.

"Families particularly enjoyed the fish and chips evening out this year and we raised a considerable amount of money considering we have just 82 families and 119 children.

"I am very proud of our community’s response to reach out to those in need globally. CAFOD does a fantastic job and together we do make a difference."

This Lent, CAFOD is working with communities in Zambia.

It is estimated that more than half of Zambians live below the poverty line.

This means many families do not have enough money to meet basic needs such as food, housing and clothing.

The charity's partners in Zambia provide training in fish farming, beekeeping and crop farming as well as helping individuals develop business skills so those most in need understand how to get a better price for their goods, market them and even set up business partnerships.

By training individuals in the community, they will be able to share their new knowledge and empower the whole community.

The money raised by St Amand’s will mean that CAFOD’s partners will be able to continue to support projects around the world.