SANTA had a new workshop in Chester last week - at Chester Catholic High School.

Students and staff at the Handbridge high school dressed up as Santa Claus and his elves to celebrate St Nicholas’s Day, on December 6.

Sixth former Olivia Shone, who has a broken ankle, even took time to add tinsel to her crutches, to celebrate the life of the original Father Christmas.

Everyone made a donation to take part in the festive day. The school has adopted CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) World Gifts as its Christmas charity, and every tutor group and year group pledged to raise money to go towards chickens, goats, cows, health teams, school starter packs and vets all over the world.

Year 8 student Jess Baddeley said: “We saw what a difference something like keeping chickens could make to a family, in assembly, and when we heard we could raise the money by dressing up in Christmas clothes we just thought it would be really good fun.”

One group of Year 11 students decided on a £30 present to support a new mum and baby. Form representative Olivia Parry said: “It’s wonderful to know that something we can do makes such a big difference to a family.”

The school raised more than £1000 from the day but pupils have more events planned before the end of term to buy even more gifts to help people in the developing world live with dignity and independence.

Head of Year 7 Anne Bilko has put up a giant display of a ‘virtual village’ which has been named Chesterville.

She said: “Everything the students buy will be displayed in Chesterville, so that we can all see what it is we have bought for other people. We have really caught the students’ imagination with this and it promises to make this a very special Christmas for our school.”