BIG-HEARTED youngsters dressed in pink and raided their piggy banks to donate more than £1,000 to a little girl with cerebral palsy.

Pupils at St John’s Green Primary School, Colchester, jumped at the chance to offer some much-needed support to their good friend Aya Al-Khalidi.

Brave Aya, five, suffers with Bilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy and is unable to walk.

All she wants is to be able to run around with her friends, but needs an expensive operation - not available on the NHS - to fulfil her dream.

Her parents have been left with the daunting task of raising £50,000 for the procedure and following physiotherapy.

But her classmates have gone some distance to securing the vital operation, by having staff and pupils turn out in pink for a fundraising day.

The school was a sea of pink, with the fundraisers successfully bringing in more than £1,000.

Headteacher Simon Billings said: “So many parents have given over and above, the generosity has been overwhelming.

“Children raided their own money boxes to donate to Aya’s family.

“We also talked with the children about their aspirations, thinking about Aya who just wants to be able to walk and play with her friends.”

To donate to Aya’s cause, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Aya-Al-Khalidi