THE Christmas spirit was certainly in evidence when St Polycarp’s Primary School in Farnham extended a helping hand to Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice.

The charity wanted to record a new jingle to help promote its Santa Fun Runs, annual sponsored events which take place over the Christmas season. Adult runners dress as Santa, while children wear reindeer antlers and red noses, and all who complete the course receive a medal and a goodie bag.

Having the music and lyrics for the jingle but no singers, staff at Phyllis Tuckwell approached St Polycarp’s to see if a group of children would be willing to record the song for them and were thrilled when they found the teachers and pupils keen to help.

Time was of the essence, as the first fun run was looming and the jingle was needed as soon as possible. But with the help of their music teacher, Emily Hinchliff, the school’s Year Six pupils learnt the lyrics and melody in just two days. The recording took place in the school’s music room, where the children did a fantastic and very professional job singing the lyrics, which included four solo speaking parts.

The jingle will be played at each of the Santa Fun Runs, the first of which has already taken place. The remaining two will be held tomorrow (Saturday) at the Devil’s Punch Bowl in Hindhead and Sunday, December 13, at Queens Avenue Playing Fields in Aldershot.

As well as being played at the fun runs, the jingle can also be heard by visiting www.youtube.com/pthospice and will be promoted via Phyllis Tuckwell’s Facebook and Twitter pages. It will also be played in each of the charity’s 20 shops.

Fiona Chapman, events fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell, said: “We would like to thank the teachers and pupils of St Polycarp’s School for their help in recording this jingle, especially at such short notice. As a local charity, we rely heavily on the support of our community and schools and they never fail to overwhelm us with their generosity and willingness to help.”

For more information or to take part, register now at shop.pth.org.uk or by calling 01252 729446. Fees are £14 for adults and £7 for children under 14, but they will be higher on the day, so make sure to book in advance. Registration includes a Santa suit for adults, reindeer antlers with a red nose for children, festive goodies and a medal for everyone who completes the course.