Next stop, the North Pole: Northamptonshire schoolchildren smash 'expedition to Lapland' fundraiser goal in just two weeks

A school of young Northamptonshire explorers are heading for the North Pole in the next leg of their expedition to help disadvantaged families have a special Christmas this year.

Just two weeks ago, the Chronicle & Echo reported on how the children of West Haddon Endowed Primary School pledged to walk the 1,400 miles between their Daventry village and Santa's workshop.

But now, the intrepid school of children have already smashed their goal and 'made it' to Lapland in record time, while raising an amazing £2,000.

So now, they're going the extra distance. West Haddon's kids have set their sights on walking from Finland to the North Pole on a mission to rescue one of Santa's lost reindeer.

The children are fundraising for The Faraway Children's Charity, who along with Chronicle & Echo and Northamptonshire Telegraph's annual toy appeal will help some of the county's most disadvantaged families and young people have a present to open this December.

Co-ordinator Adele Robertson told the Chron: "We're all ecstatic about the response from the children and the whole community. It's really captured people's imagination.

"When we set them the target of 1,4000 miles to Lapland I was worried we'd set them some inordinate challenge. The fact they've smashed it in a matter of two weeks is incredible.

"Now, we're all heading off to the North Pole to rescue one of Father Christmas' missing reindeer."

It's now up to West Haddon's children to walk, run, cycle or skate the extra 1,525 miles from their stop in Lapland to the tip-top of the Arctic.

All of the money raised will be used to help both the Faraway Children Charity's Christmas toy appeal as well as fundraise for the school's own parent teacher's association.

Donate to the West Haddon 'expedition to lapland' fundraiser' JustGiving page here.