REDUCE, re-use, recycle and repair was the theme last week for foundation pupils of Delaware Primary School as they took a trip to St Luke's Hospice charity shop.

The pupils visited the shop in Tavistock as part of a recycling topic they are learning, to see how their unwanted items can be of use to other people.

Teacher Avis Jones said: 'The class are doing a topic on "Our Future" and looking at how we can save the world.

'We had a jumble sale recently to raise money to buy a tree for our outdoor area. The things we didn't manage to sell, we've brought to the charity shop to donate, and to learn how our unwanted things can benefit someone else.

'We even caught the public bus into Tavistock and the children paid for their own bus fare.'

The pupils took their bag of donated clothes to the shop, where they helped to sort them, price them and hang them out on the shop floor. They each brought in a pound and bought something from the shop, processing their money through the till themselves.

Stacey Mitchell, a parent of one of the pupils, said: 'This is a good way of teaching children to appreciate things and realise that charity shops can be for everyone. Children can come into the charity shop to spend their pocket money and they now know that if they have something at home that they don't want anymore, they can bring it here and know it will be re-used for a good cause.'

The pupils were given free St Luke's Hospice pens and key-rings to take home with them.

Mrs Mitchell's son Jake, 5, said: 'We learnt about charity shops, you can bring your old stuff and sell it and the money goes to people that need it. I bought a black basketball.'