DUNSTER, Old Cleeve, Timberscombe and Cutcombe first schools all took part in a non-uniform day for Kawasaki Awareness Day and raised nearly £350.

Only the snow stopped St Michael’s First School, Minehead, joining the fundraising effort on January 25 but the school hopes to reschedule its non-uniform day.

As previously reported in the Free Press, Reuben Freegard, who goes to Dunster First School, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease in February 2017, aged just two and a half.

Ever since, his family has been fundraising to try and raise awareness of the disease which, although little heard of, is the number one cause of acquired heart disease in children in the UK.

A total of £345.56 was raised on the day, which brings the family’s total fundraising up to just over £3,300.

All the money raised is for Societi, a registered charity set up three years ago by another mum whose family was affected by Kawasaki disease. She felt that there had been no change in awareness or outcomes for children affected and wanted to do something about it.

The aim of the charity is not only to raise awareness of the condition but also to undertake UK-based research in to the disease, enable improved clinical supervision and support the UK family group KSSG which will be marking its 25th anniversary this year.