PUPILS at Fulford School, in York, made fundraising for a fellow pupil fun when they donned fancy dress for a non-uniform day.

Students hope to raise £5,000 for pupil Christopher Edmondson, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy and gets around using a wheelchair.

Christopher, from Acaster Malbis, hit the headlines earlier this year when he received the Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Award in recognition of his cheerful attitude to school life in the face of his disabilities.

Now the school wants to buy him a voice-activated computer to help him with his school work.

The computer will cost about £3,000, but the school hopes to raise more to keep a fund in place for Christopher, for any further equipment he may need.

Teacher Rosie Nash, who is special educational needs co-ordinator at the school, said the fund had got off to a very good start with a £1,000 donation from the Deanne Gee Memorial Fund.

Deanne Gee suffered from the same condition as Christopher, and her mum Joyce set up the trust fund after her death to raise money for equipment and holidays to help children with physical and mental disabilities.

Mrs Gee also received the royal seal of approval when she was invited to Buckingham Palace earlier this year.

Rosie said: "We are very grateful to the memorial fund trustees, and are now planning to hold fundraising events to raise the rest of the money. The first is the non-uniform day, which we hope will raise £1,000."

She said the sixth form pupils would be interpreting non-uniform as fancy dress for the day.

Updated: 10:00 Saturday, October 20, 2001