CHILDREN at a Sunday school have collected 75,000 pennies to buy a cow for an African community.

The congregation at Chester-le-Street United Reformed Church have spent the past 15 months saving for the charity Send A Cow.

The fundraising drive was launched in January last year by Sunday school leader Cathy Leggett, after picking up a leaflet on the charity's work in encouraging people to buy an animal, tree or training for an African community.

She said: "Reading about the charity, I thought that this was a wonderful idea and that it was something that the children of the Sunday school could get involved with and make a real difference.

"The children were really keen to help and decided that they would try and raise enough to buy a cow.

"We decided to do this by collecting coppers so that everyone could contribute - the children did odd jobs and were paid in coppers and soon all the congregation were supporting us and collecting what they could also."

On Sunday, the children presented a cheque for £750 to Rachel Lyons, North-East representative of the charity.

She said: "I am thrilled with the wonderful achievement and generosity of the church.

"This gift will transform the lives of a struggling African family, providing them with a cow and with training and support to allow them to escape for good from the poverty and malnutrition they have known. I was extremely relieved to be presented with a cheque, though, and not 75,000 pennies."