A group of teachers abandoned the classroom to take on a mountain ascent for charity.

Staff at Greengate Junior School in Barrow set themselves the target of beating the Old Man of Coniston setting out on the journey on Saturday, May 18.

The end goal, as well as proving to themselves that they could conquer a local landmark, was to raise money for St Mary's Hospice, which cares for people across south Cumbria.

The Mail: The sweltering weather conditions meant the challenge was thirsty workThe sweltering weather conditions meant the challenge was thirsty work (Image: Greengate Junior School)

Sara Hill, the assistant head at Greengate, said: "We had a difficult but amazing day on Saturday.

"But we pulled together as a team and all made it to the top."

The Mail: The school's efforts have now brought in over £1700The school's efforts have now brought in over £1700 (Image: Greengate Junior School)

Sara went into detail about why the expedition was so important to everyone involved in the fundraiser.

"As staff, we wanted to take on the challenge of climbing Coniston Old Man to raise much-needed funds for the amazing St. Mary's Hospice," she said.

"The hospice has supported so many local families at a very difficult time in their lives and we wanted to thank them for all of their outstanding care and commitment."

The Mail: Greengate pupils were tasked with collecting as much loose change as they could findGreengate pupils were tasked with collecting as much loose change as they could find (Image: Greengate Junior School)

Whilst the teachers took on the bulk of the challenge, the children at Greengate refused to be left out of the fundraising.

"They wanted to do their bit too and so brought in loose change to fill the hospice flower symbol and also empty bottles," Sara added.

"The winning class gets a tasty prize on Friday for raising the most money."

The lucky group were class 3J, who collected their pennies with more enthusiasm than anyone else.

The Mail: Victorious class 3J celebrating their triumphVictorious class 3J celebrating their triumph (Image: Greengate Junior School)

Thanks to the pupils' efforts, as well as the support from locals, Greengate has since massively surpassed its original goal for the challenge.

"We have had an overwhelming amount of money donated on our JustGiving page and the children and parents of Greengate have been incredibly generous," said Sara.

"Our target was £1000 - we've smashed it, raising over £1700 [at the time of writing]."

You can still donate to show your support here.