A CHATTY schoolboy raised £507 for a Worcester hospice in memory of his aunt by keeping quiet for two whole hours.

Perdiswell Primary School pupil Jay Ingram, aged seven, raised the impressive sum for St Richard’s Hospice with a sponsored silence on Friday, May 1.

Mum Sabrina said the hospice had cared for her sister-in-law Mel before her death and end of last year and Jay had wanted to raise some money for them to give something back.

“He decided he wanted to raise some money for St Richard’s after someone from the hospice went into the school to tell them what they do,” she said.

“He came home and said he wanted to raise some money for his aunty Mel.

“He said he wanted to raise £50 – he said if he raised that much they would be able to look after someone else.”

But he easily smashed his target by keeping quiet for one hour at home and another hour at school – making sure he was finished in time for break time.

Mrs Ingram said: “It was certainly a bit challenging but he did really well.

“It wasn’t so bad at home but it was harder at school.

“He actually did five minutes longer than he meant to because he didn’t realise what time it was

He’s really proud of himself and he says he wants to make it an annual thing now where he does something different every year for St Richard’s.

“He’s said maybe he’ll do a bike ride next time.”

She said Jay was pleased he was able to give something back to the hospice which had made his aunt’s final days more comfortable.

“Jay was familiar with them and what they do from when my sister-in-law was ill,” she said.

“They were really good with the whole family.

“In the first few weeks she was there the children would come and visit her and play in the garden and see the ducks.”

St Richard’s Hospice provides free specialist palliative care and support for more than 2,600 patients with life-threatening illnesses and their families every year.

The charity runs a 17-bed in-patient unit and day hospice in Wildwood Drive, where staff are on hand 24 hours a day.

For more information call 01905 763 963 or visit www.strichards.org.uk.