GWENT youngsters have helped a city accountancy firm Phil Bessant Ltd set the pace in their fund raising efforts for St David’s Hospice Care.

Rogerstone siblings Steven Cook, aged 12, of Bassaleg School, and his sister Rebecca, eight, of Rogerstone Primary School, completed a 5k run at Tredegar Park raising an impressive £579 for the charity.

The plucky pair are friends of Phil’s family and decided to get involved as fundraisers after hearing about the work of St David’s Hospice Care.

The sum they raised was added to the money collected by the Caerau Road, Newport accountancy firm through arranging and taking part in events such as Pretty Muddy, a cheese and wine evening, a charity golf day and a lock up the boss.

Staff member Rebecca Elkins even let the fund raising really go to her head by raising £1,250 through having 15 inches lopped from her hair which hadn’t been cut for six years.

Phil Bessant Limited adopted St David’s Hospice Care as its charity of the year with the aim of raising £5,000 for the charity but with just half of the year gone they have already handed over a cheque for £10,602.33.

An impressive £3,915 was raised to free MD Phil Bessant after he was locked up in the firm’s boardroom for charity.

Phil will be taking part in the London Marathon next year in aid of the charity together with his son Michael and two sons-in-laws Ian Abbinett and Kieran Gleeson.

The practice will also stage a quiz night in October and a Beaujolais Day at the Lion in Blaenavon in November.

Phil said: “Everyone in the office has been involved in the effort to raise money for St David’s. I am delighted at the sum of money we have managed to collect so far this year.”

Tania Ansell, of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We can't thank Phil Bessant and his marvellous staff enough for the efforts that they have put in to raising money for St David’s Hospice Care which will help us to continue to fund the vital work that we deliver free to people throughout our community.”