JUST two months after their head of house lost his wife to bowel cancer, Sam Downes’ loyal pupils have succeeded in raising more than £1,700 for the hospice which cared for her through a terminal illness.

Sam’s wife Isabel passed away at Prospect Hospice in April at the age of 35, leaving a 14-month-old son, Arthur.

His students at Pinewood School in Bourton, near Shrivenham, who are asked each term to run a charity event for the organisation of their choice, surprised the 33-year-old by dedicating a fundraising campaign to Prospect Hospice.

Together they raised £1,765 for the Wroughton charity at a World Cup-themed football tournament.

“Sadly the school has a number of children whose parents or relations have been at Prospect and my wife passed away of bowel cancer there at the end of April,” said Sam, of Wanborough “We got back from a holiday in Italy in February and she spent two weeks in hospital. She went to Prospect on March 15 and they looked after her for about six weeks.

“She was diagnosed in May last year.

“It was the children’s choice to raise money for Prospect. I think they did it to support me and other members of the community who have been through it.

“We were going to raise money for the Brazilian rainforest but I was touched when they said they wanted to do it for Prospect.

“The school is split into four houses and I’m head of Postbridge House.

“Every term one of the houses has a charity morning.

“We decided to have a World Cup theme and over the course of the term we had a five-a-side football tournament. The final was a draw between South Korea and the Ivory Coast.”

Sam has already raised £8,600 for Prospect at the Swindon Half Marathon which he ran alongside fellow Pinewood teachers.

“Personally I was not aware of the work Prospect do until I had first-hand experience of it,” he said.

“I would not wish this to happen to anybody but having been through it I know they do an amazing job there.

“They are so compassionate, thoughtful and professional.”