A DEDICATED primary school teacher ran 18 miles to visit all her pupils individually during the lockdown - in a bid to keep their spirits high.

Sarah Wilson, 43, who teaches early years and nursery children at Fishergate Primary School, visited more than 60 of her pupils so she could wave to them from outside their homes.

Sarah also raised more than £1,000 for a York Foodbank during her journey.

And now she has joined forces with running colleague and friend Nick Shipley, and the duo are collecting donations from residents to help the food bank and those less fortunate during hard times.

Sarah, a keen runner, said that while the run was hard, seeing her students waving back helped to keep her going.

She said: “I mapped out the route to make sure I could see as many of them as possible. It was really fun to see all the pupils and just to give them something to enjoy during these tough times.”

Now Sarah is running food bank collection points with Nick, who last month ran a marathon dressed as Spider-Man, also for the foodbank.

He said: “We are living in uncertain times and we don’t know what today, tomorrow the next week or the future will bring for any of us.

“I wanted to do something to help the local community, especially those who maybe need support, and are struggling or in crisis.

“So I decided to dress in a Spider-Man suit and ran a marathon around Fulford in York to raise money for the York Foodbank.

“It was really well received and since then people have been waving to me in the street, saying how the run lifted their spirits.

“I think the lockdown has made us appreciate our friends and those close-by who we are eager to speak to post-lockdown.”

Sarah and Nick have placed two points that people in York can drop off food, or any financial donations if possible.

The collection points are located at the Post Office in Broadway, as well as the Bay Horse pub in Fulford.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit https://bit.ly/2TmCJLb.