STUDENTS at Ponteland High School donned reindeer antlers for a sponsored Christmas canter around the school playing field.
The first Reindeer Run involved about 250 year nine students, supported by their tutors and other staff.
They completed a distance of around 1.5 miles and the estimated total raised is expected to top the £900 mark.
The money will be divided equally between Breathtakers — a local charity set up in 2007 to support families with children suffering from Obliterative Bronchiolitis (OB), a rare and life-limiting lung disease — and the Percy Hedley Foundation, an independently-funded charity for autism based in the North East.
The Reindeer Run was designed to develop student enterprise and encourage respect and responsibility among students.
It proved so popular and successful that it looks likely to become an annual event and may well be extended to other year groups.
Ponteland High Headteacher Stephen Prandle said: “All of our students are encouraged to devise and take part in charity and other community events, and the Reindeer Run’s success is typical of the way in which our youngsters enjoy supporting their local community.”
The year nine students were involved in choosing which charities to support and they will be taking part in other fund-raising activities throughout the school year.