Classmates and friends of a schoolgirl who died in June last year after suffering an asthma attack have raised £1,300 in her memory.

Twelve months after the tragedy, Year 10 pupils at Hinchingbrooke School in Huntingdon arranged a number of events in honour of Elouise Keeling, of Ellington.

As well as holding a memorial service, they also had a non-uniform day and a cake stall to raise money for the Elouise Keeling Asthma Trust, set up by the 14-year-old’s family to increase awareness of asthma, including what to do if someone has an attack.

The pupils, who also sold wristbands to promote the trust, presented a cheque to Karen Keeling, Elouise’s mum, during an assembly at the end of term.

Mrs Keeling said: “It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s good to have her friends on board, it means a lot.

“We have already raised in excess of £5,000 to become a registered charity.”

The trust has been established ahead of schedule, and Mrs Keeling said she had met a consultant at Hinchingbrooke Hospital and talked about ways of improving asthma care.

“We want to look at getting a training programme in place promoting awareness and training for people that support children, such as schools and community groups,” added Mrs Keeling. “First aid training, at the moment, does not include asthma, but one in five households in Britain has an asthmatic.”

A website to promote the trust is planned, as is a fundraising ball in October