CHILDREN dressed up in their pyjamas to fundraise in memory of a popular North Oxford primary school teacher who died from cancer.

The toddlers enjoyed a morning of games and music at the pyjama party for Angela Clare, who died in January.

The mother-of-two, from Bicester, worked at St Aloysius’ Catholic Primary School and was diagnosed with lung cancer last year, even though she was a non-smoker.

She died at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on January 24.

Mrs Clare was known at the Woodstock Road school by her maiden name, Miss Sloan.

She attended the school as a child, and taught there for seven years before she fell ill.

Mrs Clare died aged 39, leaving her husband Brian and their two children, Daniel, 12, and Emily, 10.

Mrs Clare’s sister, Monica Nelson, who runs the children’s group Musical Mayhem in Chinnor, near Thame, organised the pyjama party yesterday to raise funds for the Oxfordshire child bereavement charity SeeSaw.

Mrs Nelson said: “Since the awful day my sister was diagnosed with cancer in August last year, SeeSaw has been an amazing support for the family, helping us to steer her two children through the trauma.”

Oxford Mail:

Mrs Nelson’s late sister Angela Clare with her children Emily, 10, and Daniel, 12

More than £2,000 has been raised for SeeSaw in her memory so far from individual donations and events which have included a cake sale at Oxford University’s Nuffield College where Mr Clare works as a chef.

Around 40 babies and toddlers joined yesterday’s party and enjoyed live music, puppets and percussion.

Mrs Nelson said: “We’ve been so touched by the donations we’ve received so far and would like to say a huge thank-you to everyone who has contributed.”

Childminder Joni Cameron, 39, who lives in Chinnor and goes to Musical Mayhem every week with her son Ewan, aged two, said: “We were really sorry to hear the sad news about Monica’s sister.

“We absolutely love coming to Musical Mayhem, so the pyjama party is an easy way for us to help raise money to support SeeSaw’s valuable work.”

SeeSaw fundraiser Jane Elliott said: “It is terribly sad to receive donations in memory of a mum or dad who has died, but we hope that it will be comforting to the friends and family of Angela to know that their generosity will help SeeSaw to continue to support Oxfordshire’s bereaved children and their families.”