A CHILDREN'S charity is in awe is it announced the grand total of cash fundraised by its dedicated supporters this year.

The final count is in – and Oxford Hospitals Charity revealed that its annual fun run sponsored by the Oxford Mail raised £100,000.

The OX5 RUN normally takes place at Blenheim Palace and is a key fundraiser for the Oxford Children's Hospital.

This year, the event had to happen virtually, with people from across Oxfordshire – and even as far afield as Greece and Sri Lanka – running five miles for the charity at the end of March.

Many taking part were families who have first-hand experience of the hospital, and the run was also boosted by hospital staff from across the NHS Trust taking part.

Gail Williams from Oxford Hospitals Charity said: "This year's OX5 RUN was simply incredible, a real success, despite all the complexities of the year.

"And although we could not be together at Blenheim, we were still able to capture some of the magic that makes the OX5 RUN so special.

"From supporters taking part in fancy dress, families running with their children and even runners spread across the globe, we saw first-hand what people were willing to do to help local children in hospital.

"Now the final count of fundraising is in, all of the charity team are in awe of how the local community managed to raise so much money to make a difference for our young patients."

The fundraising from the event will help make a difference for young hospital patients in Oxfordshire, with two special projects already earmarked for support.

The first is funding to bring in a new play specialist role, supporting children having important medical scans to diagnose conditions like cancer and spinal problems.

Play specialists are skilled staff that help distract, calm and entertain children.

This new member of staff will support young patients preparing for an MRI in order to help more children undergo the procedure awake, rather than under a general anaesthetic.

This means young patients spend less time in hospital and avoid potential side effects of a general anaesthetic.

For some children who have multiple visits to hospital and regular scans this could make a huge difference.

The charity is also continuing to improving emergency visits for children at the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Funding from the OX5 RUN will help to make the new children's emergency waiting areas more child-friendly with activities and artwork to keep youngsters busy.

The Oxford Hospitals Charity team have now started planning their 2022 OX5 RUN event, which will be the twentieth anniversary of this important fundraiser.