Local primary school pupils have designed and crafted 534 Christmas cards for patients who are in hospital over the festive period.

Children from reception classes to year 6 took part in the initiative organised by the Mid Cheshire Hospitals nursing team.

Children from The Dingle School were among those to create cards. (Photo: Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHSFoundation Trust)

The unique cards feature everything from colourful drawings of Christmas trees and snowmen to gingerbread houses and presents.

They also include personalised messages from each class, with many examples of kind, heartfelt and positive well wishes.

The handmade cards will be distributed to patients across the Trust's wards in the run-up to Christmas Day, helping to make their stay a little brighter and reminding them that the local community is thinking of them.

Some more of the cards created for the hospital patients. (Photo: Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)

The eight schools, with children aged 4 to 11, that took part were:

 • Wistaston Church Lane Academy

• Monks Coppenhall Academy & Nursery, Crewe

• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Crewe

• Sandbach Primary Academy

• The Dingle Primary School, Haslington

• Gainsborough Primary & Nursery Academy, Crewe

• Cornerstone Academy, Crewe

• Mablins Lane Community Primary School, Crewe

 One pupil wrote: "We want to make all your Christmas wishes come true, and Merry Xmas!"

Another wrote: "I am sorry you are in hospital away from your family and for Xmas. Get well soon from Wistaston Church Lane Academy."

A Mablins Lane pupil wrote: "To someone special. I hope you have an amazing Christmas – have the best day possible. Merry Christmas and have lots of fun, from Year 4 Mablins."

 Eryl Summers, Clinical Quality and Outcomes Matron at Mid Cheshire Hospitals, said: "We are so grateful to the children and schools who took part in this wonderful initiative.

"Spending Christmas in hospital can be difficult, but these cards will bring warmth, smiles, and a real sense of community to our patients.

"Every message and drawing shows incredible thoughtfulness, and we know they will mean a lot to those receiving them."