A cheque worth more than £2,000 has been presented to charity in memory of nine-year-old Jade Johnstone, who died suddenly during a swimming lesson at her Northampton school.

Jade's mother Jan had only two weeks to organise a fun day to raise the cash, and presented the cheque to Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) at the Thomas a Becket pub in St James, where the event took place. 

Mrs Johnstone said: "It was very hard work to organise in not much time, but we set a date and just thought, let's go for it. 

"This is a great way to keep Jade's memory alive, and we wanted to do something to help other families who might go through this experience. 

"What happened to Jade made us realise this could happen to anyone, and we want to raise awareness.  She was a fit and healthy girl in our minds when she left for school that day." 

The memorial fun day, which took place in August and featured a charity auction and raffle, games and a bouncy castle, is likely to become an annual event after the Johnstones secured sponsorship from pub owner Paul McManus. 

CRY, which raises awareness of undiagnosed heart problems, also helps fund research into cardiac conditions. 

Charity spokesman Tony Hillier said: "This donation will go a long way." 

Pupils at Lyncrest Primary School unveiled their own tribute to Jade this summer in the form of an outdoor stage.  An inquest into her death, during swimming lesson at The Duston School in January, is expected to take place next month.