Parkside Community Primary School in Borehamwood hosts Military Speaker & Help for Heroes ambassador Derek Derenalagi

Children cheered and clapped their hands when a Paralympian visited their school to thank them for raising money for a soldier's charity.

Children sit enthralled as Derek Derenalagi talks to them about Help for Heroes

Children cheered and clapped their hands when a Paralympian visited their school to thank them for raising money for a soldier's charity.

Derek Derenalagi, 38, visited Parkside Community Primary School in Aycliffe Road yesterday to collect the £2,719.9 the children had raised for Help for Heroes.

The former soldier, who took up the discus after he lost his legs in Afghanistan in 2007, told children in the packed assembly hall how grateful he was for their generosity.

He said: "It means a lot to me to come here and receive the money the children have raised to support wounded service men and help them get back to living a normal life.

"I lost my legs but my prosthetic limbs have allowed me to do things that able bodied people can do.

"Some of my colleagues have been more severely injured then I am, leaving them unable to do normal things, and your generosity will help make a difference to their lives."

The athlete, who competed in the discus in the 2012 Paralympic Games and is looking forward to Rio in 2016, was one of the inspirations for setting up Help for Heroes six years ago.

Mr Derenalagi, who lives in Bushey, visited the school last year to talk to the children about his disability and his work as an ambassador for the charity, which inspired them to take up the fundraising challenge.

To be back here, they're really great kids."

Over the course of the year, pupils carried out cake sales and pyjama days.

They raised £2,000 alone on a sponsored walk last month in which all 210 children and their parents took part.

The school's head teacher Julie Muncey said how "surprised" and "excited" the children were to have Mr Deralangi visiting them.

She said: "Derek has been an inspiration to the children, they have talked about his visit all year.

"It has been really wonderful for them to meet him, it has made it real for them."

She added how impressed she was at how "good" the Paralympian was with the children, giving each child a high five as pupils filed out of the assembly hall.

Barbara Kennedy, who helped introduce Mr Derelagi to the school through the Borehamwood and Elstree Rotary Club, said she was "delighted" at his visit.

She added: "Derek has been so inspiring to the children. It has allowed them to see the effect their fundraising has had in playing a part to give former soldiers like Derek a better life."