THERE was a sea of red blazers as more than 150 pupils from St Francis School ran clutching kites to fill the Pewsey sky with colour for Jack Rowe.

The excited youngsters raced across the school field hoisting kites of all shapes and sizes into the breeze, as they gathered today (Friday) to remember the charming three-year-old, who tragically died from drowning in a swimming pool at home last year.

Jack’s 10-year-old sister Ella was among the pupils to take part, while his mother Olivia, 40, father Nigel, 51, and their four-week-old baby Zander watched in delight with other parents at the children giggling and having fun.

“I think it has been fantastic,” said Mr Rowe, from Upavon. “The weather is great and it is nice to see all the kids out there doing something that is happy and also linked to Jack in his memory - it is heart-warming and uplifting inside.

"He was very smiley and would talk to absolutely anybody.

"People often do not know what to say, but we talk about him all the time and this event enables people to talk about him and mention his name, so it is nice for us."

The event was organised by teacher Amanda Baker to show the school’s support to the Jack Rabbit Foundation, named after the nickname Ella gave him, and set up by his family to raise awareness of a programme called Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), which teaches children under six life-saving swimming techniques.

Mrs Baker said: “The children have absolutely loved every minute of it and getting behind Olivia and Nigel and their charity.

“They are a very special family and a very special part of our school and what they are doing is amazing and we want to make sure everyone is safe for the future.”

The logo of the foundation was designed by Year 8 pupil Bijou Angus after being chosen as the winner by the family in a competition at the school.

Anyone wishing to donate to The Jack Rabbit Foundation should visit: mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/thejackrabbitfoundation

Jack's family are also hoping the charity will help train people to teach ISR and pay for people who cannot afford the programme.

Mrs Rowe said: “We do not want anyone else to go through what we have been through and this foundation is to promote swimming survival, people think it is lessons but it is survival.

“For me, as soon as it happened, I thought we have got to get ISR here because everyone goes swimming at some point in a river, lake or beach and if we can just stop this happening to someone else it would be amazing.”