Thousands of schoolchildren and staff are running to raise funds to teach youngsters vital first aid skills in the fight against knife crime.

Pupils from schools in Sefton on Merseyside are taking part in a week of activities from Monday, including race relays between Bootle and Southport and 60 children taking part in Mini London Marathon next Saturday.

The money raised is to be spent on "mini medics" training, as well as awareness of the #kNOwknifecrime campaign, which was launched in memory of Colin McGinty, 21, of Crosby, who was stabbed to death in 2001.

Founder and Mr McGinty's sister, Laura Hughes, said the initiative would help youngsters in emergencies and "hopefully save lives".

Schools in Southport, Bootle and Maghull in the Southport Learning Trust will do activities designed "to empower young people and support life-saving community initiatives".

Events include:

• Thousands of children completing the TCS Mini London Marathon – either a 1m (1.6km) route for children in reception to Year 7 and 1.6m for those in Years 4 to 12 who can go a bit further – within their own school grounds on Monday

• Children from schools across the trust doing a relay race, starting in Bootle and finishing in Southport on Wednesday

• Sixty children representing the borough at the TCS Mini London Marathon in London on Saturday

• Five teachers from the trust running the TCS London Marathon next Sunday

The trust has previously raised funds to purchase KnifeSavers bleed control kits, which are now located in schools and community spaces across Sefton.

The mini medics training covers CPR, catastrophic bleed control, and how to respond in a range of emergency situations, which Ms Hughes, 42, said would give young people confidence and life-saving knowledge.

She said the trust's fundraising over the past three years was "nothing short of inspirational" and it had "brought real, tangible change to our communities".

Christina Greaves from the trust, said: "Through education and proactive action, we equip our students with the knowledge, confidence, and courage to keep themselves and others safe."

She said the fundraising efforts also brought students together "with a shared purpose to build safer, stronger communities for all".