AN ENTERPRISING brother and sister duo have found an egg-cellent way of raising money for their school.

Josh, eight, and Amelia Liddle, five, have been rearing their own chickens and are now selling the fruits of their labours.

The Thurgoland CE Primary pupils began selling their free range chicken’s eggs to visitors to their family farm.

But now they are preparing to set up at the school’s Christmas fair on November 30 alongside other local traders.

Josh and Amelia will donate 25p from every box of eggs sold to help the school buy new musical instruments.

The pair’s mum Louise Goss, 34, said: “We were thinking of ways to try to teach them the value of money and work. They’re of that age where it’s a case of wanting this or that and we wanted them to know where the things they’re asking for come from.

“We bought them some hens and a little shed and they started looking after them and cleaning them out, and when they started laying eggs we made an honesty box and people started to buy the eggs.

“The kids put some of the money they made aside for food and water, which has taught them about paying bills. It’s been a really rewarding experience and they’ve loved it.”

Louise and husband Ian live and work on the 12-acre Office Fold Farm in Wortley, where Ian grew up.

As well as teaching the kids about where money comes from at a young age, Louise said the exercise has also been a good way to educate them about how the food they eat is produced.

“Many children might never realise if they’re not in that environment,” she said.

“For example, Ian is also a butcher so a lot of our animals are taken to our own butcher’s shop.”

Thurgoland headteacher Suzanne Brown praised the initiative shown by Josh, who is in class three, and Amelia, in class one.

“It’s wonderful and as a school we’re really impressed by what some of our younger members are doing,” she said.