Bermuda High School pupils raised more than $2,500 to bring food and comfort to people with dementia this festive season.

Residents of the Packwood Home in Somerset got a special visit when 11 schoolgirls presented them with food hampers, toiletries and therapeutic dolls.

The drive was inspired by 12-year-old BHS pupil Sarah Lawrence, whose grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease and died two years ago.

Sarah, from Paget, said: “I thought it was a nice idea because a lot of people have grandparents who have Alzheimer’s.

“Sometimes they are by themselves and sometimes you can’t see them a lot.

“I thought it was really sad. I wanted to give them something so they don’t feel lonely and we got them hampers to give them something special this Christmas.”

The girls bagged groceries at Miles Market in Hamilton on Sundays and also held bake sales.

They will have one more bake sale at Supermart on Front Street on Sunday.

Hilary Crawford, Sarah’s mother, said: “When Sarah lost her grandfather, we were talking about it and said why don’t we do a little fundraiser.

“It’s been a great experience for the girls to raise some money and they have done a really wonderful job. We wanted to focus on the people who are in need in Bermuda.”

According to Krista Tatem, a dementia care specialist at Memory Lane Dementia, a Paget-based day care centre, the therapeutic dolls bring comfort and meaning to the lives of some patients with dementia.

Ms Tatem said: “People with dementia are typically in long-term care — they receive care 24/7 — and they have no opportunity to give care.

“This is something that brings them comfort and something that they love.”