CROWDS of people who waded their way through walls of coloured bubbles have helped fund vital care for terminally ill children.

More than 1,000 volunteers signed up for the Bubble Rush which took place in Preston Park on Saturday.

The 4km route around the park saw friends and relatives dash through 4ft walls of white, pink, yellow and blue foam.

Demelza Hospice Care of Children, which looks after children across Sussex, Kent and London, hopes to raise more than £40,000 with the event.

It has just set up a new base in St Leonards and the charity’s head of events Emma Middleton said it is currently caring for at least 200 children in East Sussex alone.

She said: “The Bubble Rush will help us continue to provide support for families and palliative care for children across the three counties.

“It will help us fund therapies, soft play areas and respite care, and we have just started looking at art and music therapy as part of our community service.

“But we think we are still only reaching about 20 per cent of the people who need our help so this money will help with that too.

“This is our second year with the event at Preston Park and it is the perfect location. We get everyone from babies to grandparents signing up.

“It is great fun and I think people enjoy it because it is quite an unusual charity event. People can take it at their own pace running or walking.”

Yian and Rob Solomon, of Southwick, returned for their second Bubble Rush.

Yian, 69, said: “I took part last year after seeing the event on Facebook and thought it was really fun. I wish you could do it more often, it’s particularly great for the children and it is for a cause I support.”

Rob, 77, said: “I enjoy it because I hurt my knee and it is a charity event I can still take part in by walking which is just as much fun as running. It is a wonderful fun thing to do for charity.”

Friends Katie White, 41, of Uckfield, and Rachel Johnson, 39, of Lewes, took part with their children.

Katie said: “The children love it, it’s something different to do and we’ve wanted to support the charity. We heard about it through a friend.”