BOUNCING babies and tots jumped for joy as they showed support for children with heart problems.

Inverclyde Childminders Network arranged a charity bounceathon at Grieve Road community centre in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Organiser Suzanne Knox set up the group to champion childminders and support the hundreds of local families who rely on them.

She said: “Over the years we have cared for children with heart conditions and we wanted to help.

“My own daughter Carys was born with a heart murmur.

“She is 21 now and lives a full, normal life but it was frightening at the time.

“I know the worry it involves and you need to know that your child is cared for.

“We have to be vigilant at all times.”

Around 40 children who are looked after by local childminders took part in the sponsored event.

Inverclyde Childminders Network is also involved in a pilot with the council to look at ways they can help cover the new additional childcare hours for three to five-year-olds.

They are looking at a model that allows parents to share the hours with nurseries and childminders.

The Scottish Government is set to double the number of hours of free childcare by 2020, and education bosses are looking at different ways to meet that capacity.