CARING school pupils at a Port primary are boxing clever by supporting patients leaving hospital.

Children from St Michael's say they are proud to support Compassionate Inverclyde's 'Back Home Boxes' appeal - which sees containers packed with essential items given out to people being discharged from Inverclyde Royal who live alone.

Rebecca Bonnar said she and her classmates have enjoyed collecting items for the boxes as they know the donations will help people settle back home.

The 10-year-old said: "We do this to help people who are coming out of hospital.

"The boxes are full of stuff that will pick them back up.

"They might have been in hospital for a long time and it makes me feel happy helping other people."

Teacher Christine Donnelly says supporting the back home boxes scheme has become an annual event in school calendar.

She says working with the charity has had such an impact on St Michael's that 'compassion' is now one of the school's core values.

Ms Donnelly said: "The work that Compassionate Inverclyde do is fantastic.

"It is all about ordinary people helping ordinary people.

"We have collected donations regularly for the Back Home Boxes, but not every child has to do it as we understand the pressures people are under.

"The whole idea is about the children learning about compassion and what the word means."