Two youngsters inspired by David Attenborough have in turn inspired their whole class to try and help the environment.

Finley Flowers, 7, and his friend Ethan Mynott, 8, have completed a 2k run in aid of Cool Earth, a rainforest charity that works alongside indigenous communities to protect the world’s most endangered rainforest.

When Finley and Ethan decided to do the sponsored run, it inspired Years 3 and 4 of Stokenham Primary School to take up the challenge too.

Finley’s mum Evette Duncan explained that all he wanted to do was “save the rainforest”. She said: “They have been doing schoolwork on the rainforests and he was sat in the car and was looking really sad. I asked what was wrong and he said he was ‘sad for the trees being cut down’ and that ‘the animals get hurt and then they have nowhere to live’.”

Ethan had similar worries. He said: “Climate change and deforestation are a big problem. If there is no rainforest, and no trees, but trees take CO2 and give us oxygen, if there’s no trees left we can’t breathe.”

Everyone from Years 3 and 4 at Stokenham did their run at the school on Thursday, April 25, and they are still pulling in their sponsorship money.

Finley and Ethan also have a JustGiving page, where they have already raised more than £257. Every £60 donated to Cool Earth’s projects is the equivalent to protecting an acre of rainforest.