FUNDRAISERS young and old got in touch with their funny side yesterday to mark Red Nose Day in East Lancashire.

Schools and businesses from Longridge to Ramsbottom, Barnoldswick to Accrington and everywhere in between got involved in the charity day which culminated in a seven-hour telethon last night.

Among the hundreds of special events on Friday included 10 members of staff at Longridge High School and Ribblesdale High School in Clitheroe taking on Man Vs Food challenges.

Students at Westholme School in Blackburn completed a car wash at Vantage Toyota in the town and Joseph Frasier Solicitors in Blackburn took part in a fundraising bake off.

In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Make Your Face Funny for Money’, youngsters across the region decorated and coloured in their faces to raise money for Comic Relief.

Among the schools taking part in this year’s festivities were Bacup Thorn, Barrowford, Hapton, Padiham Green primary schools.

Jacquelyn Young, head teacher at St Stephen’s CE Primary School in Blackburn, said: “I held a school worship and showed children clips from the Comic Relief website.

“It’s important to make sure that the children are aware that Red Nose Day is about raising money for those who are far less fortunate than ourselves.

“It’s a fun day but it’s also about being aware that there are people in Africa and here in the UK that live in poverty.