Imaginative ways of fundraising led to the largest total for good causes ever raised at Haslingden High School’s charity day – a staggering £5,283.
Every year group got the chance to visit the 75 different stalls that packed the sports hall, and the young entrepreneurs came up with their own stall ideas and raised money for charities local, national and international that were close to their hearts.
Inside the hall, there was a huge buzz and the occasional explosion as a couple of stalls invited people to pop balloons to win prizes.
An Asian food stall attracted huge queues as did henna hand painting and various glitter tattoo stalls.
One of the most unusual fundraisers asked people to sample different food items blindfolded and try to guess what each was.
Assistant headteacher at the Broadway school, Elaine Edyvean, said: “It has been brilliant and with 75 stalls, that is more than we have ever had.
“I tried the taste test and one of them was an olive – yuck.
"I also won a teddy bear at one stall and it is going to one of my sons, so now I need to win another for my other little boy.
“Today has been wonderful organised chaos and I am so proud of each and every one of the students who ran a stall and staff and students for raising the money.”
Connah Edwards and his friend Stanley McKay came up with the idea of the taste stall, and participants sampled 10 foods including mustard, mint sauce and chilli to raise money for Jack’s Club, a young people’s mental health support group at Haslingden Cricket Club.
Aidan Webb, 11, took the test and his face was a picture when he tasted hot chilli sauce on a spoon.
Lucky Shot involved throwing three balls at a target and, after just two year groups had visited the hall, organisers, Chloe Sheridan, Lucy Stansfield, Freya Cookson and Kate Morrison, all 14, had raised more than £100.
Chloe and Lucy picked the charities to benefit as both were close to their hearts.
Chloe said: “I am Type 1 diabetic and we are raising money for JDFR [Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Research] because they do research into Type 1 diabetes.”
Lucy’s cousin had been in hospital with meningitis for several weeks and so they also raised money for Meningitis Now.
A tombola was run by Rosie Goodchild, 12, and her friends. Her mum Sarah put an appeal out on Facebook to get raffle prizes and they raised money for Springhill Hospice as a thanks for the care they gave Rosie’s grandfathers.
Rossendale Responsible Animal Rescue benefited from money raised by a cake stall which sold items made in school lessons and at home.
Pixie Rushton, 15, said: “At 11am we only had one cake pop left. We made them by mixing chocolate and frosting and then freezing them. All the brownies had gone too.
“We have a family friend who helps with the charity and so we know what good they do; it is going to a good cause.”
Another unusual stall was run by 14-year-olds Jess Hardaker, Florence Howey and Evie Stone.
They had put together a treat hamper and asked people to guess how much the items cost to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.
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