Children in Need (Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale)

CHILDREN and adults across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale joined in the fun yesterday to add to the Children in Need grand total.

The fantastic array of activities helped to boost the national total to £11.6million - with more than £662,396 being raised in the North West.

Students and staff at Townhouse Special School, Nelson, "weighed in" with a heavyweight donation of more than £1,000.

Teacher Brian Chapman raised pounds by losing pounds during an eight-week sponsored slim.

He lost more than 30lbs and raised £400 while students gathered a further £750 by making and selling more than 3,000 badges for local firms and schools.

A cheque for £1,150 was presented to the Mayor of Pendle, Councillor Edwina Sargeant, at the school yesterday and the 16-19 year old students involved in the Townhouse Badge Company received certificates to mark their efforts.

Staff at Rawtenstall Asda collected more than £350 when they dressed as school girls and boys for a day of activities, which included a new millennium treasure hunt.

Hundreds of helium balloons were also released throughout the day and customers paid £1 to write their name on tickets attached to them. The balloon which travels the furthest will earn its owner and the person who finds it a £10 gift voucher.

Members of Natural Progression gym, in Colne, took part in a "revothon", pedalling on 22 exercise bikes for four hours, and hope to have raised £1,000.

Staff from Pendle Wavelengths pool, Nelson, dressed as Sylvester, Tweetie-Pie and the Teletubbies and formed a conga line on an eight-mile pub crawl through Nelson, Colne and Barrowford, while Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the theme of fancy dress worn by staff at Kwik Save, in Croft Street, Burnley.

Rossendale Transport driver Joe Bainbridge is resting his voice after completing a 24-hour sponsored sing song, which started at 8pm on Thursday, at the company's social club.

Motorists in other parts of Rossendale were forced into donating cash when members of Rossendale Round Table held up the traffic at Tup Bridge in Rawtenstall.

There was a musical theme to fund-raising at the Queen's pub, Colne, last night when regulars enjoyed a disco, raffle and fancy dress competition.

Regular Steve Hargreaves let his hair down, literally, by having his locks lopped to boost the fund.

Pupils at Park High School, Colne, and Barden High School, Burnley wore leisure clothes and sports shirts during a non-uniform day, while teenagers at the town's Byron Road social centre completed a sponsored walk in the area and managed to raise £64 in sponsorship and a collection.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.