Red Nose Day brings smiles and laughter

Fundraisers of all ages donned red noses and fancy dress and joined in the Red Nose Day fun.

They all played their part in raising a record breaking figure of £73.4 million for Comic Relief.

Chris Philpott broke a personal fundraising record by collecting £222 - £47 more than his previous highest total.

Dressed as Kristoff the Clown, Mr Philpott performed pop hits from 1950s up to present day for shoppers in Leamington.

Mr Philpott said: “There was just a solid flow of money.

“I’m absolutely delighted that people think it’s a worthy cause.”

Having been filmed for Friday night’s televised appeal when The Magnets singing group visited the supermarket last week, staff at Sainsbury’s in Leamington raised £7,000 by taking part in a ‘red nose conga’, leg waxing and dipping into a bath of gunge.

Cubbington Primary School held a cake sale and fancy dress event while much messy fun was had in a bath full of food at Tesco in Southam.

A good time was had by all at Tamarin Riding near Warwick where games took place and junior pupils made cakes to sell.

The riding centre raised £520 for the cause.

An 11-strong team from CitySprint’s Warwick service centre raised more than £850 by cycling 1,523 miles over the course of last week.

Centre manager Tracey Simpson said: “We had been discussing ways to raise money for Comic Relief and this seemed like the perfect challenge for us to sink our teeth into and have fun at the same time.”

Leamington Hibs Under-11s held a penalty shoot-out event on Sunday, raising £120.

The club will round the donation up to £200.

Kenilworth MP Jeremy Wright joined in with some fundraising when he visited the Alamanack bar in the town.

Residents of the People in Action home in Milverton Terrace offered car cleaning services, which raised more than £70.

Service manager June Barratt said: “Everyone had fun and there were as many water fights as cars washed.”

The Purple Playhouse nursery in Sydenham held a cake sale and children and staff came to nursery dressed in their pyjamas.

They raised £94.

Staff at Warwickshire College sports staff raised £725 by taking part in a 24-hour workout at the college’s Henley-in-Arden gym.

Pupils at Bishop’s Tachbrook Primary School raised £201 by writing something funny for money.

The student council decided to give every pupil the chance to write a joke to make a line of 330 gags.

Youngsters at Woodloes Primary School in Warwick raised money for both Comic Relief and the Japan Earthquake Appeal by taking part in a fashion show while across town the pupils at Coten End enjoyed a ‘hilarious hair’ day.

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