SCHOOLS, clubs, organisations, shop and generous individuals from all over South East Cornwall pulled together on Friday for the BBC's annual Children in Need Appeal.

Pupils turned up at schools and nurseries in pyjamas, Pudsy Bear outfits and other fancy dress, pennies were collected by the bucket-load, and there were homemade cake stalls in abundance – somewhere you would least expect, such as Liskeard Post Office!

One of the most strenuous fundraising events had to be at Lux Park Leisure Centre in Liskeard, where up to 30 sponsored aerobikers, organised by senior gym instructor Steve Lee, sweated it out over a gruelling five hours and raised an outstanding £2,000!

This year's South West total was £722,800 and nationally it was a record-breaking £26,757,446.

Local efforts included Liskeard School and Community College where staff and students made a superb effort with fun and events across the day. 

Students and teachers donated £1 to come in to school in fancy dress or casual wear. There were some fantastic costumes including men dressed as women, zombies and Umpa-Lumpas.

The school staff were heavily involved in the day. As well as an array of costumes, a rendition of YMCA by The Village People was staged during morning break to the delight of the watching crowd. 

There was a cake sale during morning break and the ALC also held a lucky dip and a magic show during lunch with the sixth form performing leg waxing. The school has raised in excess of £600 through its events.

Meanwhile, childcare students from Duchy College Stoke Climsland raised more than £300 for the charity by taking part in numerous fundraising activities.

Fifty students and staff chose the theme of Where's Wally and all dressed as the famous character to take part in their fundraising activities. They baked and sold Pudsey cakes and biscuits, soaked staff in the stocks, played guess the number of sweets in the jar and had a go at welly wanging for a very fun and very wet fundraising day.

Students at Looe Community Academy took to the stage for Children in Need. The day had a theme of 'The Onesie Show' and students wore a range of all-in-one outfits including superheroes, bears, and some not-so-cuddly creatures.

A total of £600 was raised on the day with students choosing to donate £325 to Children in Need and £275 to Literacy in a Box.

At Cornwall College Saltash, professional cookery students took on staff in a charity bake-off in aid of Children in Need.

The two teams were given an afternoon to prepare and make as many cupcakes as they could which were then judged and sold in the college cafe.

The winning team was, for the second year in a row, the students who just edged the competition due to the high standard of all the cakes they made and the imagination that went into the decorations and flavours.