GALLERY: Children in Need

People across our area came up with some fun ways to raise money for the charity, which supports disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.Driving instructors across the country joined forces and raised more than £49,000 with The Big Learner Relay.Louise Walsh, a driving instructor from Lymington, is the inspiration behind the relay, a two-week event now in its fourth year.The idea is that driving instructors and pupils relay a top box from one driving lesson to another around England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Louise travelled the whole route in the back of each lead car, starting with Northern Ireland and continuing the convoy around the rest of the UK, including the Chichester to Patching leg on Saturday, November 11.Steve Pearce, from Coastline Driving School, said: “We had 14 cars from Chichester Tesco Extra to The World’s End pub. “The lead car this year was myself and we handed over to Jason Mason from JSM, who continued the relay to Horsham.”The grand finale was a drive through the lion’s enclosure at Knowsley Safari Park, Liverpool, on Friday, to complete 14 days, 3,000-plus miles and more than 190 lead driving lessons.Chichester Racquets and Fitness Club celebrated Children in Need on Friday night and raised money through various events.There were tennis and squash tournaments taking place across the whole day, with the evening being wrapped up with a charity auction, with a wide range of items going on sale from tennis lessons to a helicopter ride over Chichester.The club raised more than £3,500, smashing the £2,500 target. Members have raised money for the appeal for more than ten years, with events ranging from charity auctions to golf days out.Club manager Jack Lerwill, 31, said: “It is just a fantastic charity and a fantastic cause. It is one of those events that the country gets behind.”Carrie Prior, supported by her friends, completed a 12-hour spinning session at Westgate Leisure Centre, starting at 7am on Friday.Carrie wanted to keep up a tradition that was started by her father David Prior, who passed away last year.David had done a 12-hour static bike ride at Westgate for Children in Need for a number of years, because he believed it was an important charity.Nine-year-old Eve Knowlson arranged a ramble around the Medmerry cycle route on Sunday and created a poster to advertise it.Mum Kirsty Knowlson said 15 family members and friends took part, along with four dogs.She added: “Luckily we had a lovely, sunny morning. Eve was delighted with the group who joined her for the walk. “The walk took us to the beach, where we stopped to enjoy the Pudsey cakes Eve and her sister Caitlin had made, then back to the car park. The walk took two hours in total, at a very leisurely pace.“Eve has raised £120 in total for Children in Need and is really grateful to those people who joined her on the walk but also to those unable to join her for the walk but still made donations.”Busy Bees nursery in Chichester had a fun-filled day of spotty-themed activities on Friday and raised £35.Nursery manager Shirley Miller said: “Every child deserves the best start in life. That’s why we’re helping people who are less fortunate by hosting and participating in fundraising events. It’s great to see the community, from parents to locals, coming together to support a great cause.“The added bonus is that the children got to enjoy helping people through spotty-themed activity fun. It’s also top of our priority list that the children learn a little bit about why we help Pudsey raise money and who it can help.”Boxgrove CE Primary School raised £160.41 for Children in Need. During Friday afternoon, all the children ‘shared their own thing’ and spoke on an out-of-school interest they enjoy.Head teacher Kim Thornton said: “This activity also tied in well with the national Anti Bullying Week theme, All different, All Equal, as it showed the children that they all have different talents and interests which makes each of them special and unique – so different, but equal as they share the same lives, school life, etc.”Marriott House and Lodge Care Home held a day of events and raised £55. Staff and residents wore pyjamas or dressed as Disney characters for the day and the afternoon included community bingo and a raffle. Sarah Harding, head of activities, said: “We’re overwhelmed with the response we had to our dress-up day and events held throughout the day. “We would like to say a huge thank you to all those who took part. It was great fun supporting BBC Children in Need and to know that we’ve raised £55 is a fantastic feeling.”At Babyballet Bognor Regis, staff and children danced in pyjamas.Jessica Crosthwaite said: “All week, we invited all our babyballet stars to wear their pyjamas to babyballet and donate £1 for Children In Need. So far, we have raised over £130.”Raynor Johnson from Bognor Regis was sponsored to stay awake all night on Friday, with some of her friends popping in to visit.She said: “This would seem like an easy challenge if I didn’t have a three-year-old and an eight-month-old.“With two children myself and with friends and family that use facilities run by donations from Children in Need, it felt like I needed to do something again this year.“It has been a few years since some of my friends and I did something for BBC Children in Need and many years since I did a single project, for Children in Need.”Midhurst Rother College raised a little over £1,000 last year and, as a community promoting respect, it aimed to better that achievement with this year’s effort. The sixth form charities committee planned a number of events, allowing all students to support the appeal. On Thursday, guess the teacher gave students the opportunity to pay £1 to enter a competition to recognise members of staff from photos of when they were much younger. Friday was non-uniform day, when students could donate £1 to wear their own clothes to college, and there was a cake sale at break time.Children and teachers at Northchapel Primary school swapped their normal sensible school shoes for fancy footwear on Friday to raise money for Children in Need. There were long socks, short socks, odd socks, odd shoes, fancy tights and even shoes on the wrong feet. The school said the children enjoyed the chance to express their fun side through their feet while raising money for charity.Midhurst Nursery Class wanted to get away from the usual cake sales and Pudsey faces and do something different this year. Owner Chris Reseigh said: “Inspired by the BBC Countryfile Ramble for Children in Need, we decided to do our own ramble in Petworth Park.“So, with everyone armed with Pudsey or Blush ears, we set off for a half-mile walk.“The children were able to have fun in the woods climbing and exploring, before they sat down together to enjoy a Pudsey picnic of teddy bear biscuits which they had made previously at the nursery. “The morning ended with a hunt for coloured Pudsey spots, which staff had scattered among the trees and fallen leaves.“We raised £39.33 for Children in Need.”