Bristol people raise money for Children in Need

They ate giant burgers, sang to their colleagues and wore their pyjamas to work. Yesterday fundraisers across the city went the extra mile to collect cash for Children in Need.

As parents dropped their children off at the gates of Cabot Primary School, they were met by Darth Vader and a pair of Ninja Turtles.

Head teacher Richard Riordan, who started at the school in September, led his staff in a day of fancy dress with the theme of Toys.

Mr Riordan said: "We've got Pingu, Mr Incredible, Woody from Toy Story and some fairies. We want to use this event to give the children chance to learn and reflect on people less fortunate than them, as well as feeling part of the whole experience when they turn on the television tonight.

"Pupils have come in non-uniform or joined us in fancy dress and everyone has gone the extra mile to make today special."

In the city centre fountains, three women made a splash with an unusual dinner party. Bristol Lord Mayor Chris Davies helped toast radio presenters Jo Bailey, Chrissie Lloyd and Alivia Rose as they dined in the water.

The women, known as 3 Geese, who together present a show at BCfm, donned evening gowns, fur coats and tiaras for the meal supplied by Bordeaux Quay.

Phil Gibbons, station manager at BCfm said: "When the 3 Geese tell you they want to do something then you know it's going to happen. On this occasion they have excelled themselves."

The Lord Mayor said: "Today people from all over the city have gone to marvellous lengths to do something to raise funds for this cause. Last year £38 million was raised and we really hope that all the efforts will help to top that total. This is one of the more unusual ways of raising money but there have been some extraordinary efforts today."

Eating proved one of the more popular ways of raising funds.

Vincenzo Armato, the Sicilian owner of Vincent's Italian Pizza, had been yearning for a pizza the size they have at home for a while.

Deciding Children In Need was the perfect time to create the 61cm by 41cm pizzas – twice the size of a normal pizza – the Horfield business has had the Italian feasts on sale since Monday, with £2 from every £17 pizza sold going to charity. Mr Armato's son, Luigi, 22, said: "We had the shovel made and imported the boxes from Italy especially for this week.

"The pizzas have been very successful, they're perfect for families."

Bristol Community Housing Foundation also raised over £300 for Children In Need with four of its staff attempting to eat Super Scooby burgers, donated by the Jolly Fryer in Filton. Two competitors managed to complete the burger, with Steve Irwin, 32 winning the challenge by eating his in 13 minutes and 10 seconds.

And elsewhere in the city, hundreds of other fundraisers did their bit to raise some cash.

Staff and pupils at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital School, Clifton, donned their dancing shoes as they recorded their very own cover version of the Eighties hit (I've Had) The Time of My Life, as featured in the movie Dirty Dancing.

At a special Children in Need lunch hour, the school aimed to raise around £3,500 with charity football matches and performances of the dance, including the infamous Swayze Lift performed by the history and politics teachers Paddy Murray and Jo Sharrock.

Jacob Kelly, 22, an activities assistant and carer at Field House care home, raised £388 for Children In Need by cycling 30 miles in three hours, stopping off at three care homes on the way.

As he cycled in his Pudsey-coloured outfit, Mr Kelly was surprised at the amount of cars that beeped and the generosity from local people .

He said: "Towards the end I was getting really shattered, so I stopped at a snack bar, and the two elderly people that worked there fed me with drink, cake and sweets, then donated £5. Everyone was so nice, I had a fantastic time."

The University of Bristol's Language Centre held a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, including a cake sale and a raffle, while two members of North Bristol NHS Trust's Patient Record Centre at Cribbs Causeway dressed as Burlesque dancers to raise £850 from staff at Frenchay and Southmead.

Their colleagues Lance Tatlock and Adam Forman also raised £220 by having their legs waxed.

Staff and children at Leapfrog Day Nurseries in Bradley Stoke spent the day in pyjamas, raising almost £200.

Senior Nursery Nurse, Holly Phillips, 20, said: "All the staff discussed what was the best way to raise money, and pyjamas was definitely our best idea."

Stoke Gifford office workers at insurance giant AXA battled it out X Factor-style in front of an audience of 2,000 colleagues.

The acts included a 20-person act singing Santa Baby, a group of employees singing The Boy Does Nothing and a number of solo artists.

For the 12th year running, AXA donated its call centres to the appeal to run pledge lines and more than 100 employees volunteered to take calls until the midnight finale.

The fundraising extravaganza ended with actor Anthony Head, joining Kate Humble, Chris Packham and local presenter Alex Lovell for the West's BBC Children In Need live local broadcasts.