SCHOOLS, businesses and councils across west Wiltshire took on the task of raising money for Children in Need on Friday – with many dressing up as superheroes for the occasion.

Spiderman, Batman and Superman were just a few outfits worn by pupils at North Bradley Primary School who have estimated they have raised around £175.

Paxcroft Primary School in Trowbridge raised a similar amount with all 317 pupils and staff coming to school in their pyjamas.

At Wiltshire College in Trowbridge, foundation studies students were able to raise £68 from doing henna tattoos and selling onion bhajis in a joint event for Diwali and Children in Need.

Teacher Farida Ahmed-Sheehan said: “We were going to do something for Diwali and the students had planned and researched the topic and when Children in Need came along, we thought we would raise money for it at the same time. We hired a Bollywood dance instructor and we all got involved and then we went back to the classroom and did henna tattoos and made onion bhajis to sell.”

Other Wiltshire College students from Health & Social Care studies took part in a sponsored cycle and rowing event to raise money with Level 1, 2 and 3 taking it in turns to do five-minute stints and make a donation.

In Bradford on Avon Pudsey volunteers were out in force including town council staff who tried to spread a bit of magic in support of Children in Need with their cake sale by dressing up as Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, Barbie and Dennis the Menace.

Mayor Alison Craddock provided the team with a Victoria sponge to go with their cupcakes, millionaire's shortbread, polar bear cakes and flapjacks.

A great day was also had at Westwood Nursery School, according to its manager Dawn Bryant, where eight children dressed in their pyjamas and made bracelets and necklaces and raised £30 to boot.

Fundraising efforts from St Laurence School took the form of a non-uniform day and a cake sale from the student council, which has already raised more than £1,200 and donations are still coming in.

At Fitzmaurice Primary School and Churchfields in Monkton Farleigh pupils dressed as their favourite superheroes from Batman to Robin, Superman to Batman.

Melksham schools also pitched in to raise money for the BBC telethon with pupils at River Mead having a pirate-themed day with the whole school dressing as pirates and nominating a teacher to walk the plank into a paddling pool. So far the school has raised £202 but the total is still being calculated.

More than 309 children pupils from Forest and Sandridge School paid £1 to come into school in onesies or pyjamas and bought 20 pence cakes at break time.

Aloeric Primary did a variety of activities in aid of annual fundraiser with children dressing up in Pudsey outfits, selling Pudsey ears, doing a bear’s picnic, a treasure hunt, nature ramble with several other 10 pence games.

Each child paid £1 to take part in an attempt to raise between £200 and £300 and the day finished with a talk in the hall about the day.

Over in Warminster, children from Sambourne CE VC Primary School wore ‘silly socks’ for the day which raised £81.