SCHOOLS, colleges and businesses in the area raised thousands of pounds last week for this year’s Children in Need appeal.

For the 23rd year running, early years students at Andover College, led by tutor Sue Harrison, gave out puppets, stickers and balloons in Andover High Street raising £903 for the BBC’s flagship fundraising event.

This year’s total means that over the course of the 23 years of fundraising, the college’s early years department has raised more than £25,000 for the cause.

Sue said: “It feels good to have raised such a huge amount of money over the last 23 years. It’s been a long time that we have been fundraising but it goes to such a worthwhile cause. Thanks to the wonderful people of Andover who gave very generously.”

Pupils at Winton Community Academy hosted a 24-hour radio show, presented by Luis Wyatt and Chloe Howard together with support from presenting and production teams.

The show featured games, quizzes, song requests and hourly news bulletins, raising £430.22 which, together with money raised by other students at the school, totalled £770.77.

Students and staff at The Clere School continued their tradition of hosting a range of activities for Children in Need by raising more than £1,500.

Children at the school took part in a The Apprentice-style activity where groups were tasked with making the most money, with creative and innovative ideas.

Headteacher Benjamin Bond said: “I am proud of the charity work achieved by our pupils. They have a very strong sense of wishing to help others locally, or around the world, whenever there is an opportunity to do so, and always enjoy raising money for such worthy causes.”

At Just Teasin hair salon the team dressed up in sparkly T-shirts and Pudsey ears while hosting a cake sale and games of guessing Pudsey’s pet name and the number of sweets in a jar, raising £444.20.

Visitors at Enham Alamein Post Office and shop enjoyed free coffee along with cakes and biscuits while £250.67 was collected from the tombola, sale of mugs and donations.