Staff on call for phone pledges

Vodafone Newark was one of five UK sites that took telephone pledges for Comic Relief.

A total of 120 staff, who normally finish at 6pm, volunteered to resume work at 7pm to field calls until midnight.

The 2,800-plus calls to the 85 lines generated £80,000. The biggest pledge was £2,000.

A large screen showed the BBC’s Comic Relief coverage.

Many staff wore fancy dress and took part in their own events that raised £650.

There was an office-based treasure hunt, Twister, a quiz and the option to give up a vice for a week in return for sponsorship.

Staff received free pizza from Pizza Express, plus food from KFC, and cream cakes from Lauren’s Patisseries.

Drinks for a closing party were from Wetherspoon’s.

Caretakers at Newark College raised £100 in sponsorship by carrying out their duties wearing make-up and wigs, after a makeover by beauty therapy students.

The college also held a coffee morning, and half of the price of any treatment at the college’s hair and beauty salon went to Comic Relief.

Staff at the animal unit at Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst Campus, South-well, dressed as animals, including a monkey, a crocodile and a turtle, and raised more than £200 in sponsorship.

Staff and pupils at St Peter’s Primary School, Farndon, gave donations to wear fancy dress.

Costumes included a clown, a shark, an elephant and a dog.

Pupils also took part in challenges. Harry Jenkins (9) raised £100 through a sponsored silence.

Sam Brown (9) and Josh Tacey (10) had their hair cut into mohican styles and dyed red.

The head, Mrs Linda Cox, said the school would not normally allow that hairstyle. The boys raised £160.

The five to seven year-olds baked cakes and biscuits to raise money.

The overall total was more than £340.

Staff and pupils at All Saints’ Anglican/Methodist Primary School, Elston, wore outfits ranging from nutty professors to Minnie Mouse and raised £120.

Staff at Sainbury’s, London Road, Balderton, dressed as The Village People and performed a rendition of YMCA.

Mr Adam Eteo (21) dressed as a policeman, code checker Mrs Karen Green was a construction worker, Mr Anthony Gower (22) was an indian, and Mr Peter Wright (18) was a cowboy.

Staff also cycled on an exercise bike for seven hours. They raised £560. A total of 2,181 red noses were sold at the store.

A cake sale at Kelham Hall raised £211. It was organised by Lisa Tidy and Helen Brandham of Newark and Sherwood District Council’s democratic services department.

Money from lessons at Newark Golf Centre, Newark Showground, was donated to Comic Relief.

More than 30 staff at Bingham Leisure Centre wore pyjamas on Friday, helping to raise more than £500.

Other activities throughout the week included a fancy-dress work-out, a pom-pom cheerleading work-out, and a football match between staff and customers.

Parents at Lowe’s Wong Infants’ School, Southwell, donated money so their children could wear red for the day and raised more than £270.

All 212 pupils, many sporting wacky hairstyles, dressed in red, including Nottingham Forest football shirts.

Youngsters ats the Hobby Horse Nursery, East Stoke, wore red and raised £39.

At Fernwood Day Nursery there were events throughout the week included youngsters attending in pyjamas. A total of £110 was raised.