Picture gallery: Red Nose Day 2015

Just two of the year groups celebrate Red Nose day at Birchwood School. Pic Steve Robards SUS-150313-190236001

Money raised from cake sales and cycling challenges in Mid Sussex contributed to the £78m raised by the British public on March 13, taking the totals raised over fifteen years to £1bn.

Downlands Community School in Hassocks raised £1,686, with an afternoon of crafts, a sponsored silence and year 8 pupils bidding against each other for the privilege of shaving off their teacher’s beard.

A spokeswoman for the school said: “Thanks to all our fantastic, generous students for all their hard work and to Mrs Hughes for making it all happen.”

Staff and officers from East and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Services at the Sussex Control Centre in Haywards Heath cycled a hypothetical route from Haywards Heath to Brighton and around the whole Sussex border.

Ian Guppy, from the control centre said: “The target of 240 miles was reached at 10.31pm in a time of 14 hours, 30 minutes and 50 seconds with a spare nine and a half hours remaining, but instead of basking in the glory of the competition the staff decided to carry on and see how far we could go. At 8am we had covered 350 miles.

“In total 30 people cycled who varied from control room staff, firefighters and officers from East and West Sussex Fire Service and also included the Chief Fire Officer of East Sussex, Des Pritchard.

“The support we have received online has been staggering and our initial target of £500 has been well and truly beaten – we stand to raise over £1,000 which is a superb effort.”

Andrew Rewell, who works at Consort Frozen Foods Ltd baked a Malteser cake weighing just over 8lbs for his colleagues.

Children and staff at Kiddi Caru’s Burgess Hill day nursery aped around for Red NoseDay. Inspired by the new picture book the Queen’s Orang-Utan by David Walliams, children dressed up in animal costumes and there were jungle themed activities. The staff also did a sponsored spinning marathon relay.

School children in Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath paid £1 to wear their own clothes for the day with pupils at Warden Park Primary Academy taking part in sponge-throwing and a bring-and-buy sale after school.