Children in Need (From Free Press Series)

Children in Need

Big-hearted people of Torfaen used hovercraft, pyjamas, CDs and computers to raise money for the Children in Need charity last week. They took part in a range of fun events, proving the annual fundraiser is as popular as ever. Here are a selection of the events you put on throughout the borough.

A YOUNG MUSICIAN has used his talents to help children in need - and to raise money for charity.

Thomas Hayes is a year eight student at Abersychan Comprehensive - and a talented keyboard player.

He worked on producing and recording a CD for four nights running. And he then sold the recordings on CD for £3 each for Children In Need. In just two weeks he has raised £340.

Listeners have the choice of ten tracks ranging from Andrew Lloyd Webber numbers to the Beatles and Queen.

STUDENTS on Torfaen's Reach for IT bus joined in the big fundraising effort. The bus travels round the borough giving free computer training.

The students used it to design their own Pudsey Bear to decorate the bus. A raffle was held on Friday which raised £145 for the charity. Prizes were donated by the students.

THE PLAY STATION held two pamper days for people to come along and enjoy massage, nail art, pedicures, hair styling and beauty treatments.

A sponsored man-wax took place with women from the centre taking revenge on their self-defence instructor Adam Heybyrne. He agreed to have a full leg wax, sponsored by his friends and family.

Visitors were also treated to Pudsey Bear chocolates and took part in a raffle. Prizes were donated by the Head Gardener, Garndiffaith, First Impressions, Pontypool and the Sun Centre at Pontypool.

Special thanks also to Hair on Harpers at Abersychan, Donna Semple, Sennur Schondelen, Natalie Randell and Linda Foxwell who donated their time.

The Play Station has already raised over £300 for Children in Need with more coming in.

PUPILS at Crownbridge Special School, Sebastopol, Pontypool, have collected 1p and 2p coins to make lines of 'coppers' in their school hall to raise money for Children in Need. Once again, PC Gary Thomas, Schools Liaison Officer helped them start the lines. Both pupils and staff helped to pick up, count and bag the money and Griffithstown Post Office checked it, declaring a total of £192.54. It was the eleventh year running pupils have raised funds for the appeal.

RAISING money for charity left some people floating on air in Cwmbran on Friday.

They took part in Project Hover at Pontrhydyrun.

Each person paid a minimum of £1 for a ride in the hovercraft constructed by the Cwmbran Centre for Young People.

The project started when a group from the centre visited a Hovercraft Club of Great Britain event and decided to buy one, with the help of a grant from the Youth Offending Team, for £2,000.

SHHHH! That's one way to keep them quiet.

Students at George St Primary School took part in a sponsored silence. The school raised over £350 for the charity with a range of events including a backward walk and talent contest - all done wearing their own pyjamas.