Fundraisers back Children in Need - even if it hurts

The charity Popcorn recruited a number of professional skateboarders to demonstrate their skills on a temporary skate-park in Stockton town centre.

Popcorn also joined forces with BBC Radio Cleveland to run a live online charity auction with people bidding for 20 lots of signed limited edition and professional skating products donated by UK and American firms.

Elsewhere, Stockton Borough Council staff reported for work in fancy dress while employees at Middlesbrough Council went to the office casually dressed in return for a donation to Children in Need.

Seven teenage boys endured pain as they had their legs waxed in the name of the same cause.

Liam Blakeley, James Hayden, Chris Coles, Stephen Binns, Nick Cane and Matthew Parkinson, all students at St Mary's College, Middlesbrough, grimaced as their legs were stripped of hair.

They decided to take the drastic action after seeing that a stall set up to raise funds for Children in Need did not seem to be making any money.

About 100 children jumped in Stockton's swimming pool to sweep up as many floating plastic balls as they could to raise money.

North-East silver medal winning swimmer Chris Cook joined in the fun, which saw the launch of Stockton's new swimming mascot, a giant plastic dolphin called Bubble.

Meanwhile, a group of 11 adults with learning disabilities planned an inside job to raise money for Children in Need.

The Grangetown Star Performers from the Grangetown Centre, in Middlesbrough, who are known for their pop star impersonations and fund-raising, gave a concert at Kirklevington Grange Prison yesterday.

Organiser, the prison's senior PE officer Barry Vernon, said: "It was a smashing afternoon.

"The Star Performers always put on a good show and I'm sure we'll raise a lot of money".

Grangetown Centre instructor Sheila Wilson said: "We've had links with the prison for years and we'll be back again on December 16 to give our Christmas show."