From head shaving to tin-rattling and even a country and western day at work, this year's Children In Need saw thousands of people across Leicestershire doing their bit.

BBC Children In Need is still counting the total raised, but Leicestershire's fundraisers hope to have generated tens of thousands of pounds.

Abington High School, in Wigston, raised £2,308 after a week of events, which culminated in assistant head Paul Lingard having his head shaved in front of 650 pupils.

He said: "I don't think this look really suits someone of 47, but it's a great cause and the children have done fantastically well."

At Uplands Junior School, in Highfields, pupils threw sponges at their teachers and had their faces painted.

Zainab Suleman, 10, said: "It was a very fun day and we did lots of interesting things like throwing wet sponges at our teachers. They are not allowed to tell us off for that so that was funny."

Toddlers at Busy Bees Nursery, in Narborough, helped raise nearly £300 with a dance-a-thon and biscuit sale.

Blaby and District Lions have collected nearly £121,000 for Children In Need over the past 20 years and yesterday they were adding to that total.

Members carried out collections at Blaby Precinct, Aldi, Fosse Park, Sainsbury's and the park-and-ride at Enderby.

Children at Rendell Primary School, in Loughborough, came dressed in spots and paid 50p to bring their favourite teddy bear to school. They managed to raise over £200.

And 11-year-old Evie Lee, of Wigston Magna, made a racket – and more than £50 – by playing her drums for 30 minutes.

Another school raising money by baking was Ashby Church of England Primary.

Pupils raised more than £400 selling bread and cakes made in a baking competition, judged by Stuart Collins, chef at a top Cheshire restaurant.

School spokeswoman Jane Stevenson said: "About 100 of the children took part and had a really good time raising as much money as they could."

Meanwhile, boots, stetsons and check shirts were out in force at Lafarge Aggregates and Concrete, in Syston, as staff took part in a country and western theme day which raised more than £1,000.

Caterer Mary Kelly said: "We've had a great time, everyone has got into the spirit of the day and been extra generous."

Rupin Millen, of Kareena Travel, Leicester, pulled a 2,799kg limousine along two streets in Rushey Mead to raise £200 – but fell 440yds short of his target of a mile.