Fund-raisers around Leicestershire do their bit for Children in Need

It's one way of drumming up cash for Children In Need.

Musician Rishi Chowdhury, 24, from Oadby, played traditional Indian percussion for seven hours at Leicester's New Walk Museum last night.

He started the drumming marathon at 5pm yesterday and finished at midnight – raising about £1,000 in the process.

His sister, Samyami Chowdhury, 27, joined in by singing a variety of Indian songs.

She said: "It's been great and we've had lots of support. Rishi was hoping to raise about £500, but everyone has been so generous and he's managed to double it."

While they were beating a path for unusual fund-raising, hundreds of other people across Leicestershire were not to be outdone.

BBC Children In Need is still counting the total raised, but Leicestershire's fund-raisers hope to have generated thousands for good causes.

Teachers and students at Fullhurst College, in Braunstone, released about 400 red helium-filled balloons to mark anti-bullying week as well as Children in Need Day.

At Riverside Community College, in Lyncote Road, Rowley Fields, youngsters paid 50p to come to school in non-uniform and released their own balloons with the school's address attached.

They hope that the messages will reach as far as Germany.

Last year, the messages were returned from a person in France who found the label and posted it back.

Organiser Michelle Barber said: "It's been fantastic and the children have organised nearly everything themselves.

"All the balloons have been released and now we're going to have to sit and wait for any responses."

Workers at South Leicestershire Community Opportunities, a drop-in centre for people with learning disabilities, raised more than £200 with a Las Vegas event at the centre, in Long Street, South Wigston.

It is the third year the centre has organised the event and fund-raisers played roulette, card games and spin the wheel to raise money.

Co-ordinator Sarvjit Kalirai said: "Everyone has been having a great time today and the chocolate fountain has bee really popular."

Staff at A&N Media Finance Services, at the Leicester Mercury building, in St George Street, raised about £800 by dancing, waxing and dressing up.

Credit controller Gareth Aram, 27, gritted his teeth while colleagues waxed his back for charity.

He said: "It was a bit painful but I managed to raise about £150."

Shoppers at Fosse Park were also doing their bit for charity by paying to use the car park.

Blaby and District Lions Club have been collecting money on Children in Need Day at the car park for 20 years. They hope to raise more than £5,000 for the appeal.

Kathy Murdoch, centre director of Fosse Park, said: "If our shoppers would like to pay for parking, just this one day, it would be an easy way to show support."