Fundraisers got creative this year for Comic Relief around Trowbridge, with pirates, swimmers and talent contestants raising thousands for charity.

Children and teachers At Newtown Primary dressed up as buccaneers for a pirate-themed fundraising day, with children bringing in ‘pieces of silver’ to put in the pirates chest and headteacher Tom Hill walking the plank into their outdoor pool.

Mr Hill said: “We raised £300 from the pool jump and the cake sale and other events pushed the overall total to over £500.

“I didn’t wear a wetsuit in the end, the staff said it would be cheating. It was very cold, though.”

Meanwhile, Hilperton C of E Primary School raised £132 through a mini-fete organised by pupils Holly and Rhianna on Friday.

They got Year 6s from Maple Class involved in the event, coming up with games as well as baking cakes to sell.

Holly said: “We just thought it was important to raise money to help people who aren’t as lucky as us.”

Rhianna added: “It took a lot of organising, more than we thought, but we got there in the end.”

Longmeadow Primary School’s Year 6 pupils raised £220.32 from a Glee-themed talent contest on Thursday and other fundraising events on the Friday, including a red nose themed cafe, a raffle and guess the name of the baby competition, while John of Gaunt School also held a talent contest among other activities to raise money for Comic Relief.

A group of 26 swimmers from Trowbridge held a gruelling swimathon at Castle Place Leisure Centre on Saturday in which each of the swimmers, in fancy dress, completed a one-mile swim (64 lengths) to make up the length of a marathon.

Organiser Esther Allberry said: “We are still totalling the amounts up but it is looking like we have raised over £2,500 and obviously we are absolutely delighted.”

Sainsbury’s employee Susie Shingler, 40, also did her bit by having her head shaved for Comic Relief, raising £540 in sponsorship and donations which will be match funded by Sainsburys to bring the total to £1,080.

Children at Westbury Junior School moved their fundraising run around the school indoors. This and their other other activities, including a joke-telling competition, won by Samuel Edmund of Year 5, a name the teddy competition and special red nose cakes, have raised £250 so far.

Headteacher Richard Hatt said: “They’re not normally allowed to run in the corridors but we decided to let them do the run inside as it was a special occasion.”

At Churchfields, The Village School, at Atworth and Monkton Farleigh, children hosted a table-top sale and raised about £350, while children from Keevil Primary School attended school on Friday dressed as super heroes and were able to play on the school’s new timber trail.