FUN-loving schools and businesses across west Suffolk have got into the Comic Relief groove with a host of events to raise money for the popular charity.

Dave Gooderham

FUN-loving schools and businesses across west Suffolk have got into the Comic Relief groove with a host of events to raise money for the popular charity.

A middle school in Bury St Edmunds has taken part in a massive 360-pupil conga with students and staff alike swapping their uniform for the customary red clothing.

The pupils at Horringer Court Middle School joined together for the massive chain which led students through the school and out onto the playground.

The idea was the brainchild of headteacher Tania Johnson along with Amanda Gray, office manager, who said: “We wanted to do something fun and get all the children involved. They were very excited about doing the conga through the school.”

The director of music at Culford School, near Bury, today said goodbye to his much-loved beard after 30 years.

Pupils witnessed the moment when James Recknell, who is also director of Culford Choral Society, lost his infamous beard while accompanied by a barbershop quartet.

Mr Recknell said: “I first grew the beard on a school trip to Morocco in 1981 so all the pupils here and certainly many former pupils have always known me with a beard. I will be unrecognisable afterwards.”

Other charity events at the school included a variety show, with prefects performing the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Show, a dance-in run by two sixth form pupils and a prefects' baby photo competition.

All the money raised will be split between Comic Relief and projects in Malawi which the school is supporting.

At Sudbury Upper School, more than �800 was collected through pupils turning up in non-uniform alone with one student also having his head shaved for the charity.

While at Sudbury's Tesco store, one of the managers was preparing for a soaking this afternoon after staff donated money to get a chance to throw sponges at one of their superiors locked in a cage trolley.

Rachel Webb, organiser of the store's Comic Relief events, said: “This year we are doing fund raising events on a much bigger scale and the reaction we have received from staff and customers has been fantastic.”