GWENT came out in force to support Children in Need this year with a range of fundraising efforts - from the brave to the fun to the very, very painful.

Schools and business' across the county dressed up, hair was shaved off and toys were donated in aid of the annual charity appeal.

One place at the centre of the fundraising was DW Sports in Newport.

Members would have walked in to see Newport County’s David Pipe, Byron Anthony and Aaron O’Connor having their legs waxed for charity.

The players were sponsored by their team mates who contributed £330 towards DW’s final total that comfortably passed £1000 due to members of staff completing a 12 hour spinathon and holding a cake sale.

“A few of us got asked to do a waxing in aid of this fantastic charity and of course we said yes,” said Mr Anthony. “The squad were happy to donate as we were going through the pain.

“It wasn’t quite as bad as I thought it was going to be but I don’t envy anyone who has it done fairly often.

“Aaron’s been screaming like a little girl having his done but real men do it with ease. But it’s all good fun and it’s all for a great charity so we’re glad to be able to help out.”

Whilst Mr Anthony remained calm and composed, it was a different story for Mr O’Connor who felt the pain throughout his stint on the bed.

He laughed: “We’re always happy to help out for charity and donate stuff but this was the first time I’ve done a leg wax and it’s probably going to be the last.”

Elsewhere, a kind hearted school boy shaved off his beloved curly locks, after watching his mother do the same three years ago.

Mitchell Parker, eight, of Beaufort Hilly Primary School, Ebbw Vale, raised £1,017 for Children in Need when his curls were cut by head teacher Phillip Brookman on November 14.

His mum, Sarah Parker, 41, said: “It was awful but brilliant at the same time. He loved his curly hair so it was a complete shock. He just wants to help children have a better life.”

Georgina Bailey, 39, also shaved off her hair in a bid to raise money. The lady, who works at Alway Pharmacy, raised over £300 for her act of bravery.

“It’s a very brave thing to do in these weather conditions,” said Heather Wright, a colleague of Mrs Bailey. “We thought she’d raise about £100 so it’s a lot more than what we hoped for.”

Castle Park Primary School, based in Caldicot, raised money by asking children and staff to wear something spotty to school for a non-uniform day.

But it was the year of the onesie as Schools and offices across Gwent were taken over by the fashionable clothing item in a bid to raise money, including staff at Torfaen Training.

Children in Atomic from Bethel Community Church held a 'Sponsored Singing, Dancing and all round Funathon' on November 10 and raised £130, whilst wearing onesies.

Coed Eva Primary pupils also donned the must-have clothing item of the year to raise £237 for both Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Children in Need.

Pupils at Our Lady's of the Angels school, in Cwmbran, painted spots on the Blinkin Owl pub ahead of a weekend of sumo wrestling, cake sales, face painting and pyjama day in a bid to raise money.

Also in Cwmbran, Sainsbury’s had a total of £114 worth of toys donated. Customers could donate their own toys or buy them in store to put into the collection box at the front of the shop.

Another pyjama day took place at Pentwyn House Nursing Home, where over £60 was raised by members of staff in aid of Children in Need.

Team Rickshaw passed through Abergavenny on Wednesday as part of their cycle ride. By the time they had left the total raised by the team was just over half a million pounds.

Blaina Company, Mother Natures Goodies, put together a hamper of treats for the cyclists to help them on their way.

Lisa Postle, who works in Finance at Newsquest, raised £88 for Children in Need by hosting a raffle.

As the pictures show, a lot of effort was put into dressing up, making sacrifices and raising money - and all can be proud of their efforts.