Hannah Goldfinch, 15, after her head shave for Comic Relief Red Nose Day. With her mum, Jessica, left, and stylist Kirsty Jones-Hanford. Picture: Denise Bradley

From mystery yarn-bombing to riding the bucking bronco, Norwich threw itself into Red Nose day.

From mystery yarn-bombing to riding the bucking bronco, Norwich threw itself into Red Nose day.

Businesses, schools and individuals came together to do something funny for money for the annual Comic Relief fundraiser.

Fifteen-year-old Hannah Goldfinch went under the razor to lose her chin-length locks and raise £370.

The Norwich School pupil admitted a flutter of nerves at her extreme haircut but said: “Compared to what some people go through, shaving my head is nothing. At least my hair will grow back!”

Among those to get the day’s fundraising started was cyclist Stuart Pinnock, who set off on a 17-hour sponsored ride on an exercise bike outside the shop where he works at 6am.

The 35-year-old’s dawn to dusk challenge followed the opening hours of the One Stop Shop on Constitution Hill, and was due to finish at 11pm last night.

Staff at Sainsbury’s at Longwater showed their usual support for Red Nose Day, hosting a bucking bronco for customers, a Malteser chopstick challenge and encouraging staff to dress up, with one of the managers leading the way in a furry red costume.

Store manager Mike Green said: “It’s something we always look forward to because the company supports it, and that gives us licence to have a bit of fun with it too. The bucking bronco this year is a bit out of the box for us.”

In Norwich, yarn-bombers targeted trees around City Hall and adorned them with some furry red fruit overnight.

A cryptic note attached to one tree suggested a group known as the Pom Pom Bombers were responsible, and included the message: “We’ve thought about Comic Relief – have you?”

Aviva had more than 200 volunteers taking calls for Comic Relief last night at call centres in Scotland, Stretford and Sheffield, hoping to beat the £100,000 in donations the volunteers took last year.

In Norwich, a Colegate-based team gave up their free time to film a Harlem Shake video, and a marketing team from Surrey Street swapped suits and heels for pyjamas, raising more than £150.

Marketing consultant Georgina Sadler said: “It’s been quite funny to see people’s reactions as we do our normal day’s work in slippers and heated hair rollers!”

There were red spots, red stripes and lots of red noses at St Faith’s Primary School as children made a donation to dress up, raising more than £100.

Meanwhile, at Easton College, students paid to take part in a one-mile exercise bike challenge, with the fastest rider winning a gift voucher, and teaching staff organising a bake sale.

At the Copper Beech pub in Costessey, staff organised a Red Nose Day-themed bake-off competition, in which lucky customers Colleen and Frank Frost were the judges.

General managers Mike Scott and Claire Harris said: “It was great to see so many people joining in the fun of baking, raising money for a good cause.”

At industrial supplies company ESE Direct in Northumberland Street, employees held a best-dressed competition, a bake-off and a silent auction, and a fancy-dress day at Hethersett Hall care home raised more than £180.

Guests at Norwich Fashion Week also got a shock when models at the Vanilla catwalk donned red noses for their finale.