FUNDRAISERS went dotty for charity when Children in Need fever gripped schools, shops, homes and workplaces.

They donned stripes and spots in Weymouth, Dorchester, Portland and West Dorset in support of the annual extravaganza.

Many baked cakes, held raffles or held wacky events.

In Weymouth 14-week-old Evangeline-Lily James, of Wyke Regis, caused a stir when she was dressed up in support of Children in Need.

The tiny tot, who weighs just over 10lbs, was dressed up in a 0 to three-month-sized costume.

Mum Karen James said: “Everyone was commenting when I took my other two daughters to school, saying how gorgeous she looked.

“My six-year-old Gracie dressed in her pyjamas at Wyke Regis Infants, while my 10-year-old Jessie is hoping to do a sponsored silence at Wyke Regis Junior.

“It’s a really great cause.”

Youngsters at the Front skatepark in Weymouth also joined in the fundraising with a sponsored skate.

There was laughter all day as children and staff at Chuckles Day Nursery in Weymouth dressed up to raise more than £90.

Nursery manager Gemma Florance said: “The children have been painting each other’s faces and ours too.

“I look the best out of everyone. They did a really good job of me.

“The rest of the staff have lots of spots all over their faces. But it’s all good fun.”

Spots and stripes adorned fundraisers at Sunninghill Preparatory School, Dorchester.

Pupils and staff chose spotty and stripey clothing and some even covered their faces in spots.

School secretary Lydia Hampshire said: “Every year we support Children In Need.

“The children really enjoy dressing up.”

Kieran Collins, a pupil at Manor Park First School in Dorchester, decorated his face with spots in aid of the cause.

Baked donations went like hot cakes at Dorset County Hospital’s children centre.

Staff dressed up in stripes or jeans and held a raffle.

Operational manager Gill Foot said: “So far we have raised £120. It’s gone really well.

“The cakes literally went like hot cakes.”

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service had a bake-off on Thursday at its Poundbury headquarters which raised £80.

Nicky Jenkins, the organiser, won and was presented with a cook book. Yesterday morning, station manager Steve Isaacs cooked breakfast for everyone and helped raise a total of £520.

The service thanked the support of business in Poundbury, including House of Dorset Chocolate, Poundbury Garden Centre, Dorset Cereals and Waitrose.

Students put the school-run to good use and ran Breakfast at the Bus Stop to raise more than £419 at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester.

Kitty Bazalgette, Alice Dodd, Tasha Bailey, Lucy Bradbury, Ella Jamieson and Juliet Goss from Thomas Hardye School served bacon butties and hot chocolate among other delights.

There was horseplay at Southfield Veterinary Centre in Dorchester as staff dressed up in pyjamas for the day.

The team at the South Walks vets also baked 60 cupcakes to sell for £1 to boost their Children in Need charity total and around half of them had been sold by lunchtime.

Receptionist Sarah Knight said the cupcakes had gone down well with customers and the fancy dress also helped put a smile on their faces.

She said: “I think they found it quite amusing and at least we are making an effort.”

Wessex Morris Men will be dancing in Dorchester this morning, Saturday, November 17, for Children In Need as part of a nationwide event.

Show your support for the dancers at the top of South Street by the Town Pump from 10.30am.

Community spirited pupils at Symondsbury Primary School in Bridport raised more than £200 during their spotty day.

The children, who dressed up and bought Pudsey gifts and cakes, are keen fundraisers and this year have done the Poppy Appeal, food bank harvest Jeans for Genes and are now tackling the Christmas shoebox appeal.

Headteacher Colin Haley said: “We have a very community spirited bunch of pupils. They were very excited today.

“As a school, we are keen to support both local and national good causes and it’s something the children really get behind.”

Pupils at Sir John Colfox School in Bridport raised more than £250 for Children in Need by staging a concert on Thursday night.

The event was organised by the children and praised by parents including Victoria Voss, who said: “It was amazing.”

Sisters Mabel and Flo Whiting, aged seven and five, of Stoborough, have been baking cakes and making flapjack all week.

They have sold them to family, friends and their mum and dad’s work colleagues.

In total they made 48 fairy cakes, 24 rice crispy cakes and 48 pieces of flapjack, which raised £80 for children in need.

The children and staff of Wareham St Mary Primary School all came to school wearing spots and raised £117 for Children in Need.

The school is currently undergoing major refurbishment and even the building team on site donned spots for the cause.