Cakes and colouring are making for a 'fun'draising Friday at Gloucester-based specialist insurer, Ecclesiastical, with staff getting creative to raise money for Comic Relief.

As a team with an education focus, dressing up as something beginning with 'C' for Comic Relief could only mean one thing for Ecclesiastical's 'Marsh Team' - turning up for work in crayon costumes!

Senior underwriter, Lorraine Amos, said: "We wanted to do something a little different to raise money for Comic Relief and our crayon costumes have certainly been a big hit with colleagues! The most important thing is that our efforts have encouraged people to dig deep for this great cause.

"We have been selling cakes and snacks to raise money as well as holding a colouring and drawing competition that people pay to enter, with a prize for the winner. Looking at the entries, perhaps some of the staff should leave the colouring and drawing to their children!"

Members of the Corporate Business team are also turning the Brunswick Road office red today, dressing up and selling cakes. The Church and Direct Household team have also been busy baking to raise money. Ecclesiastical will match fund any staff fundraising for Comic Relief, as it did last year, when staff raised £40,000 on 'Red Nose Day'.

While Ecclesiastical is a commercial business, it is owned by a charity and its purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society. A significant proportion of the company's profits go to its owner, Allchurches Trust, which donates these independently to good causes, while Ecclesiastical also has its own extensive programme of charitable giving.

Ecclesiastical marked a major milestone in June 2016 when it celebrated hitting its target of donating £50million to good causes in three years and that total has now risen to more than £67m.

Photographs one shows Ecclesiastical staff dressed up as crayons for Comic Relief, selling cakes and running a colouring competition. Photograph two shows some of the Red Nose Day cakes being sold by the Direct Household team.