A SPONSORED abseil down the clock tower of Kirkby Stephen Parish Church raised more than £3,500 for a classroom appeal.

The funds will go towards Kirkby Stephen Primary School's bid to generate £50,000 to help build the new teaching facility.

"It’s a long time since heretics have been thrown off Kirkby Stephen Parish Church, but on Saturday people were queuing up to throw themselves off for a good cause," said head teacher Lynne Wade.

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Seventy-nine people took part in the abseil, including Penrith and the Border Conservative candidate Rory Stewart.

Alan Bell, 88, from Kirkby Stephen, was the oldest participant to make his way down the church and local firefighter Simon Alderson dressed as a 'Welephant' for the abseil.

Claire Lumley organised the event with support from other parents and friends of the school.

"In spite of torrential rain for the first two hours, the community turned out in force to cheer the participants on," Mrs Wade said. "Lyon Equipment (Tebay) provided expertise and equipment, assisted by Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue team members."

The school needs to build a new classroom due to an an unprecedented demand for places.

It is estimated that the new room will cost approximately £100,000 with the school having pledged 50 per cent of the money from its own budget.

At the moment there are 238 pupils at the school but come September there will be 255. Mrs Wade said that in her nine years working there she has never known numbers to be so high.

The school has offered parents and local business owners the chance to buy a brick for £1 each and there will be a summer ball at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal, on June 17.

Arthur Littlefair, a training officer for Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue, said that there were 10 team members present.

"It was an absolute classic day for a community event," he said. "It was about as good as it gets."

The abseil has raised £3570.84 with some sponsorship still to be collected. The school extended a huge thank you to all those involved to make the day so successful.