EVEN in the hardest of times, East Lancashire's people always put their hands into their pockets for Comic Relief.

It's in our blood to help others and provide support to those who are in a less fortunate position.

Comic Relief was founded in the mid 1980s by comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry.

It was launched on the Noel Edmonds' Late, Late Breakfast Show and its concept was to raise money to help those in need in Africa and in the UK - by collecting several comedians together to take part in a fundraising show.

The highlight of Comic Relief is of course Red Nose Day, which sees the nation buying plastic or foam red noses and parading around school or work, wearing their fashionable charity accessory.

In it's first year, Comic Relief raised £15,000,000, every year since has seen a large increase in donations.

By 1999, the total was £35,000,000, by 2009 it raised £82,300,000, and in 2019 it raised more than £63,500,000.

In total, more than £1billion has been raised by the charity.

In these photographs we can see several groups and organisations, including staff from Foto King precessing laboratory, based in Morrison's store, Blackburn, raised more than £50 for Comic Relief by photographing customers with Rowan Atkinson's cardboard cut-out.