TAKING their lives in their hands in the name of charity, members of Royal Holloway's fencing club came up with a novel use of all their skills to raise cash for Children in Need.

Although many of the region's fundraisers set aside Friday for mad charity capers, the students from Royal Holloway University waited until they had finished all their pressing assignments to get down to the business of raising heaps of cash for needy kids last Tuesday, November 20.

Foils in hand and dressed from head to toe in protective clothing, the team first took on a day of tiring sponsored fencing bouts and short lessons for beginners in a fencathon at the Egham university, before launching into their next money spinning idea a night of sponsored drinking games.

However, with safety as a watch word, participants were encouraged not to confuse the timing of the two events.