Pudsey Bear paid a visit to the offices of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in Inverness today.  He was invited to Cowan House to collect the £679.80 raised by the Network for Children in Need (CiN) on Friday 21st November.

During their lunch hour on CiN day the staff at Cowan House and others across the Network who were linked by video conferencing watched nine of their senior managers take part in HIE's own version of the Weakest Link.  They even had their own Anne Robinson - otherwise known as Joanne Blanusa, of HIE's growing businesses group - to belittle the managers as they were one by one voted off as the weakest link! 

The eventual winner of the competition was Bob Kass, head of key industries with HIE.  He said: "It was great fun to be involved in and I'm really pleased that we managed to raise this money for such a worthwhile cause.  It has made the public humiliation worthwhile!"

Stewart Lackie who is facilities manager with HIE and is chair of the social committee said: "People across the whole Network took part in raising money with our colleagues at Ross and Cromarty Enterprise (RACE) doing particularly well.  Staff at RACE raised over £250, with Fiona Morgan and Margaret Mackenzie donning Pudsey face paint and hitting the streets of Invergordon at lunchtime."

Talking about preparing for her role as one of the scariest women on TV, Joanne Blanusa said: "It was really easy actually, as I have been known to make some cutting comments myself from time to time, so doing this for charity was great fun.  I think everyone got into the spirit of things and they all took the insults very well!"