The people of Falmouth have been digging deep to help communities left devastated by the two earthquakes which have struck Nepal in recent weeks.

Pupils and staff at King Charles School got into the spirit of fundraising on Friday when they were invited to ditch their informs in favour of outfits in the colours of the Nepalese flags - for a donation. The children also took part in a competition to design a new flag for Nepal - filling it with things that were unique and special about the country.

After school Ram Sharma, known as Hem, and his team from Balti Curries in Falmouth, turned the playground into an outdoor kitchen and canteen. Chicken wings were barbecued on site and a range of other delicacies were brought up from the restaurant. Parents and pupils were then invited to tuck in, in return for a donation.

By the end of the day, £658.61 had been raised through non-uniform day, the competition and donations, and a further £692 by the sale of food - bringing the school's total to £1,350.61.

The weekend before, nine firefighters from Falmouth Fire Station's red, blue and white watches, along with two of the retained crew, set out to climb Mount Everest - albeit a bit closer to home. The group took about four hours to make 331 ascents of Jacob's Ladder in Falmouth between them, which equated to 8,849 metres, the height of Everest from sea level.

The firefighters were joined for part of the time by Hem and members of his family. Their combined efforts raised £732.90 which has been donated to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Nepal earthquake appeal.

Hem was in Nepal visiting family when the first quake struck and immediately set about raising money and collecting goods to help his fellow countrymen. He has so far collected around £10,000 and has now set up an online appeal with hopes of raising a further £5,000 - this can be found at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/nepal-earthquake-schools.