A business owner from Blackburn is “over the moon” to have raised more than £2,500 for charity, saying she wanted to give back to the community after a successful start for her company.

Uzma Khan and her friend Kulsum Patel managed to raise £2,522.35 for Children in Need back in November, exceeding the target they set, and helping to projects that have a positive impact on the lives of children in the community.

The pair own and run The Perfect Pose, a 360-degree photo studio that has its users stand on a middle platform while a Go-Pro camera circles and films them.

The videos can be overlayed with music and different backgrounds and are often found at weddings, birthdays, and other events.

Uzma is delighted with how well the business is going so far and wanted to give back to the community as a way of saying thank you for the early support.

She said: “We’ve been really successful. We’ve got loads of contacts through schools, wedding venues and stuff.

“We are over the moon. We’re so proud of ourselves that we raised such a large amount. The traffic coming in and out was heaving. We’re just so happy about it.

“We wanted to do something for the community because running a business in Blackburn is hard but we’ve received so much support.

“We had local schools like St Thomas’ that came down. The teachers and the head teacher came and supported us too

“We weren’t expecting to raise so much money because it was the first charity event we have done.”

The pair put on a fundraising event at St Jude’s Church on Accrington Road in Blackburn, and the space was kindly given to them for free by vicar there because of their own support for the charity.

The space was filled with fun things for kids like indoor archery and bake sales, while other people took part in sponsored events to raise money and donations were received from local businesses.

The cause was also supported by Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen Councillor Sulaman Khonat, who invited Uzma and Khulsum into his chambers to take photos of the cheque going to Children in Need.

Uzma said: “Our fundraising efforts were recognized by the Mayor of Blackburn, who generously supported our cause.

"We were honoured to have the Mayor’s support and were able to work together to make a difference in the lives of children in need.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being a part of this fundraising event.

"Whether it was organizing a bake sale, taking part in a sponsored event, or making a personal donation, it made a significant difference and we are grateful for your contribution.”