BBC Children in Need Feed

Who Said Bears Can’t Fly?

2014-11-19T14:43:56+00:00

Around 9,000 people got a real treat this year at the Little Grandsen Airshow with world class aerobatics from Mark Jeffries. A Twister, Hurricane, Spitfire and Lancaster Bombers took to the skies to put on a spectacular show to raise money for BBC Children in Need – raising a record-breaking £63,743.69 for our Appeal.

“We had more visitors than we’ve ever had – the event was a sell out,” said organiser Dave Poile, “And we raised more money than ever before!”

What began 22 years ago as a small charity event is now a regular fixture in South Cambridgeshire. This year’s August event saw the four-hour air show begin with a Spitfire flyover, closely followed by a Tiger Moth bi-plane and C172 display. The Trig Aerobatic Team wowed audiences with their acrobatic stunts before a former RAF Vulcan took to the skies for three final flyovers.

But the highlight of the day was definitely the arrival of nine Pudsey bears, who had flown all the way from Canada in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s Lancaster Bomber especially for the event.

Later, the Pudseys were auctioned off amid lots of other fun activities. “Along with the flying display we had a craft fair, side stalls, food and drink and over 450 classic cars to see,” says Dave, who was awarded an MBE in 2007 for his charitable work.

Dave was inspired to begin fundraising when his daughter was just a baby. “Many years ago, when my daughter was little, she was admitted to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge suffering from dehydration,” explains Dave.

“At that time, BBC Children in Need was on the TV in the Children’s Ward and being surround by so many desperately sick children left me thinking what could I do to raise money to help.”

When he met brothers Mark and John Jeffries – owners of Little Gransden Airfield - he had the perfect idea.

“I asked Mark if we could use his airfield for a event to raise money for BBC Children in Need. His answer was, ‘Yes there is the airfield use it,’ and the rest is history!”

The next Little Grandsen Airshow will be on 30 August 30 2015. Head to their website for more information and to buy tickets.

No matter how big or small your idea, fundraising for our Appeal makes you a true Hero – just like Dave.

Raising just £1 means a seriously ill child can have her spirits raised by a clown doctor, while £7 means a deaf boy who has been in and out of hospital can enjoy hands on activities at an outdoor survival skills day.

So what are you waiting for: sign up to the brand new BBC Children in Need Fundraising Hero Hub for exclusive news, fundraising tools and tips that will help get your own Heroic activities off to a flying start!

DIY SOS: The Million Pound Build for BBC Children in Need

2013-11-13T12:08:38+00:00

Watch DIY SOS: The Million Pound Build for BBC Children in Need Wednesday 13 November 8pm BBC One

BBC One's DIY SOS has been running on Prime Time TV in the UK for 15 years and is now broadcast around the world, but no build has ever been on as big a scale as the one we just did for BBC Children in Need.

We had always thought the ultimate build, in the short space of time allocated by the format, would be to build a house from the ground up but it would stretch things to the limit. When we were asked by BBC Children in Need to look at a site for the Little Miracles charity in Peterborough, we questioned the feasibility of the build. The building alone would be three times the floor area of the largest house we had ever renovated on the show and then there was the landscaping of two acres of woodland to consider too! However, we decided to take on our biggest ever challenge.

Normally we transform an existing two or three bedroom house and add on something like an extension in nine days but we built a brand new centre for Little Miracles from the ground up, in the same time it takes us to do every other build, thanks to the incredible generosity of the volunteers who joined our team and helped make this happen. The ‘BBC Children in Need Big Build' quickly became known as the ‘Million Pound Build’ in the office after the job, estimated to cost £1 million to complete in nine months took nine days. With a tiny budget of a few thousand pounds, we knocked down the concrete shed that previously had no facilities or disabled access and recreated a brand new, 250 square metre state of the art new facility, with two acres of fully landscaped, wheelchair accessible woodland complete with adventure trails and play areas.

So why Little Miracles? Three and a half years ago, a lady called Michelle was refused access to the last bus home with her disabled children because one was on oxygen and the canister was considered too dangerous to be on board. After sitting on the bus in tears, refusing to get off, a woman next to her said “it will be alright.” That one moment of kindness from a stranger made Michelle determined that other parents should have some support, so she decided to set up a support group for parents of children with disabilities and life limiting illnesses, offering advice, counseling and respite. Three and a half years on, she now looks after over 800 families who simply have nowhere else to go. The volunteers in the construction industry knew this, as did the army of gardeners, landscapers, technicians and er.... Army personnel,who made it happen.

The people giving up days of work for us or supplying materials or furniture, kitchens or play equipment only had one reward for their generosity, to see the faces of those families who benefit from the newly opened facility. It made all those involved proud to have run themselves ragged to build it.

It was too big, too ambitious and too close to notbeing finished, but the legacy those volunteers have left Peterborough will give desperately needed respite and support to the lives of so many and become a hub not only for Little Miracles but many other groups in the area.

People are much better than even they themselves believe they can be and are truly capable of making ‘Little Miracles’.

Pudsey visits Worcester Snoezelen

2013-09-27T10:34:11+00:00

Pudsey Bear has been to visit Worcester Snoezelen, a multi-sensory centre for children with severe learning disabilities supported by BBC Children in Need.

People who have learning disabilities can find the world a confusing and threatening place. The Snoezelen gives them an environment they can explore through sight, hearing, smell or touch.

Pudsey was given a tour of the centre by Rowan and got involved in the interactive sensory room, ball pool, sensory garden and even joined in with the band on drums!

The word snoezelen is a contraction of the Dutch words for sniffing and dozing and is used to describe any multi-sensory room. With so much to stimulate the senses, the centre is enjoyed by more than 400 visitors a week, and greatly enhances their quality of life. Often children with severe learning disabilities are unable to go out and enjoy the activities that other children their ages get up to. So the Snoezelen is an amazing place that they can come, have fun, meet new friends or just relax.

To find out more about the difference your money makes, visit our Who You Help section.

Thriftwood Summer Scheme 2013

2013-09-24T13:11:18+00:00

As we ready ourselves to get our winter coats out and settle into autumn, memories of summer may be starting to fade. However, we can't complain, summer 2013 was sunny and warm. The sun certainly shone brightly on the Thriftwood Summer Scheme in Brentwood, Essex. The scheme was set up by the Brighter Opportunities through Supported Play (BOSP) organisation, and was one of the many projects funded by BBC Children in Need this year.

The Thriftwood Summer Scheme ran for 10 days in August and helped young people with learning disabilities experience an adventurous activity holiday, increasing their independence, developing life skills and enhancing self-esteem. Each child was supported by a play worker who encouraged children to take part in the activities on offer. All the children were able to take part regardless of their disability and benefitted from activities such as kayaking, abseiling, pedal car racing, circus skills training to name a few.

Your generosity meant that we could award a 3 year grant to run the Summer Scheme.

BOSP supports children with many disabilities who often require specialist medical training. Some have very challenging behaviour and are unable to access mainstream activities readily available to children their age. This can have a real impact on their social and emotional development, communication and self-esteem, all of which affect the ability to make friends.

It's clear to see that the children and their families got so much out of being a part of this scheme. A parent of one child summed it up when she said: “He was so excited as we arrived it was a pleasure for me to leave him knowing he was not only well looked after but given exciting outdoor activities to take part in. As an autistic child he does not have many opportunities to access outdoor activities which he dearly loves. So once again many, many thanks”.

Thanks to your generosity, this child and many others are able to spend quality time doing activities that are not normally accessible to them and their families and that genuinely make a difference to their personal development. A three year grant from BBC Children in Need funded a Sessional Supervisor and 12 Play Workers, plus scout camp and administrative costs.

Click here to see a gallery featuring the children who took part in this year's Thriftwood Summer Scheme.

To find out more about the difference your money makes, visit our Who You Help section.

Fundraising Heroes - The Midlands

2013-08-09T13:19:44+00:00

Each year we love hearing about all the fundraising events happening around the UK for BBC Children in Need, and this year we're asking you to tell us what you're up to once again. We’ve heard from so many amazing people, that we thought we’d give a special mention to a few fundraising superstars from around the UK, starting with the Midlands.

One group who immediately set our fundraiser gallery alight are Tamworth Firefighters who are set to do The Gump Challenge! Inspired by the movie, Forrest Gump, they are embarking on a 250 mile trek throughout Staffordshire to visit every Fire Station in the County! And they're planning on doing it in just 9 days! You can find out more about the challenge and their route here and sponsor them on their fundraising page here.

The team are embarking on The Gump Challenge for BBC Children in Need

Stealing the spotlight for Hereford are the staff at Henryka Jewellery, who courageously donned their best fancy dress to spend an evening performing as some of their favourite musical legends. Prince, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Will Smith all made an appearance in a night full of big names, big numbers and even bigger wigs. You can help them reach their target by donating here.

There must be something musical in the water, as another BBC Children in Need superstar this year is a funky fundraiser named Andy O’Dell. Andy, from Northampton, has been touring the karaoke stages of the UK and USA, performing a range of classic disco tracks whilst effortlessly rocking an awesome gold shirt – not an easy thing to do! All money raised by Andy goes to BBC Children in Need, and over £400 has already been raised! You can sponsor him and see his fabulous gold shirt over on his fundraising page.

Our final superstar is Lucy Law who has fundraised for 3 years now and this year attempted something we’d never seen before. She and the children she cares for played a sponsored game of charades with a twist - each player had to wear a pair of pants on their head throughout the whole game. We’re not sure how Lucy came up with this strange idea but we’re glad she did - Lucy and the kids raised a fantastic £216, and it looks like the group had a lot of fun too. Lucy told us that it was more than just fun, however: “The children have learnt that they can help children less fortunate than themselves, that they can make a difference and that they can be very proud of themselves.”

A huge thank you to all our fundraising superstars – every penny raised will help suport children and young people right here in the UK. Your help really does make a huge difference.

If you want to have your fundraising activity featured in our superstar line-up, we want to hear from you! Just email your local address on this page to tell us what you’re up to. You can also get in touch on Twitter by following us and tagging @BBCCiN. We can help you to promote your fundraising and perhaps you could be one of our BBC Children in Need superstars!

BBC CiN-supported project wins The Guardian Charity Awards 2011

2012-08-31T10:09:03+00:00

This story was originally published in February 2012.

Coventry Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC) supports around 3,500 local women, men and children - many of whom have stayed silent about their experience of sexual violence for years, sometimes decades.

They use coping strategies ranging from drugs and alcohol to severe self harm; most have anger issues and have not dealt with their trauma.

BBC Children in Need funds a part-time counsellor over three years to provide support to girls aged between 11 and 18 years who have been affected by rape and sexual abuse.

Thanks to your donations and due to this award, there's now greater awareness about the positive impact CRASAC has on the lives of those who receive its support.

You can watch a clip and read more about CRASAC on The Guardian website here.