By taking part in classes, these young people build confidence and develop music skills while acting as and being supported by positive role models. You can visit a workshop or see performances by some of these budding musicians at Belfast City Hall as part of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend. For more information, see the Anderstown Music School website.

Meanwhile at Féile An Phobail in West Belfast a grant of £67,351 over three years funds the salary of a Youth Arts Worker who coordinates children and young people’s input to a week-long festival, leading up to St Patrick’s Day.

Féile an Phobail was established in 1988 to celebrate the positive side of the community, its creativity, its energy, its passion for the arts, and for sport. Its first Féile that year consisted of a relatively humble parade of floats, bands and GAA clubs walking in their club regalia to an open-air party in Dunville Park. Street parties were organised throughout the West. Door-to-door collections were made to fund day trips to the seaside for pensioners and outings for young people.

Youth Arts Worker Kevin Morrison recalls: “Soon the street confrontations associated with the week around August 9th were displaced by a positive display of the community and its creativity. Féile an Phobail has grown from a one-week festival to being the largest community arts festival in Ireland with a year round programme of events.”

You can book tickets to go and see the festival via their website.

Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, a new charity is emerging that’s nothing to do with BBC Children in Need but was inspired by a family who were involved in an appeal show film in 2011.

Ellen Vance and her son, Todd, from Dundonald, featured in this film (on YouTube) to illustrate the support he was receiving from the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. A grant of £10,445 from BBC Children in Need helped to fund the charity’s Family Support Service that Ellen and Todd valued so much.

During the film, Ellen talked about the impact that losing his hair had on Todd, who had been lucky to keep his blonde spikes during the early stages of treatment. But a year on, he experienced a reaction to the chemotherapy and had to undergo a more intensive regime. For Ellen, that's also when it really hit home that he was very poorly.

"When Todd lost his hair, it was absolutely devastating for him and it was so quick when it happened. It was hard for the whole family to deal with. One day he had a full head of hair, the next day or so it was completely all gone. We weren’t mentally prepared for it at all. It was like a wake-up call that yes my son has cancer."

"Todd struggled with being in society because he knew people could tell he was sick. Even going into clinic, where everyone looked the same, Todd couldn’t cope with the loss of his hair. He hid behind the sofa if someone unexpectedly called at the house. He was so self-conscious that he even asked for a wig so that he could feel “normal again” but he found it got too warm and itchy so we needed a long term solution. We got him a baseball cap but you could still tell that he had no hair on the back of his head. He didn't like beanie hats because they rubbed and made his head sore so we needed something else.”

The solution turned out to be a bandana, which changed his life for the better almost immediately, turning him from a shy and scared child, to a confident boy who loved to show off the different ways you could wear them. As a result of finding that solution, Ellen and Todd set up a new charity called Bandanas for the Brave to support other children who have lost their hair through treatment by giving them free bandanas.

As Pudsey bear knows a thing or two about bandanas too, we wanted to share this local success story on St Patrick’s Day as each week in Northern Ireland, another three young people are diagnosed with cancer.

Ellen said: "I always thought that we would like to do something for the children themselves, give them a wee smile on their faces even if it’s just for a minute. So we talked to Todd and asked him what he thought the hardest part of this journey was and he didn't say anything about the daily pain, the sickness and struggles going through the chemotherapy. To him, the hardest thing was losing his hair. So that’s why we have decided to set up this charity, to try and help other children going through the same journey.

"We have helped around 100 children and young people now, and everyone including the doctors at the Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children think it’s a wonderful idea so in mid-February they gave us their backing. They now keep a stock of the bandanas in the hospital to give out to newly diagnosed children or when they need to. This is a big step for us and I am grateful to them all for their help.”

Todd's brain tumour is in an inoperable position so he still has regular check- ups but is doing well. The family has recently been to Florida where Todd had his Make a Wish Foundation treat to swim with dolphins.

He said: "It was amazing - words can't describe how it was."

Now it’s back to working on the charity, building its website and social network sites.

It's not something Ellen every imagined she'd be doing, but as a result of her efforts, she was nominated for Tesco magazine's mum of the year in 2012 and got down to the final seven.

But, in typical self-effacing style she says: "Who needs an award when I've got my kids to look at every day?!"

Those children are three boys - Cameron, 17, Todd, who's now 11, and youngest son Carter who's four.

"Little old me never thought I could do anything like this... But if one other child feels the way Todd did when he starting wearing his bandana, well my job's done."

In the run up to the big night on Friday, November 16, BBC Radio Ulster's Hugo Duncan leads the way rising to the challenge of raising money for the Appeal in BBC Radio Ulster’s sixth ‘Hugo’thon’.

For five days, from Monday, November 12 to Friday, November 16, Hugo and Lynette Fay will call on listeners to be as generous as ever in supporting an auction.

Hugo Duncan said: "BBC Children in Need has been very close to my heart for many years and the whole team is really looking forward to yet another Hugo-thon.

"I know that all our listeners - at home and out on the roads - will be ringing in to pledge as much money as they can for such delights as a 'money can’t buy' chance to attend a unique lunch hosted by The Speaker of the NI Assembly on BBC Children in Need day when Parliament Buildings is 80 years old! Or bid for a Country Music week in Majorca, the chance to ride pillion with the biker of your choice at the Ulster Grand Prix, spend a night in the biggest hotel suite in Belfast or grab enough sweets to keep you chewing for a whole year!

"There’ll be plenty of instant sales on offer too - World Cup Qualifier tickets, Driving Lessons, Shopping Vouchers and Hampers, a Hot Towel Shave, Concert Tickets, bags of turf and even a Christmas tree! All this and lots of good music along the way for a wonderful cause - and remember BBC Children in Need is always lots of fun, but at the heart of the charity are thousands of projects who rely on funding to help make a difference to young lives, so please do support in any way that you can."

Tune in to Hugo Duncan and Lynette Fay on BBC Radio Ulster from 1.30-3pm to phone in a bid or just simply make a donation – on 08459 555 678 – and don’t forget all your requests and dedications via email and text.

Other BBC Radio Ulster programmes will be carrying stories about fundraising activities throughout the week in the run-up to the big night. So make sure you let us know what your plans are. Just call Pudsey on 028 9033 8221 or email Pudsey@bbc.co.uk with details of your event and we’ll be in touch

Last year on the night the Northern Ireland total was £755,954, contributing to an overall UK total of £46m. Of that £3.2m was spent on 181 grants in Northern Ireland.

For more information on how to get involved with this year's BBC Children in Need or to make a donation log on to: bbc.co.uk/pudsey and follow the links to the Northern Ireland site or call: 03457 33 22 33. Standard geographic charges for landlines and mobiles will apply.

A big congratulations to the bookies' favourite, ABCDE FC (BBC NI Sports department), who took the trophy with a 3-1 win in the final. The sore legs and damaged egos were worth it in the end though as the staff raised over £1000!

Huge thanks to everyone who took part!