BBC Children in Need Feed

Bright Sparks

2014-10-23T13:22:24+00:00

Fraser’s mum Shona had a perfect pregnancy. But during his birth, Fraser’s heart stopped and he was starved of oxygen. Near death for the next 72 hours, he spent the next six days in intensive care. After four more long days, Shona and Fraser were finally allowed home, where her plans for motherhood changed forever. Fraser’s traumatic birth had left him with Cerebral Palsy, a neurological condition that affects movement, co-ordination and sometimes even communication.

Shona had to leave her job: looking after Fraser and his older brother Mark needed all of her time and energy. And although she tried taking Fraser along to mother and toddler groups, she didn’t feel comfortable when he couldn’t keep up with the other children.

Then she found Bright Sparks, a special place where disabled children can play and socialise with other youngsters: its busy building hosts clubs every night of the week as well as during school holidays.

Based in an old schoolhouse in Midlothian, Scotland - wrangled from the hands of the council ten years ago by founder Louise Gough - it’s a small space where magic happens.

Shona instantly found Bright Sparks to be a lifeline: it was there that she met other mums with disabled children and finally felt like there were people who understood the difficulties of her situation. Fraser loved Bright Sparks from his first visit, especially the holiday club, funded by BBC Children in Need. He now goes on trips away with his brother, Mark.

It’s something Shona never thought she’d see: Doctors always told her that her little boy wouldn’t walk or talk, but Fraser is thriving at Bright Sparks – both emotionally and physically.

After starting physiotherapy at 10 months, and with the help of Bright Sparks, he’s now walking and starting to talk. Shona puts this down to the positive reinforcement from all the staff, who have boosted his confidence enormously.

“It was such a relief to find Bright Sparks - you think you’re the only person in the world with a disabled child,” she says. “Fraser is so comfortable at Bright Sparks, I see his eyes light up when he hears its name. It gives me strength coming here, and I dread to think what life would be like without them".

"Holiday times are particularly hard, as all routine goes out the window. The Bright Sparks trips are a wonderful help and it’s great that Fraser and Mark can have quality time together as brothers.”

Bright Sparks is so popular that it has a long waiting list for all its groups. It has even started rotating children so everyone gets time at the centre. Thanks to your Heroic donations, many more children will get the support they need from the centre in years to come.

Supporting BBC Children in Need, no matter how big or small your contribution, makes a real difference to the lives of children and young people right on your doorstep.

Raising just £2.50 could help supply a special pack for premature babies with life-limiting conditions. And £250 means a child with Cerebral Palsy and his family can continue to have healthy meals by paying for a new cooker after their old one was condemned as unsafe.

Sign up to our Fundraising Hero Hub to access exclusive news, tools and tips that will help get your Heroic fundraising activities off to a flying start!

Rob’s Helping Hands

2014-10-01T08:35:52+00:00

When an accident left fitness fanatic Rob Groves a paraplegic, he had to come to terms with a whole new way of life. Now he’s cycling from Edinburgh to London to raise money for BBC Children in Need – using just his hands!

Handcycling

Hero Rob will start his epic challenge at BBC Edinburgh in Midlothian on 9 November, and will hand-cycle for six days – sometimes overnight - to reach London.

The 414mile journey is the culmination of two years of intense training for 57-year-old Rob, who hopes to inspire others to challenge themselves with his fantastic feat. “Finishing this ride will definitely be the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” says Rob. “But it’s not about me, it’s about raising funds for BBC Children in Need and sending a positive message to anyone who’s lacking inspiration - to tell them they can achieve anything they put their minds to.”

All Heroes get nervous from time to time and Rob admits he feels a little apprehensive as he counts down to the intense physical challenge. But when raising just £5 means a 5-year-old boy in hospital and anxious about his treatment can giggle and laugh at a magical entertainer, nerves disappear.

And he has plenty of motivation to keep him going - not only does he have a support vehicle and a motor home of helpers travelling alongside him, but he also has the stories of the many less fortunate children he met during his recovery to spur him on.

“Since becoming a paraplegic, I have met so many children who were born with a disability,” he explains. “I met a 14-year-old girl recently while I was out raising awareness about spinal injuries and she said to me: ‘You don’t know how lucky you are - I’ve never walked.’”

Before the accident that changed his life eight years ago, our Hero Rob was a fitness instructor with his own health club and was passionate about keeping fit.

“Afterwards I ballooned to 17 and a half stone,” he recalls. “I went into a dark place and I wouldn’t go out, nor accept a wheelchair. I was desperate to get my mojo back and knew that something had to change.”

In need of inspiration, it was only when the qualified nutritionist was watching the 2012 Paralympics that he was finally encouraged to start training again – and he decided to give hand-cycling a try.

Rob heroically threw himself into training and slowly began to get back into shape.

“I have been training solidly for two years to get ready for this,” says true superhero Rob. “Five times each week and for three hours at a time, I lift weights and use a crank cycle to build up my strength and stamina. I also regularly go out and cycle to prepare myself for the challenges of the open road. I’m currently able to cover at least 14 miles an hour.”

Back on track and with his strength returning, Rob was quick to turn his attention to helping others through raising money – something he was no stranger to in the years before his accident. “I used to do a lot of fundraising and I was keen to take it up again,” he says.

Rob chose to raise money for BBC Children in Need after seeing how the projects we fund can truly make a difference. “A friend’s child recently died of leukemia and another friend’s baby died at birth from a brain haemorrhage,” Rob explains. “I know that BBC Children in Need helps both the family as well as those who suffer from these terrible illnesses.”

Rob’s six-day challenge will see him pass through BBC studios in Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Oxford before he arrives to a Hero’s welcome at BBC Broadcasting House in London. Pudsey himself will be there to congratulate the champion!

“At least I have experienced being an able-bodied person,” says Rob. “It’s that thought that spurs me on every day.”

Our Hero Rob is undertaking an epic challenge for BBC Children in Need. But no matter how big or small your idea, fundraising for us makes you a true Hero. Just £1 could prevent a child from going hungry at breakfast time for a week.

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 heroic activities off to a flying start.

To keep updated on Rob’s progress check out his fundraising page.

Taking a bus for the Bear!

2014-08-15T08:37:49+00:00

Just in case you’ve forgotten what a glorious country we live in, there’s no better way to become reacquainted with the beauty of Britain than a Summer ride on one of the UK’s many scenic bus routes. There’s nobody that knows this better than Steve Gibbs, a determined fundraiser from Wigston currently in the midst of an epic fundraising journey across the UK.

Powered on by his pacemaker, 74-year-old Steve is currently en route from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and back again - all by bus! That’s a two week journey covering over 2000 miles, on 66 buses - and it’s all for free with a bus pass! With a huge £5,000 fundraising target, Steve’s determined to prove himself a Hero, and we’re certain he’s going to succeed.

The challenge is now well underway – Steve arrives back at Land’s End on Sunday 17 August. We were lucky enough to catch up with Steve shortly before he caught his first bus to ask him some questions:

BBC CiN: Hi Steve, can you tell us a little bit about your challenge?

Steve: The aim is to travel from Land’s End to John O’Groats and return using only local bus services and concessionary bus passes or sponsored tickets, so basically for free. It has been done before but to make it different this time we’re including the crossing and tour of Ronald’s way in the Orkneys which will make it much longer - and unique!

The other special part of the trip is that, at 75 on my next Birthday, I will be the oldest person to do it and the first powered by a pacemaker!

BBC CiN: Sounds great! How did you come up with the idea?

Steve: The idea came to me in December last year after a very vivid dream one night. In the morning I mentioned this to my wife who just said “well, why not do it then!”

BBC CiN: It’s a pretty big challenge – how are you feeling? Nervous? Excited?

Steve: The prospect of catching so many buses is rather daunting but the prize is to pass through so many beautiful parts of the UK and, of course, to cross to the Orkneys, which otherwise would not be possible for me.

Steve taking the helm at the start of his challenge.

BBC CiN: How have you prepared for the challenge?

Steve: I have some fantastic sponsors including the medical company who made my pacemaker, bus companies, work-wear suppliers, not to forget friends and family along the route who are putting me up overnight in Exeter and Derby - or my long suffering wife! I do intend to use this challenge to meet people and to recognise especially the part that the bus drivers will be playing to get me there and back. I hope that they will all have a photograph with Pudsey who will be with me all the way and give me some interviews.

BBC CiN: You’re going to be on a lot of buses – how are you going to keep yourself entertained?

Steve: There must be so many interesting people to meet during such an epic journey, so most of my time will be spent talking and finding stories to tell afterwards. I hope that Pudsey will oil the wheels and get drivers and passengers to reveal all. I will also be accompanied on some legs by family and friends so I won’t be a “Lone Ranger” all of the time.

BBC CiN: We hear you’re taking Pudsey along with you - what part of the challenge do you think Pudsey will enjoy most?

Steve: The best thing for Pudsey will be at the end when he can hand over the money so that the children he loves so much can be made happier.

BBC CiN: Why did you choose BBC Children in Need?

Steve: We chose BBC Children in Need as our beneficiary as wherever we are in UK, people will be happy to give knowing that somewhere in their region children are benefitting from their contributions.

BBC CiN: How can people keep updated with your challenge?

Steve: If anyone wants to see our progress we will be updating our website during the travelling with photographs and comments.

The brave and defiant Steve setting off at Land's End.

If you want to find out more about Steve's challenge, you can visit his JustGiving page, or take a look at his website and facebook page. And don't forget to follow BBC Children in Need on Facebook and Twitter too, for regular updates about all our heroic fundraisers!

Victory for Lesley and Pudsey!

2014-05-08T12:23:25+00:00

Hero fundraiser Lesley is on the high seas, sailing a gruelling 5500-mile leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. And there's massive cause for celebration for her and her team on board the GREAT Britain yacht, after winning Race 11 from San Francisco to Panama.

It’s obviously something about having a small yellow bear on board! It was a fantastic morning as we sailed towards the finish, and I was given the honour of helming the yacht across the line. The trouble was that we really weren't sure where our nearest competitor was, whether they were in front or behind us. At the finish there were whoops of joy on board but still a bit of uncertainty. When we got the confirmation through that we'd won, it was just brilliant. In actual fact we were several miles ahead!

It’s extraordinary. Before I started I had this nervous anxiety that, with only 3 weeks training, I might just be a spare part on board. What’s struck me though is the amazing team spirit, and the one-to-one coaching. The experts are gently stretching us to learn new skills, whether that’s trimming the sail or being on the helm - we're really contributing and not just being passengers.

Every eight days we do a 14-hour shift cooking for the rest of the crew

The most difficult thing has definitely been the heat. It's been 40 degrees at the Tropics and you can’t escape it. When you’re trying to grab a few hours’ sleep and you can’t get cool - that’s the one thing that’s hit me more than anything else. In terms of the actual sailing, it’s been really different to the training. We've just had 11 days sailing downwind with the spinnaker up and you don’t get much chance to do that in the English Channel where we practised.

Right now we're all busy doing on-board maintenance. We’re repairing some sails and there are various things that need fixing, and once that’s done we’ll have a few days off before the next race. The next one is a short one, only two to three days to Jamaica, but it’ll be very intensive. Then we have a longer stopover, before the last one up to New York.

My biggest motivation to keep going is not wanting to let my team down. It's what wakes me up when I’m sleeping , makes me put my life jacket on and gets me on deck. And now I have the added thrill of knowing we can win the races! Let’s try to do more of the same!

See how much Lesley has raised on her JustGiving page.

We’ll be bringing you Lesley’s news as the race progresses over the next two months. For the latest updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also search #PudseyClipperRace.

Read Lesley's first blog entry

Read Lesley's second blog entry

Lesley and Pudsey on the high seas!

2014-04-24T15:00:21+00:00

Here's the second blog post from Lesley who's sailing a 5500-mile leg of The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race raising money for BBC Children in Need.

So here I am like the new girl at school, new shiny uniform standing out against the well-worn kit of the old hands. Nervous on my first day, hoping my teachers will be nice and that I can integrate into the class. Wanting to learn, wanting to be competent, wanting to be accepted as part of the tea, but most of all not wanting to let my new classmates down.

Well, all the pre-race nerves in San Francisco have melted away, and now I feel completely at home in this new school out on the big, big blue Pacific Ocean. My teachers, the round the world crew, are brilliant, patient, and extremely knowledgeable gently stretching me to build confidence and master new skills. It’s humbling to sail with the guys who were there for my very first week in training, and who have now travelled 31,000 miles around the world. Owen and Jim are now so at one with this incredible sailing vessel, so at ease with all its quirks and awesome power.

In training in the English Channel, you don't get much chance to "fly a kite" (that's boat speak for getting the spinnaker up). Yet that's pretty much all we have used since heading south downwind on day one, destination Panama. As we have worked our way through all three kites in just three days I have learned a new skill called "trimming". This entails sitting with the working sheet in hand and gazing constantly at the curls, furls, ripples and eddies of the huge sail before you. It’s a delicate game of chance - ease out the sheet too much and the sail collapses, grind in too much, the sail loses shape and the boat slows down. There is a sense of power in the trimmer's commands of "grind" "halt" and "helm", calling out for action from the grinders and helmsman all in the game of keeping the kite flying. Yet, one false move and it can be all over as you watch the sail collapse into the water.

It’s sometimes hard to remember we are in a race. Soon after leaving San Francisco we lost sight of our rivals, yet every so often we get a tantalising glimpse of another yacht ahead or astern. Other than that we ride the waves seemingly alone until one morning, when we were treated to another school of the ocean – a dancing frolicking pod of 40 dolphins playing with us for a couple of hours. It may be old hat to some who have seen it all before, but I will never tire of that.

See how much Lesley has raised on her JustGiving page.

We’ll be bringing you Lesley’s news as the race progresses over the next two months. For the latest updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also search #PudseyClipperRace.

Read Lesley's first blog entry

The heroes of 2013

2013-12-13T17:02:12+00:00

It’s nearly Christmas, and of course that means that it’s nearly New Year! As we keep moving ever closer to what promises to be a very exciting 2014, we can’t help but take the opportunity to have a few little glances back at some of the great stuff that happened over the past year. There's been some true heroes this year, so let's take a look!

First up, a belated thank you to staff and pupils from Keir Hardie Memorial Primary & Nursery Class in Newarthill who raised a very heroic £370 in November by coming to school in their pyjamas! They may have been wearing pyjamas and onesies, but there weren’t any sleepy faces in class as the whole school celebrated BBC Children in Need and really got in the fundraising spirit.

Daniel, from the Woking branch of Natwest, got in touch to proudly tell us about his team’s fundraising accomplishments. Having an Pudsey-themed cake sale, the team really managed to ‘raise the dough’, bringing in a whopping £839.19. They must have been some pretty epic cakes! Daniel wants us to say a huge thanks to his team, and a huge thank you to his customers who helped to make the day such a huge success through their generosity. A huge well done to everyone on the team from us, you’ve raised a huge amount of money that will make a real difference to disadvantaged children and young people all over the UK.

The team at Natwest in Woking flex their baking muscles and bring in the money!

Francesca from Countrywide Corporate in Bracknell asked us to give a shout out to her colleagues, who organised a teddy bear’s pyjama-picnic and raised £721.24! We couldn’t resist giving the team a little mention when we saw the photo, which is not only full of keen fundraisers, but also has some surprise celebrity appearances from Marilyn Monroe, Cinderella and Bruce Springsteen (albeit on a t-shirt). The team look great in their Pudsey ears and we hope you’re all very proud of your ace fundraising!

Countrywide Corporate in Bracknell had a great time fundraising.

Another big thank you is due to Brian Atkins and his Alaskan Malamute dog, Shadow. The fundraising pair took to the streets of Leamington Spa in the hopes of raising some money for Pudsey, and they did very well indeed, collecting £300 on one day alone! As Brian himself admits, it’s shadow that does most of the work – he has people lining up to give a small donation to stroke him, pat him and play with him. That's our kind of dog! At BBC Children in Need we've already got one animal mascot (the irreplaceable Pudsey), but if the big yellow Bear ever wants to take a break from the spotlight, we might give Shadow a call to keep the fundraising on track!

A couple of final shout-outs before we go – a big Pudsey high-five to Cradlehall Primary School in Inverness, who had a ‘bad hair day’ and a visit from Pudsey, and raised a £414.13, and another huge well done to Loretto Junior School staff who recorded a staff charity CD to sell to staff, pupils and parents, and raised nearly £1000! Both a great examples of terrific, fun and inventive fundraising!

We still want to hear your stories! To get in touch and tell us about all your fundraising, simply email your local address on this page, and tag us @BBCCiN on Twitter and Instagram or @Pudsey Bear on Facebook. It’s easy. So go, help us celebrate your decision to #BeAHero!

Looking back at our fundraising heroes!

2013-11-28T15:39:41+00:00

Now that our Appeal Night is almost two weeks past, we’re indulging in a lovely bit of nostalgia and reminiscing on the highlights of our 2013 Appeal. It goes without saying, of course, that our favourite part of all our Appeals is seeing all the wonderful things our amazing fundraisers get up to, and that’s certainly been truer than ever this year.

First up, a very excited Pudsey Bear has asked if we can say a big hello to four very special little fundraisers who gallantly took to the streets of Shenfield to sell their expertly baked wares in the name of BBC Children in Need.
With a little help from their parents, Ruby, Max, Toby and Jocelyn cheerfully took their Pudsey-inspired cakes to the hungry (and very generous) residents of their neighbourhood, and they proved to be a big hit! Much like those metaphorical hot cakes we've all heard so much about, these Pudsey cakes flew off the shelves too, raising £108.50!

Ruby, Max, Toby and Jocelyn take to the streets with some very tempting cakes!

The whole team at Bassetts Honda Swansea got involved in some top-quality fundraising this year. How could we not give a shout-out to this team when they have such epic fancy dress (the cowboy is our particular favourite). They even held their own ‘Where’s Wally?’ competition, featuring their very own Wally – the eagle-eyed among you will have already spotted him in the picture below! There were also games and snacks on the day, bringing a whopping £3794.38 for disadvantaged children and yound people all over the UK. Leanne from the team got in touch to say what a great time the whole team had fundraising, and it sounds like she’s already thinking about how next year could be even bigger! A very heroic team indeed!

The staff from Bassetts Honda Swansea show off their excellent taste in fancy dress.

Staff and pupils at Meadow View Primary School in Rotherham had a brilliant Pudsey-themed day on 15 November, raising money a variety of ways including a bake sale and a groovy disco, as well as weaving a little bit of Pudsey magic into the curriculum as well, bringing the yellow Bear into the classroom to not only educate but also to entertain. Also, very impressively, the whole school put their pennies together to fill in this giant penny Pudsey on the floor! Overall the school raised £450.00 - an amazing effort, so a huge well done to all involved at Meadow View!

Staff at Meadow View Primary School must have found a lot of pennies behind their sofas!

That's a crazy amount of stuff going on for a good cause, we’re sure you’ll agree - and there's more! The awesome students at York Student Television (YSTV), York University’s very own campus TV channel, put together a great BBC Children in Need-themed broadcast featuring all the characteristics of the charity’s annual Appeal show and giving them a distinct York University twist. Two students, Grace and Matt, presented the show which featured live music, onesie mayhem, broken eggs and funny sketches! You can check out the show here, and of course, a huge thank you to all at YSTV for going to such a huge effort to raise money!

Did you do something heroic this year? If so, make sure you tell us about it so we can say thanks and, quite possibly, feature you in an upcoming article on this very blog. If you’d like a mention, just get in touch and tell us about all your fundraising. Simply email your local address on this page, and tag us @BBCCiN on Twitter and Instagram or @Pudsey Bear on Facebook. It’s easy. So go, help us celebrate your decision to #BeAHero!

Thank you to all our fundraising heroes!

2013-11-22T14:27:52+00:00

Here at Pudsey HQ we’ve had a little bit of a celebratory week - last Friday our cracking Appeal Show saw us raise a record-breaking £31.1 million – a remarkable amount that we couldn’t have reached without the support of fundraising heroes from all over the UK. Not only were we honoured to see such a wide variety of fundraising activities, we saw all these wonderful activities translate into a remarkable on-the-night total. It'll make an unspeakably huge difference to the lives of thousands of children and young people all over the UK, and right where you live. So, on a celebratory note, let’s take a quick look at what a select few of our fundraising heroes got up to last week.

Firstly, a great big THANK YOU to the wonderful students in the LEAP group at Crosby High in Liverpool. These brave warriors took to their bikes to battle against the elements in a fundraising bike ride! The battle wasn’t in vain – the rocking riders raised a wonderful £300! Crosby High teacher Lesley Hall got in touch to say just how proud she was of her heroic students!

As you may know, our biggest fundraising theme this year is ‘heroes’, and we’ve been asking all our supporters to get out there and prove themselves heroes in the name of Pudsey Bear! Our next shout out goes to a group of teachers who took this theme to the max! Staff at Galliard Primary School in London asked all the whole school to dress up as something starting with the letter ‘P’. We bet the pupils at the school were delighted in the morning when instead of being greeted by their familiar teachers, they were instead greeted by a group of rather nifty fundraising Power Rangers, presumably taking a day off from fighting intergalactic monsters to focus instead on tackling unruly classrooms! The group proved to be heroes indeed, raising an astonishing £671.00 for BBC Children in Need, and they evidently had a cracking time doing it. A big thanks to Luke Dedman (the everyday alias of the Red Ranger!) for sending in the below photo.

Staff at Galliard Primary School get set for a day of epic fundraising!

Another brilliant group of fundraisers which illustrate nicely just how varied the groups we received support from this year truly were, are the The Screaming Eagles Living History Group are a collective of history enthusiasts. The group attempts to utilise their historical knowledge to accurately portray the events surrounding the 101st Airborne Division of World War 2. Each year the Eagles raise money for a chosen charity by walking the training routes of the US airborne, located in Aldbourne.

This year the walk was a great success, with a number of enthusiasts coming out to walk the route dressed in full combat gear! Alongside these, veterans from the original 101st airborne division had come over the USA to lend support! It was quite a wet and soggy day but the determined fundraisers from the 101st Airborne Division marched on regardless and kept their spirits up! Pudsey himself even got involved, learning how to march like a true soldier! At the end of the day, after everyone was warm and dry, it was agreed all involved had a wonderful time, and what’s more, quite a lot of pennies were raised for Pudsey, too – over £3,000!

Pudsey gets in line with The Screaming Eagles!

Our last hero comes from within our own rank of troops – the BBC! Chris Yanda, based in our BBC offices in Salford, made a very unusual proposal this year in an attempt to bring in the big bucks for the Bear. Chris promised to cycle one kilometre for each pound he raised for BBC Children in Need. There’s nothing that unusual about that, you may be thinking, but here comes the fundraising masterstroke – Chris vowed to cycle each mile in a tutu! If you’ve been recently bewildered by a Tutu-clad cyclist zipping around Manchester, then this just might explain it! You can check out pictures of Chris’ adventure on his Justgiving page, and why not donate a few more pounds to see him go even further? Thanks for all your support Chris!

That’s it for this week’s round-up, we’ll be back next week to celebrate some more of our glorious fundraising heroes who have helped to make this year such a success. If you’d like a mention, we'd love you to get in touch and tell us about all your fundraising. Simply email your local address on this page, and tag us @BBCCiN on Twitter and Instagram or @Pudsey Bear on Facebook. It’s easy. So go, help us celebrate your decision to #BeAHero!

Fundraising Heroes: putting on a show for Pudsey Bear!

2013-11-13T11:32:38+00:00

Are you excited about BBC Children in Need week yet? This Friday 15 November, at 7pm on BBC One! To add to our rising excitement, we’ve been out and about throughout the glorious UK looking for fundraising heroes stealing the show for Pudsey Bear!

Two Sundays back, from the direction of Southampton, we could hear what sounded like some very lively fundraising, intermittently interrupted by rapturous applause, and we wondered what sort of strange fundraising was this, to inspire such a loud reaction? Once we inquired we realised that something very special was going in The Mayflower Theatre - a very special BBC Children in Need performance by the cast of GHOST: The Musical entitled GHOST is Dancing. We tracked down the manager, Neil, to see just what the cast and crew had been up to:

“In June this year the GHOST: The Musical touring company decided to raise money for BBC Children in Need. We decided to do a Strictly Come Dancing event with 12 couples - cast members being paired with our touring crew, to help cast and crew get to know each other. As the months went on, our plans got bigger and bigger! Every member of the company got involved and the Mayflower theatre in Southampton very kindly gave us free use of the theatre on Sunday 3 November. Jason Donovan was one of the first people we approached to help us out and he generously agreed. Nigel Harman was thrilled to be involved and then Sally Taylor from BBC South agreed to be our Guest host.

Our crew worked so hard to juggle dancing training around the busy schedule of moving an incredibly complex touring show around the country - in one venue we had three dance studios booked every day to allow all of our 12 couples training time! Members of our cast rehearsed cabaret acts, and our orchestra recorded all the music for us. The week before the show everyone was in every day either rehearsing or putting together the finishing touches.

The cast of GHOST: The Musical show off their Strictly skills!

Then the big night arrived! The dancers performed brilliantly, the guest stars were fantastic and everybody had a brilliant time. The event, now called GHOST is Dancing really seemed to capture the imagination of our Southampton audiences and our collections each day seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. We had an incredible time and our audience was amazing; the whole theatre felt like a massive party. Our fundraising total is now £37,022 - an amount that we never dreamt we could raise and in doing so we now have a really close touring company.”

Ivan De Freitas and Sinead Kennedy wow audiences in GHOST is Dancing!

Everyone in the cast of GHOST: The Musical deserves a massive thank you for their amazing efforts over the last few months, we hope you had an amazing time, and we wish we could have been there on the night; Pudsey has told us it was one of the best shows he’s ever seen – high praise indeed from a Bear who’s got a fair few shows under his belt!

All over the country spotlights have been shining and red curtains have been opening as performers gear up to entertain and enthrall for BBC Children in Need. Halloween audiences were treated to a very spooky show from Exit Theatre, a Croydon based non-profit theatre group formed in 2001. ‘Devilish Tales’ told three creepy stories, each written by three Croydon playwrights from the Exit Theatre crew. Audience needed to steel their nerves once the show began, as the Devil himself was hosting the evening! In spite of a few scares (or perhaps becuase of them), it seems like the show was a hit, and the best part of the evening? All profits from the show were donated to BBC Children in Need!

It’s showtime for the everyday fundraiser as well as the professional performer - especially for our fundraising heroes in schools up and down the country. We’ve heard that Dreghorn Primary School in North Ayrshire are having a pyjama day and talent show, and students at Kirkwall Grammar School in Orkney have raised an amazing £3195.30 through a variety of fundraising activities including a big spectacular show featuring bush-tucker trials, singing teachers and head shaving. Fantastic work guys, you’ve done Pudsey proud!

If you're putting on a show for Pudsey, tell us all about it! We'd love you to get in touch and tell us about all your fundraising. Simply email your local address on this page, and tag us @BBCCiN on Twitter and Instagram or @Pudsey Bear on Facebook. Don't forget to use our official hashtags to help us spread the excitement - #bakeit, #pyjamas, #songanddance and, of course, #BeAHero.

If you still haven't decided what you'll be doing to fundraise this year, it's not too late to get involved! A great place to start is by downloading one of our 2013 fundraising packs. You'll be weaving some fundraising magic in no time at all!

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.

Family Fun in Northern Ireland

2013-05-14T12:21:51+00:00

This Bank Holiday Monday (27 May) is a date for the diary if you want to have amazing family fun and raise money for BBC Children in Need!

The Family Fun Day is in support of BBC Children in Need and the event will run from 10am to 6pm at Stormont Estate with the guarantee to give both children and parents a very enjoyable day out. There are a wide range of activities including live entertainment with a Lady Gaga tribute act, amusements, motorcycle displays and sports day activities. There will be numerous trampolines, bouncy castles and even an opportunity to enter your non-pedigree dog in our Scruffts heat. Maybe your dog could follow in the footsteps of crossbreed Becky from Bangor. Becky qualified at last year's Fun Day and went on to make history as the first ever Scruffts winner at Crufts.

The Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson is lending his support and is more than happy to help launch the Fun Day for the second year running.

Speaking about this year’s event this said: “I would encourage families to come along and check out what The Family Fun Day has to offer. Not only is there going to be a huge amount of fun and various activities to enjoy but it is also set in impressive surroundings in Stormont Estate.

“The Family Fun Day really does cater for all ages, there are bouncy castles, egg and spoon races, puppet shows and live entertainment from Hugo Duncan who will be broadcasting his show from the estate. The list of activities is endless and apart from the funfair type attractions, the vast majority of the event's attractions can be enjoyed free of charge so it really does provide a value for money day out.

“Last year's family fun day raised £22,000 and we will be doing all we can to maintain this level of support to a great cause in BBC Children in Need. I hope with your help we can make this year’s event even bigger and better and hope you all can come along and enjoy everything the Fun Day has to offer.”

Ronnie McAleese, the Event Director, who makes these fun days happen every year, had this to say: “I am delighted with the way in which this event has grown since the first one was held in 2008. It really is aimed at the whole family and with all the new attractions this year it should be bigger and better than ever.”

You can view the full programme of events taking place at the Family Fun Day by visiting the nidirect website.

(Picture taken by William Cherry (Press Eye))

Who You Help: International Children's Book Day

2013-04-02T10:31:38+00:00

Door Step Library in London brings the joy of books and reading to local children.

On this day each year, that great storyteller Hans Christian Anderson's birthday is celebrated with an International Children's Book Day. To mark the occasion, we wanted to tell you about just one of the BBC Children in Need grants that has children's books and reading at the centre of it.

This is a guest post written by mum Angela Campana.

“Every Tuesday afternoon at about five o'clock the doorbell rings and my children rush outside to greet the friendly ladies full of stories. Each has a big rucksack filled with as many books as they can carry and a couple of stools for the children to sit on.

It all started for us one day when a lady knocked on my door and explained that she was from an organisation that read books to children in the neighbourhood. I was pleasantly surprised as I had never heard of a mobile library. Since then my children always welcome them with smiles on their faces as each week they can't wait to swap their books for new ones. She explained that she wanted to reach as many children as possible and that she wanted them to have easy access to a variety of books. That was the beginning of something wonderful for us.

I have three boys; Ethan, seven, Rafael who’s five and Alejandro, two. We are originally from Colombia and Ecuador and we try to speak Spanish to our children at home so they grow up bilingual. Having the volunteers reading to my children in English has really helped them to improve their reading and communication skills at school. Especially Rafael because thanks to the volunteers' support and attention, his speech has improved significantly.

The stories and picture books have encouraged my children's imagination immensely. This is particularly true for Ethan who has produced some amazing art work since he was three and gets inspired by every book he reads.

Ethan's picture of Pudsey Bear

Books open the door to new worlds which children can only reach by reading and this project makes all this possible.

The volunteers give their time and effort, come rain or shine, even in freezing weather conditions. The work that they do is just amazing. I am so grateful for their enthusiasm, their encouragement, their support and especially for their time. I really admire what they do. The Door Step Library has had a very positive impact on my family.

It is truly a remarkable project that could potentially change children's lives and help them achieve a better, brighter future.”

How does BBC Children in Need help?

BBC Children in Need’s grant of £44,400 helped set up the Doorstep Library Network in Fulham in 2011 and contributes towards the salary of Project Manager Katie Bareham until 2014. There are now four networks operating in Hammersmith and Fulham with each volunteer working one afternoon a week after school, usually in pairs. You can find out more information about volunteering at the project here.

Shop ‘til you drop to show your spots!

2012-10-03T14:40:22+00:00

Pudsey and Blush have been re-designed for 2012

This year BBC Children in Need has so many brilliant products for you to buy and show your support for Pudsey, there really is no excuse for not getting into the spotty spirit and having fun.

Here at Pudsey Towers we’re particularly excited by our all new, re-designed 2012 plush Pudsey and Blush bears (pictured). You can now get your hands on these limited edition teddys, with newly spotty bandanas and paws, in both standard and giant sizes. These cuddly, collectables are sure to be snapped up quickly, so you better hurry.

Other new items for 2012 include the rather snazzy ‘tiffany’ style keyring, a foldaway shopper bag that will brighten up any trip to the shops and a retractable pencil set that will make the kids homework miles more fun. There are also brilliant spotty t-shirts, neon wristbands and Pudsey and Blush ears - ideal for when your out fundraising. In fact there are so many great gift ideas it’s impossible to list them here, so make sure you visit our official online shop and take a look for yourself.

But that’s not all! Thanks to our corporate partners, you can help BBC Children in Need when you visit your local high street or supermarket:

Our friends at ASDA are selling loads of amazing stuff for us, including a range of cool adult t-shirts and a rather lovely spotty umbrella (pictured) to keep you dry in the wet autumn weather, make sure you visit their shop page to have a look at all the great products they have on offer.

Asda will stock this fetching spotty umbrella

And if you’re feeling peckish, why not pop into Greggs for some delicious Pudsey themed treats. You can get a very tasty giant gingerbread Pudsey (pictured) as well as Pudsey and Blush cupcakes safe in the knowledge that as you enjoy them, you’re also doing your bit to help.

Greggs are selling two sizes of gingerbread Pudseys

Boots will be selling some rather gorgeous sparkly Pudsey and Blush badges (pictured) for us, so if you’re looking for a nice gift for someone, or you just fancy adding a bit of glamour to your outfit make sure you get buy one early.

Boots will be selling glittery badges for BBC Children in Need

Next time you have to pop to B&Q to pick-up some DIY supplies, make sure you have a look at all the wonderful BBC Children in Need items they have in store. No home should be without a couple of Pudsey cushions (pictured) or a spotty dustpan and brush, make sure you have a look at all the great products on their shop page.

A Pudsey cushion

And if you’re having your very own cake sale to fundraise for BBC Children in Need, the brilliant people at Lakeland have plenty of products to help you, including Pudsey baking and cupcake kits.

There are plenty more ways for you to contribute while you shop, the kind people at Lindt will be selling gold chocolate bears online to help raise money for the Appeal, whilst jewellery designers Theo Fennel have two beautiful exclusive BBC Children in Need friendship bracelets in their collection.

If you’ve ever fancied creating your very own Pudsey or Blush, then you must get to the Build-a-Bear Workshop, they have a range of BBC Children in Need bears to build and dress in very special spotty outfits. Talking of building, kids favourite Lego have a cute Lego version of Pudsey in stock.

WH Smiths will be stocking BBC Children in Need Christmas cards and a special advent calendar, whilst Hobby Craft will be selling a BBC Children in Need cross stitch set.

There really is something in the shops for everyone, so make sure you get out there, or go online and shop to show your spots for Pudsey.