Annual fundraiser, BBC Chidren in Need, which raises much-needed money to support children’s organisations and projects across the UK, is back with this year’s appeal.
This year’s show, which comes amid the coronavirus pandemic has launched its fundraising appeal called Together, we can, at a time when many children are facing tougher times than usual due to Covid-19.
A YouGov poll commissioned by Children in Need found that 94 per cent of children and young people have had cause to feel worried, sad or anxious in the last six months.
Last year’s Children in Need appeal raised £47,886,382 to help disadvantaged children and young people in communities across the UK, and this year’s appeal hopes to do just as well.
Here’s what you need to know about the show and how you can get involved with fundraising.
When is Children in Need 2020 on TV?
Children in Need 2020 will air on 13 November from 7pm on BBC One.
What can we expect and which celebrities are getting on board?
Mel Giedroyc will be returning to host the annual live appeal show alongside Alex Scott MBE, Chris Ramsey and Stephen Mangan who will all be hosting Children in Need for the first time.
A host of other celebrities are set to make an appearance on the show, which will feature stories of children around the country who have been helped by the organisations the fundraiser supports.
Celebrities who have pledged their support for Children in Need’s fundraising campaign this year include Ade Adepitan MBE, Zoe Ball, Nadiya Hussain and Joe Wicks, so are likely to make an appearance in some way.
The BBC has kept us guessing as to what will happen during the live event on the night, but we do know some famous faces are also getting involved in with Children In Need in the lead up to the show.
Challenges
TV presenter Matt Baker, known for The One Show, will be taking part in The Rickshaw Challenge with a team of six young people, each with their own story to tell. It is the 10th year of the challenge.
The challenge, which starts on Friday 6 November, will need to cover 332 miles in a rickshaw, the equivalent from from Edinburgh to London. They will need to complete their daily target each day in time for a live broadcast on The One Show each evening.
People can donate to The Rickshaw Challenge here.
Fitness coach and YouTuber Joe Wicks is also taking part in some fundraising action.
He will be taking part in the 24 Hour PE Challenge, which will see him working out from 9.25am on Thursday 12November until 9.25am on Friday 13November, Radio 2’s BBC Children in Need Challenge 2020.
People can watch the fitness fan, who brought virtual PE lessons to many living rooms during the coronavirus lockdown, via the Red Button and on BBC iPlayer throughout the day.
He will be joined by various celebs throughout the day via Zoom as well as by schoolchildren up and down the country, all in a bid to raise funds for Chidren in Need.
Extra special shows
Others taking part include the Countryfile team, who will be heading out on a ramble to raise funds.
The Countryfile Ramble 2020 will air on BBC One on 1 November and people in the UK are invited to go for a sponsored ramble of their own.
Meanwhile, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles and his team will be taking on BBC Children in Need Big Build. They will be building an adaptive surfing school in Caswell Bay, that to provide surf lessons for disabled children and young people, made possible thanks to donations.
You can watch their progress on BBC One on the DIY SOS Children in Need special on 12 November at 8pm.
How can I get involved?
There are a couple of official fundraising activities to get involved with this year, but people are welcome to raise money however they like.
The Act Your Age challenge invites people to come up with a fundraising challenge based on how old they are, such as a seven-year-old riding a bike for seven miles.
Children in Need states: “Simply take your age, the combined age of your friends, family and workmates, or the age of something or someone special, and turn it into a fundraiser.
“It could be the distance you cover, the duration you do it for, the number of things you do or your sponsorship target.”
— BBC Children in Need (@BBCCiN) October 8, 2020This year’s been hard, but for children and young people already vulnerable or at risk, life is now even harder. That’s why, right now, we need your help.
Together, we can change young lives that need it most across the UK.
Join us → https://t.co/6UuIBziMS2 #ChildrenInNeed
The Annual Duck Race Sweepstake, a virtual fundraiser, is another way to get involved.
For a small donation, people can pick one of 20 rubber ducks which will race each other on the water track on Friday 13th November, in a socially distanced event that will be streamed live at 1pm on the Children in Need website and social media channels.
People are also invited to do their bits to raise funds in any way they like. There are free resources available online on the Chidren in Need website for those organising their own fundraisers.
Resources available include everything from sponsorship forms to a guide to setting up an online fundraising page.
There is also Children in Need merchandise available to buy from The Pudsey Shop, with a percentage of profits going to Children In Need.
For more information or to donate, head to the Children in Need website.
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