Bagpuss badge achieves record sales for Asthma UK
Howard Lake | 18 April 2005 | News
A pin badge of children’s TV character Bagpuss has raised more than half a million pounds for Asthma UK in 18 months.
The saggy old cloth cat that first appeared on TV screens in the 1970’s sold faster in 2004 than badges featuring Pooh Bear, Thomas the Tank Engine and Lord of the Rings.
The Badges (made by The Big Badge Company) have been sold through branches of Barclays, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Moss Pharmacies. The total amount raised currently stands at £521,759, with the total rising daily.
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“We deal with a lot of licensed characters for charity pin badges, but Bagpuss has consistently ranked in the five most popular, despite competing with modern-day favourites like Tweenies,” explains Richard Wood of The Big Badge Company. “We’re so confident in him that we’ve extended the contract for a further two years.”
Building on the success of the badges, a trial range of exclusive Bagpuss mini plush will also be on sale in a number of branches of Barclays this May.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.