# Fundraising for Children in Need at the third stroke

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/10/22/fundraising-children-need-third-stroke/
- Published: 2006-10-22T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

For the first time, BT is giving people across the UK the chance to become the new
permanent voice of the BT Speaking Clock, in a competition that will raise funds
for BBC Children in Need.
The BT Speaking Clock will have a new voice to help celebrate
its 70th birthday. A competition phone line will be open from Monday 23 October 
until midnight on Sunday 05 November 2006. Calls to the competition number 09067
533 533 will cost no more than £1.50, with £1.10 going straight to BBC Children 
in Need.

The new “permanent” voice will officially go live on the BT Speaking Clock in the
New Year.

So far, only three voices have been used (Jane Cain 1936-1963, Pat Simmons 1963-
1984 and Brian Cobby 1985-present), apart from a two week period in March 2003 when
Lenny Henry recorded a special version in aid of Comic Relief, and again, later 
that same year, when 12-year-old Alicia Roland won the same opportunity, this time
for ChildLine.

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Brian Cobby, the current voice, was also the voice of ‘5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are
go!’ in the famous Gerry Anderson TV series.

Sir Christopher Bland, chairman of BT, said: “Even though we live in the Digital
Age, more than 70 million calls are made each year to the BT Speaking Clock to get
an accurate time check.”

The competition is open to men and women of course. However, in 1936, it was decided
that the voice of the Speaking Clock should be female because the General Post Office
felt it to be a better quality of voice than a man’s.

 * **[KPMG UK staff choose Help the Hospices as charity of the year](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/10/24/kpmg-uk-staff-choose-help-hospices-charity-year/)**(
   24 October 2006)
 * **[First index-linked payroll giving scheme from Charities Trust](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/12/01/first-indexlinked-payroll-giving-scheme-charities-trust/)**(
   1 December 2006)
 * **[Children's Society chosen as Co-operative Group's charity of the year](https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/12/10/children039s-society-chosen-cooperative-group039s-charity-year/)**(
   10 December 2006)