# BBC Children in Need raises £18.3 million on the night

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2006/11/19/bbc-children-need-raises-183-million-night/
- Published: 2006-11-19T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The 27th BBC Children in Need telethon has raised £18.3 million, with the final
total expected to increase substantially over the next few months as the public 
send in funds that they have raised at events across the UK. Of this, £6.7 million
was donated online.**

BT handled 224,000 calls from viewers across the country during the telethon, with
over 50 call centres in operation, as well as handling online donations

The largest of the telethon’s call centres was hosted on the 34th floor of BT Tower
in London.

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Online fundraising options included online sponsorship, where supporters could create
their own fundraising page. This service was provided by Artez.

BBC presenter, Nicky Campbell interviewed BT’s Pete Coles, who commented: “At peak
times, the BT network was handling 65 calls every second! We’ve had more than 3,000
volunteers in more than over 50 call centres across the UK manning the phone lines.”

The seven-hour event was co-hosted by Terry Wogan, Natasha Kaplinsky and Fearne 
Cotton, and it linked BBC centres around the country.

During the event millionaire businessman Sir Tom Hunter pledged to give £1 million
through his Hunter Foundation, provided that viewers matched his bid within the 
hour.

It is likely that the final total will pass the previous record of £33 million for
Children in Need.

The charity says that “every single penny of your donation goes to an organisation
that helps children – all the charity’s overheads are paid for through the interest
earned on the money raised.”

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