BBC Children in Need raises £26m on the night
Howard Lake | 20 November 2011 | News
BBC Children in Need’s fundraising appeal raised over £26,332,334 on Friday night, a record amount for the event and more than £8 million more than the £18,098,199 raised on the 2010 telethon. The final appeal total is often nearly double the amount raised on the night.
Sir Terry Wogan, who hosted the programme, announced the total at the end of the seven-hour event, saying “Thank you to the British people in these tough times to come up with that kind of money on behalf of Britain’s children.” This was the 32nd annual BBC Children in Need telethon appeal.
The event featured band One Direction with their single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, TV presenter Matt Baker who had cycled a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London in the week running up to the event, TV newsreaders dancing (including Angela Rippon, the original dancing TV newsreader), Lord Alan Sugar, JLS, Gok Wan, the Eastenders cast and the case of The Wizard of Oz.
Newly launched social currency Blue Dot also partnered with the appeal, offering exclusive content from stars performing backstage at the Children in Need Rocks Manchester concert. Viewers could access this content by cashing in blue dots, which they earn by donating or volunteering.
BBC Radio 2’s audience contributed £2,032,642 and Matt Baker’s Rickshaw Challenge raised £1,263,272. The audience in Wales raised £1,389,923, another record sum.
The appeal got off to a good start: by 8pm the total stood at £4,364,411, rising to £15,274,911 at 10pm, and setting a new on-the-night record by midnight at £22,207,844 with two hours still to go.
www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey
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.