BBC Children in Need announce £57m total for 2020 appeal
Melanie May | 16 July 2021 | News
Fundraisers and donors helped BBC Children in Need raise £57 million with last year’s appeal, it has announced – beating 2019’s £47.8 million, despite the pandemic.
The on the night total for the appeal show was £37m, with this rising a further £20m after the event as donations and fundraising income continued to come in.
Highlights from the 2020 Appeal included Joe Wicks’s 24-hour non-stop PE challenge with BBC Radio 2, which raised £2.5m, contributing to BBC Radio 2’s overall total of £2.8m, Countryfile’s 2020 calendar and Ramble special, which raised £5.6m, DIY SOS’s big build special, which raised £1.3m and The One Show’s Rickshaw Challenge, which raised £6million.
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BBC TV and radio stations across the UK also took part, as did the charity’s corporate partners, including Asda, Boots UK, DFS, Greggs and HSBC UK, and thousands of schools.
During the pandemic BBC Children in Need has awarded 2,700 grants to a value of £73million to support local charities and projects addressing a range of issues affecting children and young people.
This includes:
- £35.1m in funding to address the impact of sustained isolation on emotional wellbeing and mental health
- £18.7m in grants to support those facing increased financial uncertainty
- £1.9m in awards to help bereaved children and young people come to terms with their loss
- £11.8m in grants to support disabled children and young people
- £9.8m in funding to help keep children and young people safe from harm
In addition, since the beginning of the pandemic, BBC Children in Need has dedicated over £3m of funding specifically to address digital exclusion, supplying devices such as laptops or tablets to families who would not otherwise be able to afford or access these items, and supporting them to get online through broadband or data allowances.
Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of BBC Children in Need, said:
“Our supporters across the UK can be incredibly proud of this total, and the vital impact it’s making. After a year of immense challenge and uncertainty for children and young people facing disadvantage, this is a testament to the kindness and generosity of the Great British public that over the course of the pandemic we have delivered £73m to help children and young people navigate through the challenges of Covid-19, providing a lifeline when it was needed most.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.