BBC Children in Need raises £33,513,325
Melanie May | 20 November 2023 | News
Friday’s BBC Children in Need night raised £33,513,325 – down from last year’s on the night total of just over £35mn. This year’s appeal show was the 43rd.
Fundraising highlights included Vernon Kaye’s ULTRA UltraMarathon feat, which raised over £5mn.
This year also saw BBC Children in Need team up with The One Show, Morning Live and BBC Radio 2 to launch The Challenge Squad.
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This was made up of four young people who have benefitted from BBC Children in Need funding, and who were championed by Jermaine Jenas, Alex Jones, Roman Kemp and Vernon Kay as they undertook personal challenges, with two of these taking place live on BBC Children in Need’s 2023 Appeal show.
In the run up to Friday’s event, The One Show and Morning Live also asked supporters across the UK to Challenge Yourself and be SPOTacular to raise funds for BBC Children in Need. This year for the first time, every pound donated or raised in support of Challenge Yourself and the Challenge Squad is being matched pound for pound (up to a value of £1.5mn)) by Postcode Education Trust, supported through People’s Postcode Lottery. It was announced live on the show that the Squad have so far raised £2,844,182.
TikTok partnered with BBC Children in Need this year, for its ‘biggest LIVE campaign yet’. This included the launch of limited edition Pudsey Gifts – for each one sent, TikTok pledged to make a donation. This resulted in the TikTok LIVE community raising £513,000 through 20.9 million Pudsey gifts sent over the past few months.
Young Fundraiser of the Year
This year’s Sir Terry Wogan Young Fundraiser of the Year was 12 year old Joel, who cycled 600km (373 miles) from England to the Netherlands.
More fundraising totals
Other fundraising feats included the DIY SOS team, with the help of Radio 2, completing a special build for BBC Children in Need funded project, Treetops Hospice, raising £380,769.
The 2023 Ramble special, which saw Countryfile presenters and children and young people rambling across the UK, and contributing to Countryfile’s 2023 fundraising total of £2,091,221.
McDonald’s announced that it has raised £1.5mn, taking its total raised in 3 years to £4mn, while Asda has raised £2.8mn. Throughout 2024, McDonald’s will also connect all its restaurants with youth services to help young people across the UK and Ireland as part of its ongoing partnership with the charity, to fund youth work across the country. This partnership has already helped 25,000 young people.
Commenting on the evening, Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive at BBC Children in Need, said:
“The overwhelming kindness and generosity shown this evening – especially when things are incredibly hard for so many – is remarkable. I want to thank the UK for once again showing children and young people that we are here for them. To each and every person that gave so generously this evening, thank you.”
More fundraising totals in Tweets
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.