Buckets of fun as collectors go Pudsey mad (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Buckets of fun as collectors go Pudsey mad

6:53pm Friday 14th November 2008 in Local Video By Kathie Griffiths

Wacky hair-dos and bad dress sense were rife in Bradford as the annual Children In Need fundraising day hit fever pitch.

People across the district joined millions nationwide who “did something different” for the charity.

BBC Children in Need is keeping its fingers crossed it will bring in a record-breaking stash of cash this year so it can keep on changing the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

Here is just a selection of what happened in Bradford yesterday.

Tots at Bonbons Day Nursery in Midland Road, Frizinghall, raided their fancydress boxes to dress up in style for the day and a giant Pudsey bear was painted with handprints from girls and boys at Bradford Grammar School.

And in the senior part of the school, the girls paid £1 each to have a teddy bear’s picnic in the Atrium then went on to have afternoon lessons in their pyjamas – and paid extra for the privilidge.

Even the staff let their hair down with a Sugarbabes/Village People dance-off in the evening.

Hairdressing students from Bradford College were out with their buckets urging shoppers and workers in the city centre to dig deep in their pockets.

And barmaid Leanne Whelan who works at the Shoulder of Mutton pub in Kirkgate managed to stun regulars by keeping silent in return for customers’ cash.

Last November’s appeal topped all other years with a bumper £19,089,771 raised – boosted by even more donations after the big night from fundraisers, schools and businesses across the UK.

In all, 832 projects went on to benefit with the average amount awarded to a project this year being £23,916 – grants ranged in size from £300 to the largest single grant of £144,130.

A Bradford success story thanks to Children In Need is the Bradnet project that works with disabled people based in Laisterdyke.

Thanks to the £69,000 which was given to the charity over a two-year spread, more than 300 children with disabilities have been helped.

The funds paid for a full-time children’s outreach worker to link up with those youngsters and their families and stumped up enough cash to pay for summer and holiday schemes and trips out.

Outreach worker Gary Morgan said: “We make home visits, looking at things that are affecting young disabled people’s lives, things like housing or benefits. Also their leisure time: they want to get included in sport and activities and things like that but they have barriers which we can help overcome. So as a charity we cover issues like that: advocacy, advice and support.

“It’s quite ‘holistic’. It’s all the different things that can affect somebody’s life. We help to break down the barriers for disabled people by working in partnership with them, working on what they want rather than us telling them what we think they need. We’ll advocate for them on their behalf if they’re not confident enough. So if they’re having issues at school, if they’re not getting enough support, then we’ll appeal on their behalf, with their permission. Any support they can obtain, whether it’s benefits, housing support, adaptations to their houses, we’ll step up and support those families.”

He added: “That’s why it’s vital people keep supporting Children In Need, it’s changed atleast 300 young lives right here in Bradford – and we want to say a big thank you from us and everyone else who’s going to get help in the future.”

If you want to donate, here are some of the ways you can do it: send a cheque to Children In Need to BBC Children In Need, PO Box 100, London, W12 7WJ, by calling the hotline on 03457 33 22 33 or at the Post Office with FREEPAY 1066.