Children In Need raises £32million

ATTEMPTING to beat last year, the record breaking year, BBC’s Children in Need have managed to raise over £32.6 million (€40.7 million) so far for charities.

The gala happens every year and focuses on helping misfortunate children in the UK by mixing performances, TV specials and short clips showing what the children go through on a daily basis and how the public can help.

This year’s event was hosted by Sir Terry Wogan, along with Radio 1 presenter Nick Grimshaw, Tess Daley, Fearne Cotton and Rochelle Humes from pop group, The Saturdays.

On the night of the gala, £32.6million (€40.7 million) was raised by the end of the show which was more than the £31.1 million (€38.9 million) that was raised the previous year but it isn’t until all the donations are counted from all the events that occurred around the country that the end result can be totalled up.

The six-and-a-half hour telethon featured a reunion of 90’s pop group SClub 7, and a return of Sir Bruce Forsyth on Strictly Come Dancing and an Eastenders special which brought back ghosts from Albert Square that are no longer featured in the main soap opera.

There were performances from One Direction, Boyzone, Susan Boyle, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Donny Osmond as well as casts from hit musicals.

An episode of Tom and Jerry was also made especially for the gala, as was a Children In Need single that was performed by Gareth Malone, John Craven and comic Jo Brand as well as the rest of the all star ensemble and is expected to be in the charts by Sunday.

In a first for the gala, Gareth Malone and his all-star choir performed the Children in Need single, Wake Me Up, which is expected to top the charts on Sunday – according to midweek figures from The Official Charts Company.

As well as the Gala, people all over the country have raised money by doing charity raffles, wearing pyjamas to work, wearing a costume to school, bake sales, bike rides and charity auctions.