BBC Children in Need launches 2024 fundraising appeal

Date Published: September 13, 2024 — Stars including GK Barry, Emma Bunton, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Tom & Giovanna Fletcher, Sophie Habbo & Jamie Laing, Janette Manrara & Aljaz Skorjanec, Rita Ora, Louise Pentland, Lenny Rush, Ellie Simmonds, Dr Julie Smith, Louise Thompson, Tyler West and others have joined forces by sharing a piece of advice to their younger selves as they throw their support behind the 2024 BBC Children in Need fundraising appeal and ask the nation to help make life lighter for children.

The need has never been greater as right now the charity is only able to help 1 in 8 of the organisations who apply for funding. Only with the support of the UK public can we continue to lighten the load for hundreds of thousands of children when they need us most. Whether it’s challenging yourself to sponsor a scooter ride to school or even baking brownies for a bake sale, a little act could go a long way in closing the gap.

BBC Children in Need funding brings the right people and places into children’s lives when they need help or support. And right now, across the UK, children are facing greater challenges than ever, with mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression rising, high levels of poverty leading to inequality & lack of opportunity and many simply carrying a load that’s too heavy to manage alone. In the last five years, the likelihood of young people having a mental health issue has increased by around 50%,1 with 30% of all children in the UK living in poverty.2*

To bring the nation together, inspire others, and to show their support, a host of celebrities have teamed up with BBC Children in Need to share their personal stories of childhood, and share one piece of advice to their younger selves that would have helped to make their lives lighter as children. They are also asking the nation to challenge themselves to make life lighter for children and help them overcome the challenges they may be facing, by fundraising. The money raised means the charity can be there for hundreds of thousands of children across the UK when they need it most, and help change their lives.

Emma Bunton said: “Helping children and young people to unload any worries or anxieties they may be dealing with is so important to their overall wellbeing. Looking back on my childhood, I would tell my younger self to believe in your heart, trust yourself, be strong and be who you wannabe. Right now, BBC Children in Need are only able to fund 1 in 8 organisations who ask for their support. Only with your generous donations can the charity continue help to lighten the load for hundreds of thousands of children who need it most, please donate what you can to support BBC Children in Need.”

Rita Ora said: “Being a young person in today’s society is extremely tough, there’s so many worries and challenges that can build up internally that need unloading to support young people’s wellbeing. Providing the right guidance and advice to young people can help reduce any feelings of anxiety and if I could give one piece of advice to my younger self it would be that this too shall pass. I’m calling on people across the UK to fundraise for BBC Children in Need this year and help lighten the load of children facing challenges across the country.”

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill said: “I think being your true self when you’re younger can be daunting, many young people today want to fit in and find it easier to follow the crowd, but having the courage to be yourself is inspiring. My advice to my younger self would be try not to feel like you have to fit in with everyone, standing out from the crowd and doing something different is a really positive thing. BBC Children in Need believes that every child should have the chance to thrive, but some children carry more than others, and need someone to help them lift the weight, that’s why this year I’m supporting the charity and calling on the public to get fundraising and donate what they can to support children across the UK.”

Louise Thompson said: “Helping children and young people to find their voice and develop a positive mental attitude is something I am so passionate about. If I were to give one piece of advice to my younger self, it would be to trust that your confidence will come and that you will find your people when the time is right. BBC Children in Need make sure there is someone children can turn to for help or support when they are facing challenges in their lives. That is why I am encouraging the nation to support the charity by raising vital funds to empower every child to thrive and be the best they can be.”

Lenny Rush said: “BBC Children in Need is there to ensure children and young people across the UK have the opportunity to thrive, experience new opportunities and have access to the basics to support their needs. Right now BBC Children in Need are only able to fund 1 in 8 organisations who ask for help, I want to encourage the public to get fundraising and donate what they can to support projects, young people and families across the nation to help make life lighter.”

One of the many ways you can support the charity this year is by purchasing the official t-shirt. Worn in the campaign by each of the charity’s celebrity supporters, BBC Children in Need has today unveiled this year’s Official T-Shirt – designed by husband and wife, Tom & Giovanna Fletcher. Inspired by the Fletcher’s shared love of music as well as their sons who are each represented by a colourful spot on Pudsey’s bandana, the pair teamed up to design an inventive new take on the official T-shirt. Nodding to BBC Children in Need’s own concert series ‘Children in Need’ Rocks from years gone by, the Pudsey band tee explores the biggest moments in the Charity’s history, from the very first radio appeal in 1927 all the way up till now.

Tom said: “When myself and Gi got the call to design this year’s BBC Children in Need T-shirt, we jumped at the opportunity. It was so fun to reimagine what the iconic Pudsey tee could look like if we transformed it into a band style tee celebrating all the ‘best bits’ of this amazing charity. Getting down to your local ASDA to pick it up is an easy way to get involved with BBC Children in Need this year to raise vital funds to empower every child to thrive and be the best they can be.”

Giovanna said: “We are extremely proud to be a part of this year’s BBC Children in Need launch to raise vital funds to make life lighter for children. Designing the T-shirt was an absolute dream and we loved threading aspects of our own lives into it. If you look closely at the bandana, each colourful spot represents one of our three boys Buzz, Buddy and Max. Through getting involved or simply picking up a T-shirt, BBC Children in Need can continue to help to lighten the load for hundreds of thousands of children when they need us most.”

Commenting on the launch, BBC Children in Need’s Chief Executive, Simon Antrobus said: ’We want all children to thrive and be the best they can be, however, the children we support are constantly held back because of poverty, mental health and family challenges. Right now, the need is greater than ever. Thanks to the ongoing support of the British public, BBC Children in Need is able to fund amazing people, working in your community – in places like family centres, community spaces, refuges, homeless shelters, or hospices, so that children do have someone to turn to when they need help or support to overcome these challenges and be the best they can be.

“At the moment, we are only able to help 1 in 8 of the organisations who ask us for funding, so the support of the British Public matters more than ever before but I’m confident that this year the public will come out to support our appeal again so we can be there for hundreds of thousands of children when they need us most.”

Money raised during the 2024 appeal will help BBC Children in Need to continue working in communities across the four nations, funding amazing people in family centres, community spaces, youth clubs and refuges; homeless shelters, hospices and helplines. This year, BBC Children in Need is asking the public to make life lighter for children all across the UK. Head to bbc.co.uk/Pudsey to find out more and donate.