A Simple Bear with a Big Heart

This is my tiny Pudsey Bear pin. Pudsey is well-known in the UK as the mascot of the BBC Children in Need Appeal. When Pudsey was introduced in 1985 he looked a little different. He had brown fur instead of the yellow fur he has today, although he has always worn his distinctive bandana eye patch. His message is very simple - give generously!

Children in Need began in 1980 and the first annual telethon fundraising show was presented by Dame Esther Rantzen, Sue Lawley and the late and much-loved Sir Terry Wogan. Sir Terry then went on to present the show every year until 2014 - for 34 years! In 1982 I volunteered to help answer the phones at Television Centre to take the callers’ donations while the show was on air. The calls didn’t stop all night, and I was very humbled by the generosity of so many people around the country. In more than four decades since the appeal was first launched, it has raised over £1 billion to fund projects aimed at helping countless disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. It’s Children in Need week this week, with fundraising events involving local people happening in villages, towns and cities around the whole UK. This year’s telethon show is being broadcast this coming Friday evening.

https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/about-us/

Thank you to loisbiz for hosting November’s Tiny Tuesday challenge, with the theme this week of ‘Simple’.