Raising money for Children in Need

When people find out that I work for BBC Children in Need the first question they ask is, "What do you do for the rest of year?"

The truth is that the Charity is here all year round making sure that the money raised is going to projects that are making a real difference to the lives of children and young people across the UK.

At any one time we have over two thousand live projects. They are typically run by small charities and voluntary groups and may be dealing with issues including poverty, deprivation, abuse, neglect, illness and the challenges faced by disabled children and young people.

We can only support more projects if we raise more money, so from early in the year, we begin planning the campaign which culminates in November, and this year airs on Friday the 19 November.

Our theme is "Show your spots, lets raise lots!", which we hope will give people the cue to get stuck into fundraising. What people here in the BBC will have seen over recent weeks, is everywhere and everything getting spottier by the day! We think a theme gives fresh impetus each year and more opportunity for people to use their imagination.

This Friday's Appeal show looks set to be a really special evening. The Executive Producer Elaine Paterson has put together an incredible line-up, with music from the likes of Tom Jones, Kylie, Westlife, JLS and Take That, along with some great entertainment including a Dragons' DenCome Dine With Me and East Street where Coronation Street meet Eastenders. There are also some amazing events across the UK, with big concerts in Belfast, Glasgow and a Pudsey take-over at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

One of the most important parts of the evening for us is the opportunity to introduce some amazing young people to a wide audience and to show how the money that the public raises can help them to deal with the challenges in their lives.

This Friday the stories we tell will include amongst others that of 11 year old Nasreen, an amazing young lady who has a muscle weakness disease and who is totally dependent upon her family for daily activities. Nasreen attends Demelza Hospice, funded by BBC Children in Need, for respite care where she and her family get invaluable practical and emotional support.

This is also the week when I get constantly asked if we will beat last year's total. Appeal 2009 raised over £20.3 million on the night and a final figure of over £39 million by the end of the year.

At the moment we really don't know how things will go. We have heard about lots of fundraising that is going on and we have seen Pudsey stuff flying out of the shops, but the critical thing will be just how many people call on the night.

I also spend a lot of time at the moment encouraging people to fundraise and you should go to www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey to find out how simple it is!

We know that times are tough and this means that children and young people are particularly vulnerable and really do need our help.

This will be a long week, but I know by Saturday morning, people across the BBC and across the UK will have come together and raised millions of pounds that will help to change lots of young lives.

David Ramsden is Chief Executive of Children in Need

To find out how you can get involed, head over to the brilliant Children in Need website, where you can make a donation, add Pudsey ears to your digital photos and bid in the auction.

• Corporate Responsibility Report 2010 is launched.
• Chidren in Need says "Thank You."
• How Big is Pudsey?: The BBC's charity appeals.