The weather may have taken a turn for the worse lately, the days may be getting shorter, and there might be the early hints of a wintery chill in the air, but we've got just the thing to warm you up – a BBC Children in Need #songanddance, courtesy of a couple of fundraising heroes who are really harnessing the power of music for some show-stopping fundraising this year!
Lisa and crew take to Worthing town for a fundraising flash mob!
Casual shoppers in Worthing were recently treated to an impromptu ‘flash mob’ when Lisa Saw and students from her ‘Strictly Dancing with Lisa’ classes took to the streets to light up a grey, wet Saturday with a little fundraising magic. Lisa told us exactly what happened:
“I have been teaching adult dance and fitness classes in West Sussex for six years, and for a long time I have wanted to organise a flash mob with those who attend my classes, and it seemed a great way to also raise money for charity. BBC Children In Need seemed the obvious choice because they do such great work and the ideas behind their fundraising are largely focused on having fun. I’d previously organised a smaller event and raised £400 for them, so this was our target.
For most of the ladies taking part I knew performing in public would be out of their comfort zone. So, a year ago I decided on a song (‘On The Street Where You Live’) and a routine, and began teaching it at all my classes, with some extra practice sessions too. When the ‘big’ day finally arrived it was raining! However, we all decided to go ahead with it as the rain wasn’t heavy enough to deter us. So, we headed down to Worthing Town Centre. I began dancing and gradually the others joined in, about forty-five of us in total. All was going well until the unexpected happened, towards the end of the dance the music suddenly cut out! But, like true professionals everyone carried on and instinctively we just started to sing and dance our way to the end. Everyone had such brilliant fun and said how their nerves just disappeared once the music started. We are all thrilled too, that we’ve raised £3,103 so far! I’m so proud of all those who took part.”
You can check out a video of the event here. Looks like all that time training for the flash mob paid off in a big way - every penny of that amazing total will go towards helping disadvantaged children and young people all over the UK, so a big thank you from everyone here at Pudsey HQ.
Will's preparing for his sixteen-hour 'Big Busk'!
The ears of commuters passing through Leeds City Train Station on Thursday 14 November will be treated to some indulgent audio pleasure from our next fundraiser, saxophonist Will Forrester. We asked Will to let us know what he was up to:
“I have always tried to do something for Children In Need and for the last 10 years I have been busking to raise money. This year is going to be longest yet - I’ll busking for sixteen hours on Thursday 14th November, at Leeds City Train Station. It's a solo busk and I will be there from 5am - 9pm! You can’t miss me this year as Warrens Display from Leeds has kindly printed and designed a full backdrop for me!”
Throughout his marathon ‘Big Busk’, Will's playing a mixture of songs to get commuters into the groove, everything from Disney favourites, jazz and soul classics, to today’s big hits. Last year Will raised a huge £3,200 from donations in the station and through his JustGiving page, and he’s hoping to raise even more this time around. Altogether, Will’s efforts over the past ten years have raised over £26,000 - a true BBC Children in Need fundraising hero!
So if you’re commuting through Leeds and you hear the smooth sounds of Will’s saxophone skills, please give generously, or if you’re inspired by Will’s idea, head over to hisJustGiving page to donate now to help Will in his mission to change the lives of young people all over the UK, including right where he is in Leeds. Good luck Will!
If you've chosen to be a fundraising hero, we think you deserve some recognition. We'd love you to get in touch and tell us about all your fundraising. Simply email your local address on this page, and tag us @BBCCiN on Twitter and Instagramor @Pudsey Bear on Facebook. Don't forget to use our official hashtags to help us spread the excitement - #bakeit, #pyjamas, #songanddance and, of course, #BeAHero.
If you still haven't decided what you'll be doing to fundraise this year, it's not too late to get involved! A great place to start is by downloading one of our 2013 fundraising packs. You'll be weaving some fundraising magic in no time at all!
