Children In Need

The BBC Children in Need appeal has been raising money on behalf of children since 1927, when £1143 was collected.

Seventy nine years later, in 2006, the appeal raised a whopping £33million.

From this, £143,415 will make its way to Suffolk - with five projects receiving funding:

Home Start, Suffolk Coastal

With £14,596 over three years, the project will fund an existing family group that supports children under the age of 5 and their parents or carers.

The money will pay for three part-time workers to support activities which broaden families' opportunities - in Felixstowe and Leiston.

As well as helping children, Home Start offers welcome respite for parents and carers. "When we're in a situation when we're so low and so down, organisations such as Children in Need are there at the community level," says Jipe Giddings, family group worker at Home Start.

"And it's through the community that we all begin to build our lives.

"Children in Need are absolutely right in finding operations like this, because it's not glamorous. It's not children from abroad necessarily, but it is the basic, basic need and this is not supported by government funding."

Ellesmere Opportunity Group, Newmarket

A volunteer-run project in rural Suffolk/Cambridgeshire.

A grant of £1523 will help to provide free weekly pre-school play and support sessions for children with disabilities, for one year.

Montgomery Outreach Trust, Ipswich

The Ipswich-based charity which was formed by social care professionals received £20,073, for one year.

Montgomery Outreach Trust provides challenging activities for up to 150 young people aged 13-17 who are not eligible for statutory intervention, but are at risk, to prevent and deter them from entering the statutory care system.

"It gives opportunity to young people which they otherwise wouldn't have," says Kate Wood, trustee. "Many of the young people are from deprived backgrounds or maybe have aspergers or autism.

Pudsey Bear

"So it gives them the opportunity to take part in activities which they wouldn't otherwise have the chance to do."

Ken Simmons, chair of the trust: "We work with a lot of young people who've got no skills, no self confidence and are very low in their self esteem.

"We thought to put them together as a support group with a purpose in mind - so they achieve something at the end of it, whether it's a certificate or an award to say 'this is what we've achieved for our efforts this year'."

The trust will also use the money to enter youngsters into the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, which will give them the chance to participate in a range of exciting activities such as powerboating.

"Without the money from the Children in Need we wouldn't be able to do it," says Mr Simmons. "We'd probably only be able to put three of four young people, but this year we should be able to put through 25 people."

Suffolk Young People's Health Project, county wide

Awarded £88,546 over three years, the project will provide a counselling service for young people across Suffolk who are suffering psychological or emotional stress.

Pro Corda Trust, Leiston

£18,677 was awarded to a project which runs a 5-day residential course in music, performance and life skills for 36 children aged 11-16 with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The project will help children develop skills in drama, music and performance with the residential aspect of the course helping to develop a sense of community, develop positive relationships and give independence assisting in the transition from a SEN to an open environment.

Pro Corda Trust

"Pro Corda is all about ensemble training. It's about training musicians and small groups - string quartets, trios etc," says Pro Corda's Director Andrew Quarterman.

"The special needs courses are about exactly that - building up team spirit, training them musically and in drama courses in small groups."

Top professionals from the worlds of music, theatre and dance have helped produce a curriculum at Leiston Abbey which is designed to challenge, excite and also boost confidence.

"They (the teachers) don't lower their standards," says Liz Ashton, who was in charge of the musical session when BBC Suffolk visited.

"They adapt what they're teaching to make it totally accessible to the young people's needs. When you come to Pro Corda they're getting the very highest quality of musical teaching.

"To have a professor of music from the Guildhall School of Music teaching is just fantastic. We can see the children's confidence and self esteem grow during the week."