Nursery children and staff in Hampshire to appear on Children in Need

Children and staff from Yellow Dot Nursery, Chandler's Ford, are to appear on the 40th anniversary of BBC's Children in Need tonight to showcase the fundraising activities they have achieved throughout the week

Credit: Yellow Dot Nursery

Bright Horizons Chandlers Ford Day Nursery and Preschool staff planned and organised a whole range of events with social distancing measures in place to ensure all activities could be completed safely and all children and staff could contribute to the tasks which lay before them.

The activities included mini Olympics, a staff planking challenge, a walk around the village in fancy dress, van wash and a virtual Zumba session with Joe Wicks.

Because the BBC camera crew could not film at the nursery, members of staff filmed the series of events and sent their footage off to Children in Need.

Chloe Wright, event organiser at Yellow Dot Nursery said: "Due to COVID, we're not allowed to mix bubbles so we have had to think outside the box on what we can do, but still make sure each child is able to get involved. We've been planning to do this for about a month now.”

’The children are really excited to see themselves on TV’

Ms Wright said: “The children are really excited to see themselves on TV and after everything that has happened this year, it has been something to look forward to.”

Pudsey Bear. Credit: Shutterstock

This year, the nursery staff have put a collection box outside the nursery for parents and members of the community to donate.

Ms Wright said: "We're not aiming to raise a certain amount, but just want to raise as much as we can and looking for anything anybody is able to give really.

"It’s been really difficult for some of the parents and we don’t want to put pressure on them.

“The children have also been involved with a reading challenge and we’ve organised a raffle with prizes.”

All money raised will go to Children in Need. In 2019, £47.8 million was raised which has helped over 3,900 local charities and projects which directly support children and young people in communities across the UK.

Children in Need returns tonight, at 7 pm on BBC One, with a line-up of familiar faces coming together.

Hosting the show this year will be Mel Giedroyc, Alex Scott, Chris Ramsey and Stephen Mangan.