Pudsey comes to Newbury for Children in Need fundraiser

Events being held across the district today, have you got an event on?

LET’S have a Pudsey paaaaartyyyyyyy!

That’s what children in Newbury did at a Children in Need fundraiser organised by a local poster girl for the BBC appeal.

Pudsey himself was allowed to let his fur down for the evening at ACE Space in St Nicholas Road on Saturday.

The party was organised by Newbury woman Sukey Russell-Hayward.

The mother-of-two, who lives in Russell Road with her husband Geoff, said: “All of the children had a fabulous time.

“Pudsey said hello to everyone and even did some dancing.”

A range of stalls were available, including name the bear, which was won by Sophia Warner with her winning guess of Theodore.

The hour-and-a-half-long event raised £329.40, but once Gift Aid and match funding from Mrs Russell-Hayward’s employer, QA Ltd, have been added, the funding will be topped up to £661.75.

Mrs Russell-Hayward said: “This is a fabulous result and we hope all of the children had as much fun as we did raising money for this fabulous cause.”

She has been tireless in her fundraising for the appeal since her daughter, Bella, decided to ‘cycle to the sea’ from Newbury and raised £1,300.

It’s not the first time that Pudsey has visited the family.

A film crew visited the family’s home to film a trailer for Children in Need last month.

The trailer showed the BBC ‘losing’ Pudsey, only to find that he had run down the towpath to play on a trampoline in their garden.

Events across the country for Children in Need will be held tomorrow (Friday) and, if you’re holding anything, contact newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk send us a Facebook message at NewburyToday or Tweet @NewburyToday

The Regency Park Hotel in Thatcham will be holding a series of events throughout the day, starting with a cycle marathon at 6.30am and featuring a duck race in the pool.

Children’s activities include pencil javelin, waste paper bin shot put, and a Pudsey Treasure Hunt.

And schoolchildren are to sing their hearts out for Children in Need on television tonight.

Two-hundred-and-twenty-six pupils from six West Berkshire Schools will add their voices to the Children’s Choir of more than 1,500.

Now in its seventh year, the Children’s Choir is regarded as one of the highlights of the annual appeal show and this year they will perform a jazz rendition of Over the Rainbow.

Children from Thatcham’s Whitelands Park Primary, Newbury’s St Bartholomew’s School and Willows Primary, Bucklebury Primary, and Chieveley Primary will swell the voices of the choir.

The local rendition is being filmed at Brockhurst and Marlston House School in Hermitage, with children from the school also performing.