Editing Children in Need (section)

==History==
=== Earlier BBC appeals ===
The BBC's inaugural charity appeal was a five-minute radio broadcast on Christmas Day 1927, raising approximately £1,342 for four children's charities.<ref name="About Us">{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/aboutus/history.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025155547/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/aboutus/history.shtml |archive-date=25 October 2009 |access-date=17 November 2014 |publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref>

The first televised appeal, the ''[[Children's Hour]]'', aired in 1955. Fronted by [[Harry Corbett]] and the yellow [[glove puppet]] [[Sooty]] Bear, these appeals continued annually on television and radio until 1979, raising a total of £625,836.<ref name="About Us"/> Sir [[Terry Wogan]] made his debut during the five-minute appeal in 1978 and returned in 1979.<ref name="About Us"/> Animated characters such as [[Peter Pan]] and [[Tom and Jerry]] occasionally featured in these broadcasts.

=== ''BBC Children in Need'' ===
[[File:BBC pudsey bear in sheffield children in need-2009.jpg|thumb|right|Pudsey Bear raising funds for BBC Children in Need 2009]]

The first dedicated ''Children in Need'' [[telethon]] aired in 1980, replacing standard continuity segments with fundraising appeals during evening programming. Presented by [[Terry Wogan]], [[Sue Lawley]], and [[Esther Rantzen]], the event raised £1 million, exclusively for UK-based children's charities—a significant increase from previous campaigns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-14 |title=How to donate to Children in Need - everything you need to know |url=https://www.dunmowbroadcast.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/24723420.donate-bbc-children-need---need-know/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Dunmow Broadcast |language=en}}</ref>

By 1984, the telethon evolved into a single continuous programme, abandoning regular programming slots. The format expanded to include radio and online content, with Wogan remaining the primary host until 2014. He stepped down due to health issues and died in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Terry Wogan: Veteran broadcaster dies, aged 77 - BBC News |work=BBC News |date=31 January 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35453541}}</ref>

In 1988, BBC ''Children in Need'' registered as a charity in England and Wales (no. 802052), followed by Scottish registration (SC039557) in 2008. A notable partnership in 2020 saw the charity collaborate with the [[McLaren|McLaren Formula One Team]] at a race to support initiatives in [[Turkey]].{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Simon Antrobus has served as chief executive since 2016.

===Sponsorships===
Corporate partners have played a key role in fundraising. [[Asda]], [[McDonald's]], [[One Stop]], [[Greggs]], [[Enterprise Rent-A-Car|Enterprise]], and [[Cineworld]] are among the charity's longstanding sponsors. [[Welcome Break]]—whose service stations host outlets such as [[WHSmith]], [[Waitrose]], [[Subway (restaurant)|Subway]], [[Burger King]], [[Pret a Manger]], [[Starbucks]] and [[Harry Ramsden's]]—has also supported the cause.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cineworld UK kickstarts February with a brand new digital and customer-facing fundraising campaign to support Variety |url=https://www.variety.org.uk/news-item/cineworld-uk-kick-starts-february-with-a-brand-new-digital-and-customer-facing-fundraising-campaign-to-support-variety/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Variety, the Children's Charity |language=en-GB}}</ref> The 2025 [[Sidemen Charity Match]], scheduled for [[Wembley Stadium]], will raise funds for ''Children in Need''.