Children In Need Choir

The Forum welcomed hundreds of people to Children in Need

University part of the biggest BBC Children in Need night ever

Hundreds of staff, students and local people joined the BBC at the University on Friday 16 November for the annual Children in Need broadcast.

Hosted by BBC presenters David Fitzgerald and Victoria Graham, the festivities started at 1.30pm. The event featured in live broadcasts by the BBC Spotlight team as well as linking to the national TV network programme throughout the evening.

Crowds were entertained with everything from stunts to slime, with features including stilt walkers, circus acts, mountain bike trials and the iconic bath of beans. Spectators were treated to live performances of music, drama and much more from University Societies throughout the evening, and hands-on displays showcased the fun side of academic activities.

One of the highlights of the national TV show was the 2,000-strong BBC Children In Need Choir, which included 200 youngsters from across Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands. They were one of 15 choirs representing regions across the UK, who linked up for a national choral performance.

Both staff and students at the University pulled out all the stops to raise funds, baking, pedalling and dunking their way towards an impressive total on the night; approximately £1,000 was raised by staff and an impressive £5,257 by Exeter students across the three campuses.

David Allen, Registrar and Deputy Chief Executive, one of the many university staff to enjoy the festivities said “This certainly ranks as one of the best events ever held in the Forum, and it proved to be a fantastic night for the region and for the University. Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to entertain the crowds and make it a true party atmosphere. More importantly, we were delighted to welcome so many fund raisers for this important charity to the event.”

The South West raised £722,586 which contributed to a record amount on the night of £26,757,446.

Pictures taken on the night can be viewed and downloaded from the University’s Flickr page.

 

Date: 20 November 2012