Which year was the Children in Need charity founded?
The BBC’s first broadcast appeal for children was a five-minute radio programme on Christmas Day in 1927. The first televised appeal was the 1955 ‘Children’s Hour Christmas Appeal’, presented by Sooty and Harry Corbett. The Christmas Day Appeals continued on TV and radio right up until 1979, raising a total of £625,836. The presenters included Terry Hall, Eamonn Andrews, Leslie Crowther, Michael Aspel and the rising star of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show – Terry Wogan – who made his debut appearance in 1978. In 1980 the appeal was broadcast on BBC One in a new telethon format, hosted by Terry with Sue Lawley and Esther Rantzen. BBC Children in Need became a registered charity in England and Wales number 802052 in 1989 and a registered charity in Scotland number SC039557 in 2008.
