The Great Rickshaw Relay Challenge is back

We all love stocking up the snacks for Children in Need’s appeal night, which – make a note for your diary – takes place this year on November 19th.

There’s wall-to-wall celebrities, comedy, music and fun to be had, but the run-up to the big event has become just as interesting over the years.

This year, we’ll be getting a Big Build Children In Need Special and The Surprise Squad for BBC Children in Need, as well as the hugely popular Great Rickshaw Relay Challenge, which is now in its 11th year and has raised a staggering more than £41 million to date.

Taking place between Monday, November 1 and Friday 5, it sees Matt Baker passing the rickshaw baton between each relay stage along a route running from Somerset in Bristol, Media City in Manchester, Southport and Ulverston in Cumbria, before finishing in Edinburgh.

This year, we get a glimpse behind the scenes of the event with a one-off documentary following Matt and a team of incredibly inspiring young people, all of whom have been supported by BBC Children in Need-funded projects, as they take on the five-stage ride.

Each participant will tackle a section of the journey, travelling through their hometowns and visiting places across the UK which hold a particular significance for them along the way.

The film will celebrate the history of this much-loved BBC Children in Need staple, while at the same time nudging us to donate whatever we can to raise a life-changing amount of money for the charity as part of its 2021 appeal.

Matt was eager to showcase how the Great Rickshaw Relay Challenge got on the road, saying: “I can’t wait to provide a behind the scenes look at the trials and tribulations over an incredible week with some inspirational young people.

“It’s been a big part of my life over the last 10 years and I’m over the moon we’ve managed to find a way of it happening again and show viewers how their donations help change young lives.”

The programme will also tell the emotional and uplifting stories of Harrison, Millie, Liv, Rainbow and Tom, the young people taking part in the Rickshaw Challenge.

Thomas, who is 16, has been receiving weekly one-on-one counselling sessions from BBC Children in Need-funded The Space since 2018, after his mum and dad were involved in a terrible car accident that claimed his father’s life.

Sportsman Rainbow, 18, was born with anavidea mystagnus and by the age of nine lost his sight in both eyes. Today, he’s an ambassador for Children in Need-funded project, British Blind Sport.

Seventeen-year-old Olivia, or Liv, has dedicated much of her life to supporting her younger sister Jess, who was born with a rare, life-limiting chromosomal disorder and gets help from Claire House Hospice, backed by Children in Need, while 20-year-old natural entertainer and keen musician Harrison credits Sunbeams, funded by Children in Need, with helping develop his communication skills, emotional wellbeing and improved family relationships.

Finally, Millie, who is also 20, gets support from Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, another project supported by Children in Need, that offers one-to-one and online support for 11 to 24-year-olds who are experiencing liver disease.

We’ll be spending less on snacks this year and instead will donate a few quid to what is a truly worthwhile cause.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you