Pudsey, Jo and Barra go '˜quackers' for BBC Children in Need

Whatever your ‘thing’ is, why not give it a go by turning it into a fantastic fundraiser that will help change children’s lives throughout Northern Ireland?

That’s the message from this year’s BBC Children in Need Appeal which takes places on Friday 16 November.

Launching this year’s appeal locally were TV presenters Jo Scott and Barra Best.

The pair will be fronting local contributions to the appeal on BBC One Northern Ireland.

And getting into the spirit of ‘doing their thing’ for the appeal, why not join Barra, Jo, Pudsey and the staff of BBC Northern Ireland for The Annual Duck Race? Find out more by logging onto www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey

Barra says: “Every year people across the country come up with the wackiest ideas for raising money for BBC Children in Need. So, this year we’ve come up with the quackiest one! I’ll be getting everyone I know to get involved in the Annual Duck Race. Here’s to Pudsey!”

Jo adds “Where does the time go! I am thrilled to be hosting BBC Children in Need again this year with my lovely weather pal Barra. To think that the money raised helps hundreds of projects right across Northern Ireland is mind blowing. It is a total privilege to be part of all the fun that ultimately makes such a difference to the lives of so many children and young people.”

Throughout the week leading up to the big night, BBC Radio Ulster will be looking at local projects which have benefited from funding from the Appeal, as well as chatting with fundraisers across Northern Ireland, culminating in the now annual ‘Hugo-thon’ hosted by Hugo Duncan live on his popular programme on Friday 16 November from 1.30pm-3pm.

The on-air auction, now in its 13th year, will offer a wide range of items all up for grabs to the highest bidder.

Barra Best and Jo Scott will be live from the Railway Gallery at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum at Cultra for this year’s local television programme.

In London, stand-up comedian and presenter Rob Beckett is set to join Graham Norton, Tess Daly, Mel Giedroyc, Ade Adepitan, Rochelle and Marvin Humes in presenting BBC Children in Need’s 2018 Appeal show on BBC One.

Broadcast live from the BBC’s Elstree studios on Friday 16 November, the night will feature an all-star line-up as they work together to help raise money for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

One of the local highlights of the night will see 190 young singers from schools across Northern Ireland joining thousands of others from throughout the UK to form a choir taking part in a nationwide live performance of ‘A Million Dreams’. Joining in the chorus will be pupils from Macosquin Primary School (Derry-Londonderry); Clough Primary School (Antrim); Lisbellaw Primary School (Fermanagh); Omagh County Primary School (Tyrone); New-Bridge Integrated College (Down) and St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook (Armagh).

Last year’s ‘on the night’ national total was £50.2m and in Northern Ireland it was £931,823.