FROM dressing up in wacky outfits and baking en-mass to trekking thousands of miles, South Lakeland's charitable souls are once again pulling out the stops for Children in Need, reports Ellie Hargreaves.
As Terry Wogan and co take over BBC One for an evening of celebrity fund-raising tonight (Friday, 7pm), the region will be going Pudsey-mad to rake in the pennies for TV's biggest charity appeal.
Home and kitchenware giant Lakeland Limited (whose former director, the late Michelle Kershaw, was a trustee of the charity) will be trying to top the £110,615 it accumulated through the sale of ITS Pudsey bear range last year with a number of money-spinning ideas.
As well as a new 2005 range of Pudsey products and a number of staff volunteering to man an official call-centre for the night, Steven Doherty from the Windermere store's caf will be gifting ten per cent of today's profits, as well as catering for staff as they man the telephone lines into the early hours and selling Pudsey muffins in aid of the appeal.
As part of banking chain NatWest's charitable efforts, the Kendal team will be dressing in dinner suits and party frocks for the day and any money raised by staff and customers will be matched pound for pound by the NatWest Community CashBack fund. Last year, more than £50,000 was banked up so if you intend to give to the charity, drop into the branch and double your donation.
There will be an influx of pop-stars, footballers and maybe even the odd astronaut as pupils and staff at Kendal's Heron Hill Primary School wave goodbye to conventional dress to raise money.
While the children will be dressing in clothes to reflect what they would like to be when they grow up, older members of the school will be remembering their early years with today's choice of wardrobe.
Meanwhile, a Lake District National Park Authority trainee warden will be continent-hopping in aid of the kids' charity. Ian Moseley, 46, from Patterdale, will be lacing up his boots to trek a whopping 2,150-mile route across America next year and every penny raised through sponsorship will help young victims of bullying, homelessness and disability.
Mr Moseley is being joined by his pal, Alan Bucke, as he prepares for the Appalachian Trail which will see the pair pass through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
Mr Moseley admitted it wasn't the physical side of the trek that he feared most but missing his children.
"The BBC Children In Need charity is really worthwhile and at the end of the adventure I get to be with my kids, and they get to be with me," he said. "That is something many children do not have and never will have, so if we can make a difference we are going to give it our best shot."
If you would like to sponsor Mr Moseley, you can do so by logging on to www.hike4pudsey2006.com or to make a donation direct, visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/donate.
After more than 25 years as the face of the televised appeal, Terry Wogan will be joined by Top of the Pops presenter Fearne Cotton and Breakfast TV star Natasha Kaplinksky tonight in a bid to better last year's £34 million total.
l A PRIZE that will reward the successful bidder with a luxurious trip to Cumbria raked in an impressive £10,000 for Children in Need when it was featured on Terry Wogan's Radio 2 auction this week.
During the "things that money can't buy" event for the charity, Carmen from Worcester put in the top bid for the delights offered by The Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel, Ullswater Steamers, Greystoke Castle and the Hadwins Audi garage at Lindale.
Carmen and her partner can now look forward to a night in the top suite at The Sharrow Bay, with an opportunity to sample the impressive wine list and enjoy six-course dining in the Michelin star restaurant. They will be given an Audi A8, by Hadwins, for the duration of the stay.
With their own captain and crew, they will have exclusive use for a couple of hours of The Lady of the Lake steamer as it navigates the lake.
Following breakfast, the winners will visit Greystoke Castle for either a private clay pigeon or black powder shooting session, off-road driving, or a trek on a 330cc automatic quad bike.
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