​Record breaking total for Britain's favourite fundraiser announced

A record-breaking £60 million was raised by BBC Children in Need last year.

Final fundraising totals for the 2016 appeal show that £46.6m was raised on the night with the remainder trickling in over subsequent months.

The total is the highest amount of money raised by the charity in its history with cash going to projects working in communities throughout the UK to support disadvantaged children and young people.

Children in Need is currently supporting over 2,400 projects in communities across the UK helping children living in poverty, disabled or ill children, or those experiencing distress, neglect or trauma.

In the last year alone, the charity has supported over 480,000 young people.

Speaking of the total, Simon Antrobus, chief executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “The impact this incredible amount of money will have on some of the most disadvantaged children and young people is hard to put into words; it really will go on to change the lives of young people across the UK who need it most.

To our supporters who made this possible: thank you, we simply couldn’t have done it without you.”

Highlights from the 2016 campaign include BBC Radio 2’s amazing fundraising efforts spearheaded by Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show which saw millions raised through CarFest and the Breakfast Show’s incredible auctions, Countryfile’s 2016 calendar and Ramble weekends, The One Show’s Rickshaw Challenge and a concert in honour of Sir Terry Wogan.

TV and radio stations across the nations and regions threw themselves into fundraising while the charity’s corporate partners, including Lloyds Banking Group, Asda and Boots UK, asked customers and staff to support the cause.