Community / Children in Need is back as radio to host auction and live music

15 November 2024 07:00

Three children pose with a person in a bear costume in front of a small airplane on an overcast day.

Pudsey visiting bairns in Fair Isle this week.

BBC Radio Shetland is hosting its annual Children in Need fundraiser tonight (Friday) with a fundraising auction and live music on offer.

Already this week Pudsey has made a flying visit to Fair Isle, courtesy of Airtask, to meet pupils from the school and to say a big thank you to the community who raise hundreds of pounds for the appeal every year.

More than 90 items have been donated for this year’s bumper auction.

The list includes everything from knitwear and jewellery to trips on boats and even a scenic flight around Shetland.

Ian Smith from Troswick has been hard at work making his model wooden bus.

He has been making model buses for the appeal since 1985 when he worked as a lighthouse keeper.

Meanwhile Wendy Inkster is back with her popular Children in Need Bear and watch out for Frank Manon’s hand built stone croft house and a wooden crib made by Peter Thompson from Yell.

All of the auction items can be viewed on the BBC Radio Shetland Facebook page.

Last year Shetland raised more than £20,000 for Children in Need.

However, more than three times that amount has come back to the islands to support charities this year.

Ability Shetland has secured £125,000 over three years to fund clubs and activities for children and young people with disabilities across the islands.

Shetland Women’s Aid will use its grant of £50,000 over the next three years to support children and young people who have been affected by numerous complex life challenges.

A new grant programme has also started this year to help children living in rural and island communities.

The North Isles Junior Football Club are among the first to be awarded a Big Sky programme grant and are using the money to help fund travel to tournaments and away matches.

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More than £1 million has been raised across the isles since the appeal started in the 1980s.

Radio Shetland editor John Johnston said: “We are always astonished by how generous people and businesses are towards the auction appeal.

“Each year schools across Shetland also raise thousands of pounds for the appeal and on the night hundreds of people phone in with pledges and bid on our auction.

“We’ve a great showcase of Shetland music during our live seven hour programme which starts at 6pm when pupils from primary seven at Sound School take over the airwaves to present Give Us A Tune.

“We’ll have plenty of tunes to keep listeners’ toes tapping with lightsome chat with our team of presenters which include Jane Moncrieff, Claire White and Davie Gardner.

“We want folk to listen at home and enjoy the variety of music on offer as well as putting a bid in too.”

The music line-up is as follows:

7pm – Kristie Williamson, Annie Malcolmson and Irvine Grains
8pm – Filskit
8.30pm – Adam Guest Band
9.15pm – 8 Ball Jacuzzi
10pm – Da Fustra
11pm – Magic Money Tree Band
12pm – First Foot Soldiers

Auction prizes have been spilt between three time slots. An early auction will run from 7pm until 9pm, while the star auction is on from 9pm until 12.30am.

The late auction begins at 9.30pm and closes at midnight. People can phone in 01595 694747 to place their bids.

A man holding a model of a stone house with a grass-covered roof; a large ocean wave is shown in the background.

ITEMS IN EARLY AUCTION

1. Give us a Tune – The chance to present BBC Radio Shetland’s request programme.
2. Scottish Parliament goodie bag – A treasure trove of gifts from the Scottish Parliament.
3. Knitted dags – a pair of fingerless gloves made by Barbara Cheyne
4. Fishing tackle box – a cantilever fishing box, with a selection of sea fishing tackle from LHD.
5. Potted Plants – A selection of flowering currants in poly pots from Jean Keith.
6. A Christmas tree – donated by COPE.
7. Guided tour of Jamieson’s knitwear factory for up to 10 people.
8. Rugby shirt – Donated by the Shetland Rugby Club.
9. A Ukulele in a carrying case – donated by High Level Music.
10. Mussels – a 5kg bag of mussels from Blueshell Mussels.
11. A hamper full of goodies donated by Scoop Wholefoods.
12. Smirk – a framed original watercolour of Bain’s Beach.
13. Christmas cake – made by Hazel Sinclair.
14. A hamper full of goodies donated by the Bigton Shop.
15. A Harry Potter wand – made by Vic Thomas.
16. Crocheted placemats – A pair of sunburst crocheted placemats and coasters made in grey yarn by Julie Dennison.
17. Wooden yarn bowl – Handmade wooden yarn bowl from Wid Wark with balls of lace wool.
18. A red wool purse – donated by Ram Knitwear.
19. Panto tickets – four tickets to the Unst Drama Group panto at the Mid Yell hall.
20. Children in Need sponge cake – made by Wendy Best.
21. Fuchsia garden plants – 12 garden fuchsias in pots donated by Jean Keith.
22. Fiddle stand donated by Sarah Johnston.
23. Sailing gloves – A pair of sailing gloves.
24. Klondyker beer – A bottle of late 80s Polish beer from when the fish factory ships were anchored in Lerwick Harbour.
25. Shetland football top – donated by the Shetland Football Association.
26. A large cuddly Pudsey Bear.
27. The trophy for the 2000 black pudding throwing championships complete with black pudding.
28. Vidlin pottery oil painting – oil painting of a Shetland loch view in a brown wood frame.
29. Two big bags of organic swedes kindly donated by Burland Croft.

A yellow teddy bear wearing a colorful bandana holds a purple ukulele. In front is a black ukulele case with "Laka" written on it.

STAR AUCTION LIST

1. NorthLink – a return trip to Aberdeen or Kirkwall for two passengers and car which includes a standard cabin.
2. EnQuest – dinner, bed and breakfast for two at Busta House Hotel.
3. Burra Bear – Peerie Bjorn o’ Pitt Lane.
4. Accordion and Fiddle Festival package – two memberships, including two tickets for Thursday and Friday venues, two for the grand dance and two for the Sunday concert.
5. Dim Riv adventure – a trip around Lerwick Harbour for up to 12 passengers.
6. Panto tickets – four tickets for Babes in the Wood from Open Door Drama.
7. Model Wooden Bus – 1940s Wooden Bedford Bus model.
8. Lerwick Port Authority – parking for a year on Victoria Pier.
9. Knab – a trip on Lerwick Port Authority’s pilot boat for up to eight people.
10. Tyres – a voucher for £200 worth of tyres from Brae Garage.
11. Haddock – a £100 box of haddock from LHD.
12. Flight – inter-island flight voucher for two adults to either Foula or Fair Isle from Airtask.
13. TotalEnergies – one year individual More4Life membership with Shetland Recreational Trust worth £350.
14. Folk Festival package – two memberships, two concerts tickets of their choice. There’s also a chance to buy additional tickets for the above concerts before they go on public sale.
15. Trip on the Swan – one day sail around Shetland next summer for one person.
16. A dozen Sandwick Bakery softies per week for a year from the Spar in Sandwick.
17. A day out with the library van.
18. A boat tour around Bressay and Noss for two adults from Seabirds and Seals.
19. Ooie Art – Framed Ooie art made by the Peerie Oorick.
20. Ram’s Head – a hand-forged ram’s head fire poker by Bryden Jacobson.
21. Tommy the Cat experience – a free Tommy calendar, a meet and greet at Tommy’s house and the chance to pick his next bandana.
22. Croft house – A hand-built stone croft house made by Frank Manson.
23. Shetland Jewellery – a four hour jewellery-making workshop for one person to make stacking rings.
24. Free swim pass for a year – from Shetland Recreational Trust.
25. Fish hamper – A fish hamper of your choice up to the value of £150 from Q&A Fish.
26. A two night stay at Fort Charlotte Self Catering for two adults and dinner at No88 with a bottle of wine.
27. Crib – A wooden baby rocking crib made by Peter Thompson from Yell.
28. An oil painting of Maywick by Cecil Duncan.
29. Large hand painted mandala worth £350 made by ElissasMakes.
30. Loganair flights – A voucher for two people for return flights on the Loganair network.
31. A six month pass to the Shetland Weight Training Club in Scalloway worth £150.
32. A print titled, ‘Summer Night’ in Sellafirth Yell kindly donated by Avril Thomson-Smith.

Two children in wheelchairs play basketball indoors. One child in a red jersey holds the ball overhead, while the other in a yellow jersey raises an arm to block.

Ability Shetland is one of the local beneficiaries of Children in Need.

ITEMS IN LATE AUCTION

1. House of Commons goodie bag – A bag full of House of Commons merchandise from Alistair Carmichael MP.
2. Primroses – Fish box full of mauve primroses, donated by Jean Keith.
3. Cuddly Pudsey – Large cuddly toy Pudsey bear.
4. Wooden walking stick – A wooden walking stick made to size by Vic Thomas.
5. Potatoes – A 25kg bag of Da flea’s Santanta tatties.
6. The Outpost experience – Hand feed the animals, have a run with the emus, and maybe take home an emu egg if they have laid. Home brus available if the winner so desires.
7. Christmas tree – Real potted Christmas tree from the Brae Building Centre.
8. Puffin ornament – ceramic hand carved puffin ornament from J G Raes jewellers.
9. Da Haaf voucher – A £30 voucher for a meal at Da Haaf in Scalloway.
10. Shetland Reel Gin – Bottle of gin from Shetland Reel Distillery.
11. House sign – Hardwood engraved house sign from Art Machine.
12. Alloy wheel refurbishment – Refurbishment of a full set of four alloy wheels at Malakoff powder coatings.
13. Mussels – 5kg bag of mussels from Blueshell Mussels.
14. House clean – Three hours house cleaning from Susie Shine.
15. SFA Yearbook – Shetland Fishermen’s Association’s new calendar and yearbook once released.
16. Golf memberships – A voucher for two adult memberships from the Asta Golf Club for the 2025 season.
17. AA Fired Up voucher worth £10.
18. Fuel voucher – £100 fuel voucher from Bolts Car Hire.
19. Yala jewellery pendant – Silver ‘Shetland’ Yala Jewellery pendant.
20. Salmon – voucher for one whole salmon from Cooke Aquaculture.
21. Vase – Brown Vidlin pottery vase made by John Jacobs.
22. Knitted toorie – Grey and brown knitted toorie by Margaret Tulloch.
23. Knitted lace cowl by Lillian Mikolajczak.
24. Healthcraft hamper – A hamper full of produce from the Healthcraft store.
25. Creepie Stool – A creepie stool with a red padded seat by Frankie Grant.
26. Restaurant voucher – £100 voucher to spend at a local restaurant of your choice donated by Scottish Sea Farms.
27. Cuddly Blush toy – Cuddly Blush toy, Pudsey’s best pal!
28. Knitted ,ittens – Knitted mittens in natural Shetland colours by Florence Smith.
29. Gemma Swing Christmas Spectacular tickets – two tickets for the Swing Christmas spectacular on Saturday 7 December.
30. Shetland story books – Two illustrated Shetland story books for bairns by Margaret Anderson and Jenny Duncan.
31. Hand knitted blanket – Hand knitted yellow pram blanket knitted by Cath Simpson.

People can listen to the programme on 92.7FM or on BBC Sounds.

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