Children in Need sparks baby ballet, dressing down, and Pudsey design classes across the Lothians

By DAVID MCCANN
Published on 16/11/2012 12:00

PIROUETTING babies in PJs, DIY Pudsey bears and a dress-down Friday are just some of the money-spinning schemes taking place across Edinburgh in aid of Children In Need.

Organisers of the BBC fundraiser are pulling out all the stops to eclipse last year’s record £46 million haul which saw projects across the Capital share in a £2m windfall.

One of those to benefit was the Broomhouse Centre, which provides respite for carers aged seven to 18 years old by providing a space to meet children in a similar position and staging weekly support groups at its Broomhouse Crescent base.

Another was the Multi-Cultural Family Base Centre in Coburg Street, which aims to break down racial barriers by linking young people from ethnic backgrounds with local projects. Around 45 children – all of primary-school age – are involved with the centre which provides after-school work groups using games and activities designed to build confidence and develop social skills. Many children involved have experienced isolation, family problems and poverty.

This year, Edinburgh will host a raft of zany events, including a sponsored ballet class with pyjama-clad babies in Livingston and build-a-bear workshops to design and stuff your very own Pudsey.

A Children In Need project which helped rescue a closure-threatened play centre in the city hit TV screens on Wednesday night. BBC One’s DIY SOS performed a revamp of The Yard, a free adventure play centre which caters for children and young people aged three to 25.

The facelift included the introduction of new play equipment, the regeneration of old favourites including the go-kart track and boat swing, and the installation of a disabled-friendly kitchen.