About the BBC - Blog

I was very pleased to hear about the Royal Engagement and am sure people will love watching the Royal Wedding on our Big Screens. People tell us, time after time, that they enjoy coming together to share an experience with others who have a common interest. Even when events such as rugby and football games are available on television, there's nothing quite like the atmosphere you get as part of a crowd.

Back in the Summer I was telling you about some of our Big Screen events and our partnership with London 2012 and local authorities. But it doesn't stop there. We're constantly developing new partnerships in local communities. The screen is a digital community canvas. One example of a recent collaboration is with the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales. We're able to showcase some really fascinating stuff. Viewers watching Big Screen Cardiff can now see footage of the city centre in the 1930s and 1970s. How things have changed! Everything seemed to be displayed in the shop windows in those days. For the locals, going back in time with the Big Screen, is a fascinating journey. The films revisit parts of Cardiff which have been totally transformed, including the old Tiger Bay, made famous by Dame Shirley Bassey. Around a third of the Big Screen’s airtime is dedicated to local films, made by local people. You may have seen recent pictures of Swansea, marking Armistice Day, on UK television news. The Royal British Legion returned to the city for the second time to host Silence in the Square. Its sister event at Trafalgar Square is now in its fourth year. Both events were integrated, via the Big Screen.

The audience enjoyed performances by The Saturdays, local singers and Sarah Lark, finalist of BBC's I'd Do Anything. It was a very moving experience and after total silence fell on the square, people placed poppies in the fountain. It was a poignant scene.

I'm always amazed how people of all ages react to our interactive games shown on screen. It's fascinating to watch the reaction of people as the screen often stops them in their tracks. Using a motion-sensitive camera, audiences are thrilled to see themselves on city centre screens, responding to the demands of the games. I must tell you about our recent Children in Need Big Screen Quiz in Cardiff. People watched short television clips and answered questions based around magical moments from Children in Need.

 There were 4 possible answers for every question, each represented by a box on screen. You then had to stand within the relevant box to register your answer. Cardiff played against big screens in the other nations, with competitors based at Norwich, Edinburgh and Derry.

You only have to look at people's faces to realise they were having fun. As well as playing games on screens we've been able to give students a platform to develop their own games and interactive ideas.
People love taking part in our events and enjoy watching others appearing on screen. We recently hosted a Strictly Come Dancing event in Swansea, giving locals a chance to take to the dance floor. Karen Hardy recorded a special dance routine for the Big Screen, which people were able to perfect on the ground. Local dance experts also stepped in to delight the crowds.

This leads us nicely into the Christmas season. Festive favourites for me will include concerts by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, including Carols for Christmas at St David's Hall. These will all be shown live on the Big Screen, with highlights peppered into our daily schedules.

Have you been to any of our events? Let us know what you think.

Stephen Morgan is Screen Manager for Wales

• Read Stephen's last blog post Big Screens - the next big thing

• Find out more about Big Screens and what they do.

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When people find out that I work for BBC Children in Need the first question they ask is, “What do you do for the rest of year?”

The truth is that the Charity is here all year round making sure that the money raised is going to projects that are making a real difference to the lives of children and young people across the UK.

At any one time we have over two thousand live projects.  They are typically run by small charities and voluntary groups and may be dealing with issues including poverty, deprivation, abuse, neglect, illness and the challenges faced by disabled children and young people.

We can only support more projects if we raise more money, so from early in the year, we begin planning the campaign which culminates in November, and this year airs on Friday the 19 November.

Our theme is “Show your spots, lets raise lots!”, which we hope will give people the cue to get stuck into fundraising.  What people here in the BBC will have seen over recent weeks, is everywhere and everything getting spottier by the day!  We think a theme gives fresh impetus each year and more opportunity for people to use their imagination.

This Friday’s Appeal show looks set to be a really special evening.  The Executive Producer Elaine Paterson has put together an incredible line-up, with music from the likes of Tom Jones, Kylie, Westlife, JLS and Take That, along with some great entertainment including  a Dragons’ Den Come Dine With Me and East Street where Coronation Street meet Eastenders.  There are also some amazing events across the UK, with big concerts in Belfast, Glasgow and a Pudsey take-over at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

One of the most important parts of the evening for us is the opportunity to introduce some amazing young people to a wide audience and to show how the money that the public raises can help them to deal with the challenges in their lives.

This Friday the stories we tell will include amongst others that of 11 year old Nasreen, an amazing young lady who has a muscle weakness disease and who is totally dependent upon her family for daily activities.  Nasreen attends Demelza Hospice, funded by BBC Children in Need, for respite care where she and her family get invaluable practical and emotional support.

This is also the week when I get constantly asked if we will beat last year’s total.  Appeal 2009 raised over £20.3 million on the night and a final figure of over £39 million by the end of the year.

At the moment we really don’t know how things will go.  We have heard about lots of fundraising that is going on and we have seen Pudsey stuff flying out of the shops, but the critical thing will be just how many people call on the night.

I also spend a lot of time at the moment encouraging people to fundraise and you should go to www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey to find out how simple it is!

We know that times are tough and this means that children and young people are particularly vulnerable and really do need our help.

This will be a long week, but I know by Saturday morning, people across the BBC and across the UK will have come together and raised millions of pounds that will help to change lots of young lives.

 David Ramsden is Chief Executive of Children in Need

To find out how you can get involed, head over to the brilliant Children in Need website, where you can make a donation, add Pudsey ears to your digital photos and bid in the auction.

• Corporate Responsibility Report 2010 is launched.
• Chidren in Need says "Thank You."
• How Big is Pudsey?: The BBC's charity appeals.

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At some point in life everyone considers the idea of volunteering, giving their time and efforts to help others, and BBC staff are no exception.  In fact I'd say that there is a strong altruistic culture amongst staff here and a requirement for the corporation to channel this energy into measurable projects.

We often hear from charities who say they are up to their eyeballs in people wanting to come and 'paint a wall' for them.  We find that many charities are after something more meaningful, something that will resonate and leave a legacy for their beneficiaries.  So the BBC has a small department called "Connect & Create" and we are, to all intents and purposes, the volunteering scheme of the corporation.  It's a simple structure.  We have formal partnerships with ten national charities and a smaller number of local project charity partners.  We put together projects that place BBC staff into these charities in whole variety of ways.

Often we help the charities produce creative work, such as films or podcasts.  Other times we place staff with specific expertise to lead workshops and run seminars.  On other occasions they are involved in mentoring beneficiaries from all walks of life.  Each project is unique and there is always lots going on, as we run projects all across the year and across the UK.

Of course you can measure the numbers of staff and projects, but the real measure comes in the stories we hear from people.  We hear some amazing stories and staff seem universally bowled over by the experiences they have sharing their skills in this way.  My personal favourite is the team in Newcastle who mentored a group of disabled children in how to make a film about wheelchair access for their sports classes.  The children did such a great job with their film that it was broadcast on Look North that same evening. 

Glynn Ryland is the Manager of BBC Connect & Create

You can find out more about Connect & Create and see a list of its charity partners on the BBC Outreach website.

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