Words by Ed King
Erdington locals are invited to come and meet Pudsey Bear at a special fundraising event outside Greggs on Erdington High Street, on Saturday 8 November.
Taking place outside the popular store between 10am and 3pm, the famous BBC Children in Need mascot will be saying a big bear hig hello to children and families – as the kind hearted Erdington Greggs staff raise money for the longstanding BBC children’s charity.
As well as getting to meet the most famous bear to ever wear an eye patch, the Erdington Greggs organised event will have music, arts activities for young people, and a special Bric-a-Brac table top sale – with public donations being sold to raise funds.
There will also be a special ‘decorate your own Gingerbread Man’ table and organisers have told Erdington Local there may be a few more surprises in store.
100% of all money raised on the day will be donated to the BBC Children in Need charity.
Whist getting ready for the fundraising event on Saturday 8 November, the manager of Greggs Erdington – Kirstie McGibbon – told Erdington Local: “We’re all big supporters of Children in Need here. One of our staff members, Claire, has run fundraising events for the charity before and we wanted to get involved as well.
“We have lots of customers who would want to support Children in Need, and we have a busy shop right on Erdington High Street – so there’s a lot of footfall in and outside.
“We thought why not, let’s do something big and to support the charity and the children it helps.”
Kirstie added: “We’d love to see lot of people come down and meet Pudsey on Saturday, and to help us raise money through the Bric-a-Brac table and children’s arts sessions.
“It’ll be a lot of fun and hopefully help raise some money for a really worthwhile cause.”
Erdington Business Improvement District (BID), the local organisation that manages Erdington Town Centre, welcomes the positive community action onto Erdington High Street.
A spokesperson for the Erdington BID told: “It’s fantastic that the Greggs staff want to hold this event and raise money for such a worthwhile charity – supporting young people and children across the UK.
“They already do so much for the community; people socialise at Greggs, and it’s a safe and welcoming place for many local residents and shoppers.
They added: “We’re lucky to have our Greggs on Erdington High Street; the staff that work there are truly lovely people, and the breakfast sandwiches and coffee are not a bad way to start the day either.”
BBC Children in Need is an official charity organised by the UK broadcaster, supporting young people and disadvantaged children across the UK throughout the year.
Every November, BBC Children in Need also hosts a special telethon fundraiser on BBC One and BBC Two – with celebrities and guests presenting a range of entertainment and educational content to raise awareness and funds for youth focused outreach and support programmes.
Established in 1980, BBC Children in Need has raised over £1bn through sponsored events, fundraisers, and donations, and is the “UK’s largest independent funder of youth work” – as cited on the charity’s official website.
BBC Children in Need will hold its next annual telethon on 14 November 2025.
For more on Erdington Greggs visit www.greggs.com/shops/erdington/96-high-street/3522
For more on BBC Children in Need visit www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk
