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How to Donate to BBC Children in Need: Every Official Way to Give money today

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Looking for how to send money to Children in Need today?

Every year, communities across the UK come together to support BBC Children in Need, funding vital local charities and projects that help children and young people thrive. Whether you are tuning into the Children in Need live show tonight from 7 pm on BBC One or looking to pay in money from a local fundraiser, there are several quick, secure, and convenient ways to make a contribution.

1. Donate Online

The quickest and safest way to make a single or regular monthly donation—or to pay in money you have raised—is directly through the official website.

  • Where to go: Visit bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/donate.
  • How it works: You can select a pre-set amount or enter your own custom figure, pay securely by card or digital wallet, and easily add Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer.

2. Text to Donate

If you are watching the live appeal show and want to give in seconds from your mobile phone, you can use the official SMS short codes.

Option A: Text an amount to 70701 Send one of the following keywords to 70701:

  • Text FIVE to 70701 to donate £5
  • Text TEN to 70701 to donate £10
  • Text TWENTY to 70701 to donate £20
  • Text THIRTY to 70701 to donate £30
  • Text FORTY to 70701 to donate £40

Option B: Text “DONATE” to a dedicated amount number Alternatively, text the word DONATE to the number matching your chosen gift:

  • Text DONATE to 70405 to donate £5
  • Text DONATE to 70410 to donate £10
  • Text DONATE to 70420 to donate £20
  • Text DONATE to 70430 to donate £30

(Note: Specific BBC programmes and regional challenges also feature dedicated short codes—such as 70705 for Countryfile or 70717 for The One Show Challenge Squad—which accept the same FIVE through FORTY keywords.) Text-to-Donate RuleDetails Age & PermissionYou must be aged 16 or over and have the bill payer’s permission. CostYou will be charged the donation value plus one standard network message charge. Campaign WindowThe 2026 Appeal text codes run from 1 July 2026 through 30 June 2027.

3. Donate by Phone

You can make a donation over the telephone using a credit or debit card:

  • English Donation Line: Call 0345 7 33 22 33
  • Welsh Language Line (Cymraeg): Call 0345 607 0011
  • Supporter Care & Enquiries: For general donation support, call 0345 609 0015

(All calls to 0345 numbers are charged at standard geographic rates and are usually included in landline and mobile call packages.)

4. In Person: Post Offices, Banks, and ATMs

If you have collected cash from a bake sale, sponsored walk, or workplace event, you can pay it in across the UK all year round:

  • Post Office: Visit any of the 11,500 Post Office branches nationwide to pay in cash, card, or cheque. Count and bag your coins separately before heading to the counter and tell the clerk the funds are for BBC Children in Need.
  • Banks & Building Societies: HSBC and most major high-street banks accept donations over the counter. You can use the official paying-in slip from your fundraising pack or simply ask the cashier to pay the money to BBC Children in Need (no account number is required).
  • Cash Machines (ATMs): Insert your card and PIN at any RBS, NatWest, Ulster Bank, or Bank Machine ATM, select ‘Other’ services, and follow the on-screen prompts to donate.

5. Loose Change & Foreign Currency

  • Coinstar Machines: Between 3 November and 15 December, you can pour your loose change into Coinstar machines at supermarkets across the UK to donate 100% fee-free.
  • Foreign & Old Currency (Cash4Coins): Through BBC Children in Need’s partnership with Cash4Coins, you can send leftover holiday banknotes, foreign coins, and even old pre-decimal British or Irish currency via a FREEPOST service.

6. By Post (Cheques & Vouchers)

BBC Children in Need strongly advises never sending cash through the post. However, you can mail a cheque, postal order, or Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) voucher made payable to ‘BBC Children in Need’ to:

BBC Children in Need Appeal MediaCityUK Salford M50 2BH

If you are sending funds on behalf of a business, community group, or school, include your organisation’s name (and school URN, if applicable) with your payment.

7. Workplace & Regular Giving

  • Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn): Donations are deducted directly from your gross salary before tax, meaning a £15 donation only costs a standard-rate taxpayer £12. Ask your employer or email cinpayrollgiving@bbc.co.uk to set it up.
  • CAF Regular Giving & BACS: Regular gifts can also be arranged via the Charities Aid Foundation website, or you can email pudsey@bbc.co.uk for BACS bank transfer details.

Boost Your Donation by 25% with Gift Aid

If you are a UK taxpayer donating your own money, tick the Gift Aid declaration when giving online or via text confirmation. The government adds 25p for every £1 you donate at no extra cost to you—turning a £20 gift into £25.