CHARITIES, schools and kind-hearted individuals across Oxfordshire are doing their bit to raise money for Children in Need just in time for the annual appeal night on Friday.

And the Oxford Mail wants to know when and what you are doing.

If you are baking fancy cakes, taking part in fancy dress or doing something completely different to raise cash, then get in touch with us here or call 01865 425 483

Last year projects in Oxfordshire have received more than £600,000 in grants from the BBC appeal towards helping children with family problems and life-limiting conditions, as well as funding after-school workshops and providing holiday activities for disabled children.

A nine-year-old girl from Banbury created her own ‘swim-a-thon’ by challenging herself to swim one kilometre without stopping to raise money for Children in Need.

Lily Baldwin said she got the idea to raise money for the charity after watching the BBC’s Blue Peter and combined her swimming skills and good will to do her part for children who are less fortunate than her.

She took the plunge on Saturday at Banbury’s Spiceball Leisure Centre and smashed her distance target, swimming 64 laps - equivalent to one mile.

Lily set herself a goal of £250 and has raised £200 so far, hoping to generate more with the help of her mum, Claire Baldwin who has been running a JustGiving appeal.

She said: “Lily swam, without a break and took in her her stride. Spiceball offered the pool swim for free and I logged her lengths.

“When she completed her 40 laps she wanted to do more so she added 24 to the 40, that means she actually completed 64 which equals one mile! Super achievement. We celebrated with a Chinese take-away.”

Last Friday, Zumba Fitness Oxford held a zumba party at The Regal, CLC Christian Life Centre on Cowley Road, and raised £919 for Children in Need, with donations still coming in.

And in a special treat for pupils, Pudsey the Bear paid a visit to Witney Primary School on Monday, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Witney.

Projects in West Oxfordshire including Dogs For Good, Guideposts Trust and Home-Start Banbury and Chipping Norton have received £289,761 so far this year from Children in Need.

Last year, projects in Oxford alone received grants of more than £300,000, with Helen & Douglas House getting £113,054 to provide counselling for brothers and sisters of children who have a life limiting conditions.

BBC Children in Need currently supports about 2,500 projects and has helped 480,000 disadvantaged children across the UK. In 2015, the charity raised a record-breaking total of £54m nationally, surpassing 2014’s total of £49.1m.

Those who wish to get started on their own fundraising, can order a kit from bbcchildreninneed.co.uk.The Children in Need appeal show will air on BBC1 and BBC2 at 7.30pm on Friday, November 18.