Tomorrow night (Saturday 9 May) the world renowned dance venue Sadler’s Wells will host the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s Young Dancer 2015 Grand Final. The event will be broadcast live on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two. Artistic Programmer and Director of Creative Learning at Sadler's Wells, Jane Hackett explains her role in the process and gives an overview of the inaugural competition.

The idea for the series was suggested to us by Commissioning Editor Jan Younghusband. Inspired by the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Musician of the Year, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer seemed absolutely obvious. It made us all ask ourselves why hadn't there been a Young Dancer of the Year before?

I became involved when executive producer Paul Bullock visited Sadler’s Wells and asked if somebody could act as a dance consultant for a new competition, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer. My role on the team involves putting in the specific dance knowledge to the promotion of the scheme, but also crucially I am looking out for the young dancers and making sure that the whole process is safe, healthy and good for them.

Drawing on my work as a member of programme, I am aware that sometimes in the past, artists were pushed to achieve things without the proper support being in place. There's a very strong movement in dance now to talk about long and sustainable careers, not just doing what is needed in the moment, but thinking how will that impact on this young person, on their body and on their view of themselves. Young Dancer has embraced that from the start.

Every stage of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer competition has been really carefully planned to reflect the growing knowledge in the dance sector which is:  you shouldn't encourage young people to be an artist without also teaching them how to follow a healthy diet; how to have a healthy training regime; how to work on self-esteem. It is no mean feat to put yourself out there in front of an audience night after night and have thousands of people judging you and your work, more so if it's going out on national television. All of those things have been really carefully considered - respect to the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ for the way that they have invested in running this, not just as a competition, but as a real learning tool and sharing that knowledge with all the young dancers who might be following the process from across the country.

We wanted the competition to be a vehicle to celebrate all the talent and hard work that's coming through in the next generation of dancers. So, we at Sadler’s Wells were absolutely open to competition. We wanted to support it, but we were also aware that as with any new idea there would be quite a lot of explaining what it was and convincing people that this was a good thing. It being the first year of the competition, I think there was a slight concern that it might be something that gave the impression that you could make a dancer in a few weeks.  Clearly you can't do that. All the young participants have spent hours and hours practising and perfecting what they're doing. The competition was about saying to the dance sector, this is a chance to talk about our work in the way we want to talk about it, and really celebrate the hard work and the talent of the young dancers. The competition has also been really good for the dance sector in that it's putting a new injection of energy and creativity - really helping the next generation push through.

There are four different dance styles in the competition: Hip Hop; South Asian Dance; Ballet and Contemporary.  The styles were chosen because there are hundreds of thousands practising across the country and each style has a very rigorous and detailed technique. In addition, each of those styles is pushing through to become very relevant to the audience of today. The categories aren't museum exhibits. Sometimes, older works are performed, but Young Dancer is about how they performers have those techniques to express something new that's relevant to everyone today, something that can really engage an audience and transmit some of the joy that comes with dancing.

At the start of the competition we asked dancers aged 16-20 to submit a video of their performance on DVD. It was such a broad range of footage: footage people had filmed in their bedroom or kitchen; material filmed in conservatoires or schools. The really fantastic thing was to see the range of young people - the range of dance and the standard of work. It was quite a challenge to choose the twelve dancers for the regional heats from all of the submissions we received.

Throughout the process we thought about what the professional life of a dancer is like because these young people will be hopefully enter the professional world within a year or two. Throughout the process the participants have had mentors who are themselves practising artists, dancers or directing companies who give them the sort of coaching and feedback that they might not otherwise receive. The participants have all left at the end of each day saying how the things they have learnt will benefit them. For me, it has been interesting to see how quickly they've developed throughout the process. 

It's always wonderful to be reminded how much talent there is out there. If you listen to some company directors you might think it is hard finding talented dancers. It's not. There are a lot of young people out there really hungry to work hard, and have the commitment it takes to put themselves into sometimes difficult situations and not take the easy route.

On an individual level, Young Dancer 2015 has reinforced for me that if you set high standards for a young person they will meet them. It's fantastic to have the opportunity to give someone a challenge and also be able to support them in rising to a level that not only surprises everyone around them, but also surprises them too. For them to turn around at the end of the process and say 'I didn't know I could do that', that's wonderful learning for everybody.

Jane Hackett is Director of Creative Learning for Sadler's Wells.

• will be broadcast live from Sadler's Wells on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Two on Saturday May 9 at 7pm.
• Watch all the performances from the category finals on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer website.
• Read a press release about the launch of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Young Dancer on th .

Today the , one of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s corporate charities, announces 32 Fellowships in Performing Arts for emerging talent from across the UK.

Where will the next generation of talent come from? Who will be the Danny Boyle, the Matthew Bourne, the Kate Tempest of the future? And what can the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund do to help them reach their potential?

Today we are delighted to announce the 32 people who have been selected to become ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund Fellows for 2015. They make up a fantastically diverse group from producers, choreographers, directors, writers, musicians, conductors, a poet and a circus performer. They come from across the UK and two thirds of them will undertake their Fellowships outside of London.

We asked arts organisations to select a Fellow through an open call in order to make the application process fair and transparent. Once the Fellow was on board, they worked with the host organisation to design a bespoke Fellowship built around their particular development needs and objectives.

For some Fellows this was about getting access to a mentor, to a building or to advice and critical feedback. For others it was about having time and space to develop a piece of work in a supportive environment. For most, there was some element of business planning involved to help them shape their career as a freelancer or set up their own company.

Following a rigorous application and interview process, the final 32 were selected on the basis of their ambition, talent and potential. Each Fellowship will take place over one year and is worth Β£10,000. The host organisations will open up their doors, giving the Fellows access to their audiences, platforms and networks. This unique scheme is an important investment in the talent and creativity of the performing arts sector.

The funding for the Fellowships comes from residual phone voting on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Entertainment shows and is not funded by the licence fee. The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund is one of the many ways the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ fosters creativity and nurtures and supports UK talent.

For more information on all the Fellows visit the

Miriam O'Keeffe is Director, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund

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• Follow on Twitter and the hashtag #32OnesToWatch
• Find out about writing opportunities on the
• Discover and

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As the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund’s year of theatre draws to a close, I am finally able to share with the world the 77 successful grant winners from across the UK. From a live performance inside the Scottish Parliament to a theatre production by housebound performers on Skype to supporting the development of writers, producers, directors, theatre-makers and even a dramaturg, the final list is exciting, diverse and truly inspiring.

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ has a long history with the theatre world. Many of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s key talent started their careers in the theatre and often they combine careers in both broadcast and the stage. Recently the hosted an event that highlighted ways in which the , engage and think about new ways of innovating and working together in the future.

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund (PAF) is passionate about supporting the next generation of theatre-makers and the way we do that is through awarding Fellowships to allow them to work with a host of theatres and theatre companies like , and .

One of the Fellowships is awarded to Alex Bulmer, a visually impaired writer looking to develop her playwriting for young audiences. Writers with disabilities are under-represented in theatre for young people and, following an online application process and an interview, Alex now is the recipient of a Β£10,000 grant from the Fund.

β€œI am delighted to be awarded the Fellowship from the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ,” Alex says. β€œI will spend the next year working with [in Shoreditch], a company with an exceptional history of creating essential new work for young people.”

Alex’s year with Theatre Centre will allow her to be supported and nurtured so that she can develop her voice to reach young audiences.

All in all we are supporting 19 theatre Fellows and 58 community theatre projects with over Β£430,000 spread right across the UK. 78% of those supported are based outside of London.

Community theatre projects who have received 2013 Fund grants range from clowning and street theatre workshops in Northumberland to puppeteer training in Devon; from a brand new Welsh-language play in Gwynedd to a musical staged on the Sefton coastline.

The incidental revenue accumulated through phone voting on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ entertainment shows like Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice is being used to award grants such as Alex’s, which will help foster the next generation of performing talent in Britain.

It’s been an amazing year. And in 2014 we hope to turn our attention to dance. For a full list of the grant winners and their projects, visit the .

is Director, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund

• Read Miriam’s blog
• And
• A press pack detailing grant winners is available on the

2013 marks the 10thΜύanniversary for the . Over the decade, Β£4million in grants have been awarded to emerging individuals and community groups involved in performing arts activity across the UK.

The shape and nature of the Fund has changed quite significantly over the years, but activities happening across this coming weekend give a fitting demonstration of the work we do. First up, on Friday 7thΜύJune, goes live for the first time this series. The Fund is the official charity for this series and a minimum of 10p per call from the public votes go to the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ PAF.

Next up for weekend excitement is , a beneficiary who will be making his conducting debut in with the on Saturday 8thΜύJune. James is currently undertaking a Music Fellowship with the Birmingham Royal Ballet; a fantastic and unique opportunity as conducting for dance is not taught at music colleges or universities. The Β£10,000 grant awarded to the Birmingham Royal Ballet to host James has given him access to mentoring and training with the .

Turning to the spotlight for 2013, a total of Β£450,000 is being made available through two schemes – Theatre Fellowships and Community Theatre. Knowing that potential beneficiaries may well be starting their applications this weekend completes the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ PAF circle perfectly!

If you’d like to find out more about the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund, our winners and our schemes, please visit the website for the eligibility criteria and FAQs.

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• Read more posts fromΜύ on the

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• Information aboutΜύ is on the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund website.Μύ

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What was the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic doing in Japan anyway? Doesn’t Japan have their own orchestras?

Well, yes, they do; and very good ones too. But touring is an integral part of orchestral life; as a herd of unlikely diplomats we perform our peculiarly feisty British take on music across the world, saying 'hello' in the one true international language. Music is an intimate connection, and we like to say hello; audiences across the world like to say it back. The system works well.

That's what the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic were up to on the 11th of March 2011, heading across Yokohama suspension bridge for the rehearsal to the evening show of , in three coaches, . Yokohama performed an enthusiastic parody of the , with us on it, and left the team of over one hundred musicians and organisers in no doubt that something profound had just happened. It had.

This is where the edit happens- we rehearsed for the concert, fearful, dazed and baffled, as the news rolled in of the disaster further North in . The concert was off, and, it slowly dawned, so was the tour, and the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's high risk unit rushed us home in one breath.

Two years passed, with a promise that we'd return and finish the job. Cue the edit … and suddenly , rehearsing the same programme, with the same conductor and soloist, for the same concert. 'Hey, we're puttin' the band back together!' The edit was seamless.

And so, with Yutaka Sado, inspiringly positive and smiliest of conductors, and Nobuyuki Tsuji, the most exquisite and beautiful of piano players, we were off, making our way across Japan, town by city; 12 concerts, 11 venues, 25 coach journeys, bullet trains at 165mph, queues at 0mph, and a total audience of thousands. There was something significant to the Japanese people about our return; we had a reason to do this tour and they understood that. The tickets for each concert sold out a year ago, in 40 minutes or less. Is it possible to feel more welcome?

Every concert began with a piece that wasn't printed in the programme, and each time Yutaka spoke to the audience about the reason for it; that we were about to say something to them, in memory of the tsunami victims. From the silence that followed his words, we began from Elgar's Enigma variations, and it wasn't so easy and straightforward as it is at the Proms. Why? Because, finally, we had a way to speak directly to the heart of the people, having experienced the unfolding disaster of 2011 and having retreated helplessly to the safety of home. The emotions felt on both sides were deep and lasting, and no-one escaped. Nimrod is noble and unsentimental, yet profound and personal, written by a friend for a friend. It was the right piece to play, and it set up the feel of the concerts; we were friends.

Japanese audiences are, as you might expect, technically the best in the world. Either they cough in the loud bits with great precision, or they are healthy beyond belief. They are perfectly quiet and focused- they don't drop programmes and their phones don't go off; they stay afterwards to applaud the stage hands as they de-rig, and they line up in the car park to wave the orchestra off in their coaches. They gasp in appreciation when the orchestra stands to take their applause, and they moisten up around the eyes at the appropriate moments in the music. Add to this the unspoken understanding of the reason for our visit, and you have no ordinary tour. The concerts were magic.

Our tour managers, Crystal Arts in Japan, ran the logistics with breathtaking efficiency. Despite the damage done by the earthquake, Japan still runs at a powerful and dynamic pace. But our hosts were not only efficient, they were generous, on one occasion unloading an entire symphony orchestra from three coaches into the bar featured in that famous fight sequence from Tarantino's Kill Bill, for a surreal experience involving seafood and Taittinger, but without the fighting.

This tour was business, with pleasure.

Every concert was a special event for us, and that's the glue that helps to keep an orchestra what it is; a unit of many different people pursuing a unified end. We don't produce anything you can use or even shake a stick at; our CDs and recordings are permanent, but what we really do is something you have to be there for. We can say 'hello' in any language you care to name, and we say it with one voice; in this visit to Japan we had something important to say, and I think we said it well. We were all touched in some way by the experience; one hardened pro observed that this tour had made him feel like a student again, and he wasn't alone. The connection between one island and another was bridged, like Yokohama and the world before the earthquake, by music, and the connection feels permanent.Μύ

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is a violinist in the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic Orchestra.

• He also documented the orchestra’s tour to Japan on .
• Listen to .
• Find out more about the including .
• The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic is also on Twitter - Μύ- and .

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund hosted a one-day workshop for its Music Fellowship winners from 2012 today, giving attendees the opportunity to hear from music and media industry experts on the subjects of marketing, publicity and brand management.

The sessions featured advice on managing a portfolio career, creating new opportunitiesΜύ and establishing and maintaining new contacts.

Nineteen β€˜fellows’ attended the workshop in Dock House at ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ North in Media City UK, taking part in discussion forums and question and answer sessions with the invited experts.

We’ll be featuring some of the β€˜fellows’ on the About the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ blog in the coming months. More information about the and the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s commitment to supporting them can be found on the .

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Jon Jacob is Editor, About The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Website and Blog.

Ever wondered how somebody becomes an opera conductor or who writes music for brass bands?Μύ

Today the that it will be supporting 19 Music Fellows across the UK to work with a range of organisations to develop their careers.Μύ Each Fellowship is worth Β£10,000.

One of the Fellowships is awarded to James Ham who will be working with as an assistant conductor. Birmingham Royal Ballet nominated James as they felt he was at the right time to receive bespoke training and support in order to develop his career.Μύ Following an online application process and an interview, the Fund decided to offer funding to support him whilst he receives this invaluable training for his future career.Μύ

The money raised through the phone voting on is being used to give these grants that will encourage and support the next generation of musicians, composers, conductors, songwriters and programmers. They will work with some of the most well respected arts and music organisations to receive mentoring, performance opportunities and commissions.

The Fellowships range from a singer working with in East London to an assistant conductor with ; from folk to pop; from Belfast to Exeter and all across the UK.

This year the Fund will turn its attention to theatre, having funded music in 2012 and dance in 2011.Μύ New community and fellowship schemes will be announced in March.Μύ For more information, please see the .

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Miriam O'Keeffe is Director, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund

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More information about winners in the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund Music Fellowship Scheme can be found on the .Μύ

Of course, the complexity then begins as the teams at the Philharmonic and Radio 2 dovetail to connect the spiderweb of detail that builds the concept into a concert.

ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic Presents… is a radio festival that places the orchestra on all the national ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ networks where we deliver the full power and emotion of the 90 orchestra musicians for the full gamut of audiences.Μύ So far we’ve collaborated with Richard Hawley, The xx, Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review (for a James Bond Special), the Guy Barker Big Band playing Miles Davis, QB for the Asian Network and, later this month, The Listening Project for Radio 4. From Bridlington to Blackpool with Bradford in between, and in Sheffield and Salford, we’ve cut a swathe across the north of England with thrilling live and unique shows.

The usual β€˜day’ job for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic comprises 75 broadcast concerts and recordings for Radio 3.Μύ The orchestra creates the broadcasts from a full schedule including its annual concert season in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall; international tours twice a year (including a return to Japan in 2013 to complete our 2011 tour that was cut short by the earthquake); concerts across the north of England, in our studio and at regular ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Proms appearances.Μύ

The eight ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic Presents… shows provide a welcome change of style for the musicians, with the expectation of plenty of flexibility, as well as new ways of working for the orchestra’s team as a whole. And meeting Pet Shop Boys to put the finishing touches on the show provided me with a delightful moment; Neil Tennant offering to make a cup of tea.Μύ

With nearly 25,000 applications for tickets there is the highest of expectations; no problems, we’ll meet it.

Richard Wigley is General Manager, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Philharmonic

was broadcast on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2 on Thursday 6 December 2012. It's now available via the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer.

More pictures of the event can be found on the .

Performers from the group Bruk Out

The host for the evening Reggie Yates who will be presenting The Voice along with Holly Willoughby, welcomed a diverse range of acts onto the iconic Radio Theatre stage. First up were , a streetdance group from South London who received a grant from the Fund under the community dance scheme. We were treated to an amazing selection of hip hop and contemporary dance despite the performers being confined to a very small stage not usually set up for street dance!

They were followed by a charity based in east London that uses the performing arts to change the lives of homeless and at risk people. The group worked with their youth theatre programme last summer to fund a music based around their shared stories and experiences, a small extract of which they shared with a rapt audience.

And then for something completely different. , a mezzo soprano from Liverpool, treated us to a couple of arias. Kathryn, who received funding to support her through her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, has just finished a tour with Opera North, playing Sesto in Guilio Cesare.

The Royal Academy of Music Musical Theatre Company

And finally the Royal Academy of Music's Musical Theatre Company finished the night off with . Many of the students have been supported through their studies by funding from the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund.

It was really difficult for me to pick four acts to reflected the spirit of what we do and we could easily have had 40 or even 400 from all our previous beneficiaries on stage. But I was so proud of everyone who volunteered and took part. And very excited to find out who will benefit this year from our music grants.

Miriam O'Keeffe is Director of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund

About the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Editor Jon Jacob spoke ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund Director Miriam O'Keeffe and Trustee Dorothy Wilson at the showcase event on Tuesday 20 March 2012 at Broadcasting House. Their thoughts and those of performers Bruk Out feature in the interview below.

• the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund blog on how the charity benefits from telephone votes in the forthcoming series of The Voice.
• The Royal Academy of Music Musical Theatre Company medley of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ signature tunes features in this .
• The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund website includes .
• Further information on future grants can be found on the .

It was great to be in Liverpool on Wednesday for an event in the fantastic setting of the Metropolitan Cathedral Crypt. The evening was presented by ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Merseyside's and he did a brilliant job of introducing performances by three very different local choirs. The musical talent really shone through and we had a good turn out, with a mix of creative and community leaders attending, as well as music fans and members of the public who had taken up ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Merseyside's offer of free tickets for listeners.

The event was about showcasing the choral singing talent in Liverpool and celebrating the local winners of grants. All three choirs that performed have received grants from the Fund. It's one of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's corporate charities and sits in my department, ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Outreach.

The performed traditional choral music, while treated us to such numbers as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and the third choir, , gave a performance that was anything but traditional, with a medley of Madonna's hits finishing the concert - it was terrific to see such innovation and learn more about the ways the funding has directly benefited the choirs that performed.

The choirs also sang on-air earlier in the week to promote the event - and they also created jingles with ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Merseyside's radio presenters.

The event was a great opportunity to meet some of the people who led Liverpool through its City of Culture triumphs and who continue to work to support the thriving creative industry there. It was also a good chance to offer something different to ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Merseyside listeners. We not only held an evening event, but also offered a free drop-in singing workshop at ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Merseyside's performance space during the afternoon.

It was impressive to see what the participants achieved in such a short space of time - they even did a live performance on the radio programme, singing an African chant that they had learned and harmonised in just two hours! I chatted to a couple of participants who told me they are now determined to form their own choir - so you never know it could be the start of something more. The idea of a ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Merseyside choir was even raised - and the local staff seemed keen too.

Next stop for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund is Bristol where there will be more live events and a flash mob choir! Get involved by emailing sara.khan@bbc.co.uk

Alec McGivan is Head of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Outreach

Editor's Notes:
The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund helps aspiring music-makers and performers looking for a way to get ahead across a range of musical genres, including urban music, musical theatre, classical and choral music.

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Performing Arts Fund is a registered charity, number 1101276. The charity (formerly Fame Academy Bursary Trust) was set up in 2003 within the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.

The Fund receives revenue from the voting lines of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ One entertainment programmes that seek to find new performing talent (including Fame Academy, How Do you Solve a Problem Like Maria? and I'd Do Anything).

To date the fund has allocated Β£3m to fund musicians to help them pursue their careers in music. Last year, they awarded over Β£208,000 to 98 choirs around the UK through their Choral Ambition scheme.
For more details about that, .

There's been a real buzz in the office over the last few weeks as the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife Fund has been preparing for it's second appeal. The is the youngest of the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ's four corporate charities - the others being , and the . It's aim is to raise awareness and funds to help threatened wildlife and places and that's been addressed in a variety of ways since setting up just a few years ago.

Our nature documentaries often inspire people to ask us what they can do to help and we launched the Wildlife Fund in 2007 in response to public interest. We have been able to build on the awareness created by our programmes to get audiences involved and raise money to help animals and places.

During May and June we've been out and about encouraging people to 'Go Wild for Wildlife' at , which are fun, family events where everyone can get involved with wildlife-themed activities.

ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ staff have also been encouraged to get involved and we're delighted that they've responded enthusiastically. Over 100 staff volunteered to help out at the fundraising events and many others are helping out in other ways - from wearing their wildlife prints to work to taking part in team sponsored activities.

Watch the film above to hear Amy Coyte, Director of the Fund, talking more about their work.

As part of the appeal, the Fund has also given fundraising packs and other goodies to people who want to raise money with a 'wild' theme in their own time, with friends and family and in their own communities.

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Wildlife Fund's first appeal, which featured the Saving Planet Earth series ended with a live broadcast event which raised £1.8 million thanks to fantastic public support. The Fund has since to independent charities working across the UK and abroad. Examples include funding for a project that created '' to prevent conflict between the animals and farmers in Namibia, and a project to restore the food supply of the in Suffolk, which is apparently a very fussy eater!

The Fund is already making a clear difference, although there is of course a lot more to be done. Good news then that the team is back with another appeal this year, to coincide with the .

I'll be at the recording of the live Wild Night In TV programme at London Zoo, which will be the climax of the appeal. It's airing from 8pm on Sunday 20th June on ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ TWO. The programme will feature some familiar faces from , as well as contributions from Sir David Attenborough among others. It should be an entertaining evening (and doesn't clash with an England match!) so do tune in if you can and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

is Head of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Outreach