Welsh BBC presenter shares first look at Children In Need project

Amelia Jones

A Welsh BBC presenter has given fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a special Wales-wide road trip she’s been filming for BBC Children in Need, visiting projects making a real difference to the lives of young people.

Sharing the news on social media, Sian Eleri revealed she had spent the summer travelling across Wales with the BBC Children in Need crew, meeting young people and discovering how donations are helping to fund vital community projects.

She wrote: “Surprise! Been filming with the BBC Children in Need crew over the summer, road tripping across Wales and making the incredible projects that make such a difference to people’s lives, all thanks to your donations.

“Whether it’s surfing in the Mumbles, drama classes in Mold or rap collectives in Cardiff, it’s been such a genuine pleasure seeing the real-life impact on the ground. And meeting Pudsey, who’s actually massive and good at DJing.”

In the programme, Eleri is sent on an almighty adventure by Pudsey Bear, with a mission to find six Children in Need-funded projects across Wales that support the development and wellbeing of young people.

But there is a catch. At each stop, she must solve one of Pudsey’s riddles before she can discover her next destination. Along the way, BBC Morning Live presenter Gethin Jones and BBC Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show host Owain Wyn Evans also get involved, setting Sian some additional challenges.

Her journey begins at Tal Y Sarn Farm on Anglesey, where she discovers how funded gymnastics sessions have helped 18-year-old Abby overcome anxiety and an eating disorder.

She then heads to Theatr Clwyd in Mold, meeting Eleanor, who has global developmental delay and autism. The theatre’s Fuse sessions provide her with a creative outlet and a safe space to make friends and build confidence.

Next, Eleri visits ASD Rainbows in Mountain Ash, where funding supports an after-school club for neurodivergent children, including seven-year-old Olly.

In Cardiff Bay, she discovers the work of Silkfutures, where funded rap music sessions are helping young people develop self-confidence and express themselves freely.

Swansea trip

Her Welsh road trip continues to Swansea, where she meets eight-year-old Tom at Talking Hands, a charity teaching British Sign Language and supporting deaf youngsters across Wales.

The final stop takes Sian to Surfability at Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula. The project gives children with additional needs and their siblings the opportunity to enjoy surfing together. There, she meets twin brothers Jakey and Ethan and sees how Jakey, who has Down’s syndrome and is non-verbal, takes to the surfboard.

Alongside meeting the inspiring people behind the projects, Sian also gets stuck into some activities of her own, taking on pottery, mountain biking, surfing and open-air swimming as her resilience is put to the test.

The adventure eventually comes to an end when she is reunited with Pudsey, who has a surprise wrap party waiting for her to celebrate the end of their Wales-wide journey.

The programme shines a light on the incredible work being carried out by community organisations across Wales and the difference donations to BBC Children in Need can make to young people’s lives.

You watch it tomorrow night (November 12) on BBC One or  on BBC iPlayer here.