Children and staff from our Launch Pad Breakfast Club will be featured on the BBC Children In Need fundraising event alongside TV & Radio presenter Zoe Ball tomorrow night (Friday 18th November).

Launch Pad is a FREE Breakfast Club run by Arun Community Church for up to 30 children each day and has been partially funded by BBC Children In Need since September 2010. The club accepts children on a referral basis for a healthy nutritious breakfast that includes cereals, toast, yoghurts and fresh fruit, plus opportunities for games or craft sessions before cleaning their teeth and joining the Walking Bus to school. Launch Pad was one of only a few projects selected to be filmed for this years’ event and a short segment about the club will be aired at some point during the live show.

To make the feature, a team of researchers, producers and camera crew from the BBC came to visit Launch Pad along with presenter Zoe Ball who spent time chatting with the children over breakfast. Speaking during her visit, Zoe said: “These are simply fantastic children and it’s great that they have somewhere that gives them such a positive start to their day.”

The children also found the filming a positive experience and really enjoyed hosting a celebrity for the morning. In a thank you letter to Zoe Ball, one of the children wrote: “Thank you for coming here yesterday, I had a super time. I miss you already and hope you can come back again.”

I have not yet seen the finished film so have no idea how it’s come out. They interviewed the staff team, children and a few parents about the difference that the club makes to their lives. I got in front of the camera and attempted to answer some of the questions that Zoe asked about the club, so I might make a fool of myself on national TV! Sadly I won’t be around to see it.

Tomorrow is also Youthwork The Conference down in Eastbourne and I’m hosting an After Hours session with Ali Campbell on “Perspectives on Youthwork: The Triangle of expectation” (if you’re around, come support us)! I don’t know what time the film is being shown (although a couple of my team will be in the live studio audience), but if you see my ugly mug pop onto your screen, tweet me and let me know!