Published: 18/06/2026
Children at Busy Bees Leamington Spa celebrated raising more than £1,600 for BBC Children in Need this week with a surprise visit from Pudsey Bear, recognising weeks of fundraising inspired by the nursery's passion for reading.
The special visit marked the culmination of weeks of fundraising, storytelling and community spirit, with children, families and staff coming together to raise funds for the charity which will support young children across the UK.
The children were full of smiles as Pudsey joined the children for the day, helping to not only celebrate the money raised but the nursery’s commitment to inspire a love of reading.
The fundraising campaign forms part of Busy Bees’ nationwide ‘Get the Reading Buzz’ pledge, which aims to share more than 45 million books with children across its nurseries this year*. By combining a passion for reading with fundraising for BBC Children in Need, Busy Bees Leamington Spa has helped children discover the joy of books while making a meaningful difference to young lives across the UK.
The nursery’s efforts come at a critical moment when children’s love of reading has fallen to an all-time low in 20 years. In response to this decline, the nursery is supporting the initiative to reclaim storytime as a joyful experience that fosters a love of reading from the very beginning.
Recent figures show that just one in three children enjoy reading in their free time, and fewer than one in five read daily.** Determined to help reverse the trend, children at the nursery have been taking part in a Sponsored Bookathon throughout May, reading as many books as possible and tracking their progress through a colourful caterpillar in the nursery.
Over 150 families have embraced the challenge too, with parents and grandparents joining story sessions and sharing books. The children have also created special painted caterpillar canvases for their families, with 100 canvases sold and all proceeds donated to BBC Children in Need.
Ellicia Spall, Centre Director at Busy Bees Leamington Spa, said: “We are incredibly proud of our children, families and team who have come together to support such a worthy cause! Reading truly brings people together - it opens up a world of curiosity and imagination and it was wonderful to combine our passion for storytelling with fundraising that will make a difference to young lives across the UK.
“The excitement on the children’s faces when Pudsey arrived was unforgettable. It was truly a special moment that brought their hard work to life. We are so grateful for all of the incredible support we have received and we couldn’t have done this without the support of our community.”
A parent whose daughter attends the nursery, added: “It was wonderful to see the nursery engage in such great activities as part of their fundraising efforts. My daughter had the best time participating in the activities, especially the visit from Pudsey! We are so grateful for the efforts of Busy Bees in promoting such important events and making it so engaging for the children!”
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* Based on over 37,000 Busy Bees children reading four books a day from March to December, and inviting families to join the collective mission during weekends.
** https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/children-and-young-peoples-reading-in-2025/