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C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Blue Peter announced today, 21 October 2009, that it is to partner global children's charity Operation Smile for this year's Blue Peter Appeal.

The "Send A Smile" campaign aims to help provide life-changing operations for hundreds of children with cleft lips and palates in India.

Blue Peter aims to raise the necessary money by using its famous "Here's One I Made Earlier" approach to ask UK children to turn unwanted t-shirts into simple surgical gowns. These gowns are worn by the children undergoing cleft lip and palette operations, and normally cost around £3 to make.

For every gown made, the charity will be able to put £3 towards the cost of another cleft operation. For every 50 gowns made, another child will be able to have this life-changing surgery (each operation costs around £150).

In time-honoured tradition, Blue Peter has set a target for the appeal: to collect 20,000 gowns within six weeks. If the target is reached, it will pay for an entire two-week-long medical project in Guwahati, Northeast India, in December, treating hundreds of children.

Celebrities supporting the appeal so far include The Saturdays, Jonathan Ross, Bruce Forsyth, Alesha Dixon, JLS, Peter Andre, Philip Schofield & Holly Willougby from This Morning and Bill Turnbull & Sian Williams from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Breakfast.

The celebrities have recorded messages of support and many have designed their own t-shirts to be turned into gowns (photos available on request).

In a report to be shown on Blue Peter, on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One at 4.35pm on 21 October, presenter Helen Skelton meets Indian children who went through the life-changing surgery, thanks to a previous Operation Smile project.

The programme will also show the simple five-minute procedure needed to turn a cotton t-shirt into a gown, which involves cutting it up the back and tying ribbons or strings to make fastenings. Viewers will be encouraged to customise and personalise their t-shirts to brighten up the experience for the child undergoing the operation.

Tim Levell, Editor of Blue Peter, said: "Blue Peter has never before had an appeal which turns our famous 'makes' into money. We're showing children how to turn a worthless, unwanted t-shirt into something that will help change another child's life. We believe this appeal will capture the hearts – and hands – of the UK's children and we are confident our army of viewers will be able to rise to the challenge!"

All 23,000 primary schools in the UK have now been contacted by Operation Smile with an education pack designed to engage schools in the appeal. The pack shows how to make the gown out of a cotton t-shirt, and also shows teachers how they can incorporate the Blue Peter appeal into the curriculum.

Children who have made their gowns will be able to drop them off at any Currys, Currys Digital or PC World stores. Alternatively, gowns can also be dropped off at local libraries and local ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ radio stations.

The Blue Peter Appeals started in 1962 when children were asked for toys for children who would otherwise have had no Christmas presents.

It's estimated that, across the 46 appeals, children have raised the equivalent of over £100m in today's money. The 14 Bring and Buy Sales have raised the equivalent of an estimated £57m. Other items collected by the appeal include over 948,025,000 stamps, 19 million aluminium cans, 800 tons of wool and over 1,450,000 pairs of shoes, including David Beckham’s boots.

Between 1962 and 2008 the appeals have raised money to buy, amongst others, the following: two guide dogs, 25 life boats, eight flats for the homeless, 32 ponies, 57 lorries, three caravans, two day centres, six bungalows, 12 houses in Romania, 8,350 lavatories and three schools.

TD