³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ WM's breakfast presenter Phil Upton will be riding his bike through Birmingham and the Black Country this Friday, 20 November, in aid of this year's ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Children in Need appeal

Phil, who is a keen cyclist, jumped at the opportunity to don his cycling shorts this year to lend a hand to Pudsey.

Phil will be making his way from The Mailbox to Millennium Point, where he joins ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Asian Network presenters Adil Ray, Tommy Sandhu and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ WM presenter Joanne Malin to take part in Birmingham's Bollywood Party.

During the bike ride he will visit local projects which have benefited from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Children in Need funding, along with organisations which are raising cash on the day.

One of the local projects that Phil will visit is St Basil's Nursery, Edmonds Court Foyer, in Birmingham, who received a grant for children of young mums who are either in education or training.

It enables them to attend college without worrying about how well their children are being looked after.

In addition, Phil will also visit pupils at Tividale Hall Primary School, Oldbury, who are helping school site manager Paul Green by running/walking a full marathon around the school playground to raise funds with each class joining him for half a mile!

Hammering his way to Aston, Phil will meet City United, one of the beneficiaries of Children in Need. City United are a local football league involved in anti-gang work with disadvantaged children and mentoring young people by helping them get into education and training.

Phil says: "I'm really looking forward to taking to the road again. Amazingly, it'll be the first time I've done it for Children In Need – the previous rides were for our Kidney Kids Appeal.

"This time I'll be going to parts of the West Midlands I've never cycled through before, visiting the projects that Children in Need has benefitted and those people raising money for this year's appeal."

He adds: "The last couple of hours of the day will be in the dark during Friday rush hour, which will only add to the drama, plus we're trying to get back to Birmingham to arrive live on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Midlands Today, so the clock will be running and the tension high – but I'm confident we'll make it thanks to the generosity of our audiences and the people of the West Midlands!"

Phil will also visit Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green, where all nurses and doctors are dressing up as pirates for the day, as well as stopping off at Brierley Hill for the Christmas light switch-on, with Peppa Pig, before finishing off at Millennium Point.

Last year, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Children in Need raised a record-breaking £37.8m, with £1,224,697 awarded to projects in the West Midlands.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ WM broadcasts on 95.6 FM, DAB digital radio and online via the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer.

Notes to Editors

Phil's Children in Need cycling itinerary:

9.45am: St Basil's Nursery, Heath Mill Lane
10.15am: Virgin Media, Cablephone House
10.45am: Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East
11.25am: City United, Aston
12.00pm: Hampstead Hall School, Handsworth Wood
2.15pm: Bushbury Nursery School, Wolverhampton
3.00pm: WINGS, Gravelly Hill
3.30pm: Tividale Hall Primary School, Oldbury
4.30pm: Brierley Hill, Moor Shopping Centre
6.00pm: Millennium Point, Bollywood Party

BG