Cash 4 Calendars

Today, we bring you the "Cash 4 Calendars" campaign!

Speak Up Sunderland host Betty Ball teamed up with Kate Townsend, the Sunderland Foodbank Coordinator, to raise £500 - enough to buy an advent calendar for every kid in Sunderland who depends on the food banks, and would otherwise miss out on the countdown to Christmas.

But they smashed the target! At the moment, the total stands at over £1,600, including over 500 advent calendars, for children in Sunderland.

As Betty's a Breakfast presenter on Spark in Sunderland, she called on the help of many of the community radio stations' volunteers - including the Sunderland-based 14-year old singer / songwriter Tom 'Mouse' Smith, who presents Spark's Local Music Show, and performed live at independent to raise money - and Drive Time presenter Jonny Beattie, who had his chest and armpits waxed to raise money! Youch!

A great big thank you from Betty to the local & national businesses & partners who helped raise money for the Cash 4 Calendars campaign. Alan Patchett, Asiana Fusion Restaurant, Independent, Laura Hartland Adams, Lofthouse & Partners, Marks & Spencer, Martin & Co. Sunderland, Nanny G's Cafe, Pop Recs, Richard Reed Solicitors, the Sunderland Bid, ramarketing, Tequila Tequila, The Church Door, Tombola, T.U.S. Hair Design, the University of Sunderland, and Wilko.

Click here if you want to get involved in helping the Sunderland Foodbank.

Follow our journey on Twitter - @SpeakUpSun or join us on Facebook!

This episode of Speak Up Sunderland features music by Tom 'Mouse' Smith, and our theme tune is by Timecrawler 82.

Produced by Jay Sykes.