London Marathon raised record £61.5m this year

This was the eleventh year in a row that the race has broken the world record for the most money raised by an annual single-day fundraising event

A record £61.5m was raised for charity at this year’s London Marathon, it has been announced.

Organisers said the new high, which was £2.1m higher than the total raised in 2016, meant the event had broken the world record for the most money raised by an annual single-day fundraising event for the eleventh successive year.

The total raised through the race is calculated by taking figures from charities that have places at the event, fundraising platforms and information from the runners themselves in a bid to reach a comprehensive figure.

A record high of 39,487 people finished this year’s race, which took place on 23 April.

Virgin Money Giving said after the race that it would add 10 per cent to all donations made on its website on 23 and 24 April after people experienced problems with its website during the event.

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The Teenage Cancer Trust was named in April as the charity partner for next year’s London Marathon, with a fundraising target of £1.5m.

The mental health initiative Heads Together, which is backed by charities including Mind, YoungMinds and Calm – The Campaign Against Living Miserably, was the official partner of this year’s race.

Next year’s marathon will take place on 22 April. A record high of 386,050 people applied for a place through the public ballot.

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BBC Children in Need 2016 raised a record £60m

The 2016 BBC Children in Need appeal raised a record £60m, the charity announced today.

The sum beats the previous record of £56.9m, which was raised by the 2015 appeal.

BBC Children in Need has enjoyed almost non-stop growth this century. The 2000 appeal generated £20m; by 2010 the amount had climbed to £37m. Since then the sum has gone up every year except two, despite austerity.

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The 2016 appeal, in which £46.6m was raised on the night, also a record, included the introduction of a £20 text-to-donate code, as well as new content provided through VR viewers.

The charity currently supports more than 2,400 projects.

Simon Antrobus, chief executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “The impact this incredible amount of money will have on some of the most disadvantaged children and young people is hard to put into words.”

Highlights of the 2016 campaign included fundraising efforts spearheaded by Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2, The One Show’s Rickshaw Challenge on BBC One and a concert in honour of Sir Terry Wogan, the former long-term presenter of the appeal who died in early 2016.

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