Animation causes a buzz just days after launch

Wow…!

We’re thrilled that our special animated video voiced by local children is causing a buzz on social media with more than 1,000 views less than a week after it launched. 

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing and helping to raise awareness of our Bee There Advent appeal.  We couldn’t do what we do without your support and we’re hugely grateful!

If you haven’t seen it yet, you can scroll to the bottom of this page to watch it now!

And, if you’re able, please do consider making a donation to support the appeal.

The animation highlights the fact that everyone deserves a chance at fulfilling their dreams and encourages people to pledge to make a small change this Christmas to make a difference to the lives of others.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to have a huge impact on the lives of people we work alongside in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, we’re hoping that the appeal will encourage vital support of those who will be experiencing acute crisis this Christmas. 

The campaign was developed in partnership with Manchester’s Doodledo, who created the animation. 

Patrick O’Dowd, our director, said: “We launched the campaign last week and we were hoping it would connect with people but we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback and the number of people that have engaged with it already. It’s amazing. 

“There’s such a lot of bad news in the world at the moment and we wanted to shine a light on the fact that, when things can feel a bit overwhelming it can be hard to see how as an individual we can make a difference.” 

The animation features a cast of young bee characters talking about their dreams and wishes, and what they would do if they encountered someone who didn’t have access to the things many of us take for granted. The children were given free rein to answer the questions and many of their answers proved extremely thought-provoking.  

Patrick added, “As the children in our short animation say, it’s not that hard really.  If everyone makes one small change, whether that’s making a donation, pledging to do something nice for someone else, or taking positive action to try and change something in their community it can make a huge difference.   

“There are so many hardworking people we work alongside locally who are literally unable to feed their children three meals a day. If basic human dignities like that aren’t available to people, they can lose sight of their bigger dreams and wishes too.  We want to move towards a world where people are able to dream again – and we’re hoping this campaign will shine a light on that this Christmas and beyond.  

“By helping with even a small donation and pledging to #BeeThere this Christmas, you can enable us to provide vital support at a time people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire need it most.    

“It’s our hope that they can not only transform their lives with dignity, but that they’re also able to look ahead. Ahead to a future where they can also dream about the life they want for themselves and those closest to them too. Big dreams really do come from small change.”