Blue Peter Appeals

Honey the Guide Dog with Chris and Val

The first Blue Peter Appeal was in 1962 when the presenters asked children to donate toys for children otherwise get Christmas presents. Viewers were encouraged to aim for a total of ten sacks of toys but far surpassed this by donating literally hundreds of sacks.

The toy appeal was repeated in 1963, though in 1964 the appeal was for reclycleable silver paper and foil. Once again the Blue Peter audience went way over the target of three tons by donating 7.5 tons, enought to train two guide dogs, Honey and Cindy, with money over to maintain a brood bitch named Hannah.

The appeals of the 1960s and 1970s:

1962  Toys for children

1963  Toys for children

1964  Silver paper and foil for two Guide dogs

1965  Wool for a tractor for Africa

1966  Paperback books for four inshore lifeboats

1967  Used stamps for four houses converted to flats for eight homeless families

1968  Wool and cotton for three hospital trucks, six emergency doctor's cars and various other equipment and drugs to aid children in the Nigerian / Biafran civil war

1969  Scrap metal from old toy cars for four buses and other equipment for old people in the UK

1970  Spoons and forks for three eight berth caravans for holidays for poor children and an accessible log cabin for disabled children

1971  Woollen socks and cotton pillow cases for two dormitories for the Starehe Boys' Centre in Kenya

1972  Old watch straps, key-rings, thimbles and metal buttons for two old people's centres at Deptford and Wolverhampton 8 hot dinner vans and 100 holidays

1973  Used postage stamps for 400 oxen, 200 ploughs, 12 tons of seed and various farming equipment in the Danakil Desert

1974  Buttons, buckles and badges for 11 guide dogs, a new kennel block and various extensions at Guide dog training centres around the UK

1975  Old wool and cotton for 21 ponies, equipment for 300 indoor riding centres and 1 new indoor riding centre at Tyne and Wear

1976  Old stamps and postcards for medical accomodation, food, drugs and equipment for babies and children injured and made homeless by the civil war in Lebanon

1977  Old keys and toy cars for four Key-Note vans - mobile classrooms for deaf children living in remote country areas. Plus specialist equipment for deaf children in other areas of the UK.

1978  Postage stamps and pre-decimal coins for 1,000 Medi-Bikes and other medical aid for
health workers in Tanzania

1979  The Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale for 57 eight-ton lorries, fuel, rice, fetiliser, vaccine and other equipment for starving babies, children and adult survivors of Pol Pot's regime in Cambodia

1980  The Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale Appeal for the Disabled for six bungalows and other residences and services for disabled babies, children and adults.

1981  Postage stamps and pre-decimal and foriegn coins for Operation Pipeline which provided 150 Javanese villages with pre water systems and health care services.

1982  Treasure Hunt for Children and Babies suffering from kidney failure. Eight million parcels of treasure helped to equip a ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as providing equipment for 20 other hospitals.

1983  A Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale raised £1,610,000 to provide aid for 21 of the world's poorest countries.

1984  Double LifeSaver Appeal - stamps, buttons and postcards helped to replace all four of the Blue Peter lifeboatsas well as buying water tanks and pumps for Ethiopea.

1985  Lend An Ear Appeal - Radio hearing aid equipment for children and babies through the donation of keys, coins and scrap metal. 

1986  Sight Saver Appeal - mobile eye units for Mozambique, Nigeria , Malawi and Tanzania bought through the Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale.

1987  The Rags Appeal collected 2,300 tonnes of rages which purchase 11 ponies for the Riding for the Disabled Association.

1988  The Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale for Kampuchea paid for vital repairs to water systems and the building of new wells and pumps.  

1989  The Babylife Appeal - Collected over 40 million cans to buy vital equipment for 65 baby-care units around the UK.   

Watch this space for the full list of appeals covering every decade of Blue Peter.

See a history of the Blue Peter Appeals in photographs at The Guardian