Mrs Pudsey Bear raises £4,000

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Mrs Pudsey Bear raises £4,000 7

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 25 Nov 2008

A British woman has raised £4,000 for Children in Need by auctioning the right to choose the name she will adopt for a year and agreeing to become Pudsey Bear.

The auction to choose a new moniker for 37-year-old Eileen De Bont took place last week on eBay, with the winning bid lodged by the UK Deed Poll Service on Thursday.

Pudsey Bear was just one of 50 weird and wonderful names from which the successful bidder could choose. Other names included Scunthorpe Travelodge, Marge Simpson and Pat Butcher.

De Bont, from Denbighshire, will take on her official new name for a year. She said: "I'm going to have my passport and credit cards changed to Pudsey Bear which will be a bit of hassle - but it's all worth it for charity.

"I'm going to take it very seriously. If I check into a hotel or book a table at a restaurant, I'll tell them my name is Pudsey Bear."

She added: "I'm going to get my friends to call me Mrs Bear or maybe Puds."

The majority of the winning £5,000 bid will go to the children's charity, though Eileen will keep £1,000 to give her own children a dream Christmas.

Children in Need raised a record-breaking £21m this year.

Who's Who: Celina Ribeiro

Place a comment

Gerry
24 Mar 2011

What a cuddly name. I should have known that there was a kind person just like you. There s a great happiness in giving that in receiving.

[Reply]

Change Name By Deed Poll
8 Feb 2011

It is important to help the children in order for them to become useful and productive individuals. I have to say that you have a big heart for taking care of these kids. I adore people with a kind heart. Continue to inspire us.

[Reply]

Tania Mason
Group editor
Professional Fundraising
22 Dec 2008

Hi Sam - we checked this out and it turned out that the UK Deed Poll Service did cough up in the end.

[Reply]

Sam
Fundraiser
NSPCC
9 Dec 2008

Jamie Jackson, chief executive of name-change firm The Legal Deed Service, is set to save Pudsey this Christmas after their rival firm The UK Deed Poll Service refused to cough up the Â£4,000 promised to a mum-of-two. For more visit www.prlog.org/10152790-the-legal-deed-service-save-pudsey-this-christmas.html.

[Reply]

Karen Closkey
CEO, UFO, MOO, OOO
Crazy Crap on eBay
22 Nov 2008

What a unique way to raise money for a good cause. I write about funny eBay auctions on my website www.crazycraponebay.blogspot.com.
Another seller is selling the chance to conduct a chorus and another seller sold a Sarah Palin Cabbage Patch Doll for good causes as well. I have also seen walk-on roles for plays sold for charity.

[Reply]

Mike Barratt
CEO
UK Deed Poll Service
20 Nov 2008

Charles,

We usually donated Â£2,000 each year to Children In Need. Because of what Ms De Bont was doing (wanting to give her children a good Christmas - she's a single mum of two), we increased our donation to Children In Need to Â£4,000. I don't see why Ms De Bont should be ashamed of herself when she raised an extra Â£2,000 from us for Children In Need. How much did you donate or raise for this worthy cause?

[Reply]

Charles Ince
19 Nov 2008

What a disgrace. Fancy a volunteer keeping 20 per cent of the money raised in the name of charity. She should be ashamed of herself.

[Reply]

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