13/11/2012 Newsround

First, it is Children in Need on Friday, and many of you will be

getting ready to help raise money for the big event. But today

charities have revealed there has been a huge fall in donations

across the UK in the last year. The UK has been suffering from big-

money problems, so people have less cash to give. Charities say it is

worrying and are launching a campaign to encourage people to

Last year Children in Need raised more than �26 million on the night,

but since June 2011 and the charities in the UK have not been

doing so well. According to a new report, donations have fallen by

20%, a loss of around �1.7 billion. It is the smaller charities that

have been hit the hardest, and they rely on the money to do important

work. I have come to a charity in Manchester, a mentoring charity

with hundreds of volunteers, looking after underprivileged kids.

At the moment we have 500 mentors every week going out to schools in

disadvantaged areas. We will have to have fewer mentors because it is

very expensive. Driving then there is a logistical nightmare and it is

expensive, but we have to do it. The study found that not only are

fewer people giving money but the amount they get a smaller, too. On

average, people are donating �1 less per month compared to the

before. It all adds up. The group behind the report has launched a

campaign to help charities survive the tough times. They want to

encourage the public, businesses and the government to give more to

places like this charity. Do you think these new campaigns to

support two more will make a difference to your charity?

Undoubtedly, because it is like the Olympics, it creates well beyond

what it was intended to create. It makes people aware they can do

something. It might be small, but if millions of people do that, at

the impact is bigger. A lot of people are having money problems,

and it is the smaller charities that are feeling the pinch. They

hope that things will start to improve.

And while we're talking about raising money, anyone out there in

their PJs already? I wish I was! Our Joe had a bit of a shock over

on the CBBC Channel this morning. Halfway through a live Newsround

Sorry to interrupt! You know that this is live? We are bringing you

the news. Why are you wearing pyjamas? We are here to tell you

about our appeal, we are asking everybody to get into their pyjamas

and do things for Children in Need, organised a sponsored walk, a

sponsored silence. We have got the ball was riding in their pyjamas.

We have seen where the money goes and how it helps. We thought we

would bring this along for you. What is this about a world record?

Yes, we did a world record attempt, 300 children in a line, that was

his own! So we can help by wearing pyjamas?

That is quite fetching! If you want to get involved, go to the Blue

Peter and Children in Need websites for sponsorship forms and tell them

how you're going to go Pajama crazy. Next, it was supposed to be top-

secret information, but a Royal Navy submariner has admitted

collecting highly confidential codewords and passwords that, if he

had passed them on, could have been useful to an enemy of the UK. Petty

Officer Edward Devenney breached the Official Secrets Act, which is

part of the law that protects top- secret security of the country. He

Next up, it sounds like the plot of an adventure movie. It has come out

that a thief has managed to break in and steal a set of keys to the

Tower of London. The burglary happened early in the morning with

the thief stealing keys to the tower restaurant and a drawbridge.

But he was stopped before he got close to the inside of the palace.

This place is supposed to be so safe that the Queen keeps the crown

jewels there, but bosses say the locks have now been changed.

Millions of people around the world are preparing for the Bali, the

festival of light. It lasts for five days, and you can expects lots

of lights, fireworks and plenty of sweets. It is a time to spring-

clean your home, where new clothes and decorate buildings with fancy

lights. Everyone loves it. I never knew it was this big, how many

events. We heard about it back in the States, but we never dreamed it

would be this big and beautiful. You guys have been on to the

website to tell us how you are We will be looking out for a lot of

fireworks tonight! If you want to find out more about Diwali, there's

a special guide up on the Newsround website with everything you need to

know. My friend is going to the festival, and his mother has made

80 dishes, just for the family to eat!

Now to a very lucky little fella. This koala bear has been rescued

from a major bushfire in South Australia. About 100 firefighters

have been battling the blaze which has destroyed some homes and land.

It is not clear how it started. The injured koala was found in a burnt

tree by a local resident, who gave it some water before it was taken

Now, check out these two Rihanna # We found love in a hopeless

place... Harrison and Robert from County

Kildare recorded their version of We Found Love while they were out

playing. The video was uploaded to the web and has since been watched

by more than one million people. I loved it, how awesome was his

voice! He is going to be on the X factor soon.

Just before we go, you might think you had a rubbish day at school,

but head to the Newsround website to read about the schoolkids in

Australia who had to jump out the window when a deadly snake

I guess your day was not that bad after all! A snake in the

classroom! And we have got some news from one direction, make sure