Massive pledge in name of good will -
Rutland man donates £52,000 to Children in Need to bag Will Young for private
concert
Pop star Will Young will perform a private concert for a Rutland family after
they made the biggest ever single bid during a Children in Need auction this
week.
Nick Robinson was listening to the live auction for Children in Need on BBC
Radio 2 on Tuesday morning and impulsively bid £52,000 to have Will Young sing
in his family home near Uppingham.
"I was in a traffic jam and the auction was on the radio," he said.
"I probably wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been stuck in the pouring
rain."
Despite the huge pledge Nick is not a die hard fan of the Pop Idol winner but
does think he 'has a great voice". His wife Lesley and the couple's son
and daughter, who are both aged under ten, all like Will and are understandably
excited about his impending visit: "I thought about it more as money to a
good cause than for Will Young," Nick insisted.
"The children think it's great. They're over the moon that we won and that
the money has gone to help other children. They always make a donation to
Children in Need themselves."
Nick joined the bidding at £6,000 and was on the line for about 20 minutes.
When the bids reached £36,000 he tried to deliver a knockout blow with £50,000
but it wasn't enough.
Eventually the deal was sealed at an astounding £52,000, almost double the
amount raised by listeners vying for Robbie Williams' car.
"I did it because I am a big supporter of children's causes," says
Nick (43), who moved to Rutland from London seven years ago. "I strongly
believe that their future is important and there are a lot of children who are
unhappy and need help."
Nick's business, Phoenix IT Group, employs 800 people in Northampton: "At
Phoenix we support the NSPCC. Employees make donations every month and the
company always matches any amount they give," he said.
The Wake Up To Wogan Auction that Nick took part in has been running all this
week as well as an online auction run by BBC Radio 2. Last year listeners to
the Terry Wogan programme raised £188,000. Thanks partly to Nick's generous
donation, the total looks set to rise this year, with more than £80,000 having
been raised on Tuesday alone.
A date is yet to be set for the intimate concert but it will take place some
time next year. Now all the Robinson family has to do is select which 30 of
their friends and family to invite.
Children in Need fundraising events will be broadcast live from around the
country by the BBC tonight (Friday) but Nick Robinson won't be making an
appearance: "I'm a bit publicity shy," the modest businessman
remarked.