IT was back in 1980 that the first BBC Children in Need telethon was broadcast.

Comprising of a series of short segments linking the evening’s programming devoted to raising money for charities working with children in the United Kingdom, the new format, presented by Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley and Esther Rantzen, saw a dramatic increase in public donations with an impressive £1 million was raised in the first show.

The fundraising event quickly caught on with the general public with all manner of crazy challenges taking place every November with the famous Pudsey Bear character introduced as the appeal's mascot in 1985.

Judging by the many photographs in our archive, Bolton has always enthusiastically taken to the task of raising as much money as possible down the years.

Our first photo is from 1988 and shows a team of probation officers and the people in their care towing a 20 ton, 62ft narrow boat along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Pictured making their way through Adlington, the BBC even came down to film the effort and footage was shown during that year's telethon.

The following year, we featured Neil Pilkington, instructor at the Gymnasia in Westhoughton, who had decided at the last minute to stage a sponsored sauna at the gym for Children In Need. The difference was Neil had decided to do this while dressed as a dog. Apparently when our picture was taken, he had just about energy to smile for our photographer.

Sir Terry Wogan, who died in 2016, was the ubiquitous presenter of Children In Need and is pictured here ahead of the 1995 broadcast with fellow TV celebrities Gaby Roslin and Sue Cook along with Pudsey the Bear.

In 1989 we were there to capture managers at Bolton Post Office in Deansgate who had volunteered to go in the stocks for Children In Need. Their staff had their chance to get their own back with wet sponges and custard pies at 50p a throw!

One of the region's most consistent fundraising groups has been the St Paul's Charity Group of Adlington and in 1988 we captured them pushing a specially constructed 10ft diameter fibre-glass ball for a 21 mile push and pull down the A6 from St Paul's to Manchester in aid of Children In Need. The men pictured are (from left) Roger Darbyshire, Vaughan Seddon, Alan Connolly, Bill Horsfield, Barry Lee and Barry Winstanley.

In 1990 they were at it again, putting am 18ft high Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle through its paces ready for pulling him from Adlington to Manchester. The group, which was set up three years previously, had raised £8,500 with a series of sponsored events.

Beard shaving has always been a popular way to raise funds and in 1992 we highlighted the efforts of John Adams, left, Consultant, and John Wainwright, Charge Nurse, at Bolton Royal Infirmary's Casualty Department, who were preparing themselves for having a trim courtesy of International Hair Stylise, John Julian. The original hipsters were hoping to raise £250 for Children In Need.

Pubs have always been a fertile ground for fundraising and in 1988 we were reporting on how four Bolton pubs were engaged in some no-holds barred rivalry as they donned fancy dress in a tug o'war contest to raise cash for Children In Need. The pubs involved were the Man and Scythe, Bear's Paw, Swan Hotel and the Millstone, with our pictures showing the teams from Millstone B (left) and the Bear's Paw.

Our final photograph is from 1990 and shows Sharol Ramsay from Happyland Playgroup, Blundell Street, Bolton, braving the cold with a sponsored dip in the town's Victoria Square Fountain.