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Children In Need

ALL roads lead to Stranraer's Millennium Centre on Friday for a night of Children In Need fundraising fun.

The Centre has the proud distinction of having been chosen as one of only four Scottish outside broadcast sites for this year's charity bash.

Now frantic efforts are being made to ensure that the party in Stranraer is among the best in the country. In just three weeks, local organisers have signed up a host of attractions which should pull in the crowds on Friday.

And, as one of the organisers put it, raising money for children is the aim of the game.

"We are inviting the whole of Wigtownshire on Friday - entry is by donation!" he said.

Dancers, pipe bands, musicians and schools, some of whom have composed their own songs especially for the event, will all be there.

A disco and stalls set up against one wall of the Millennium Centre will feature too and will include competitions and a series of fun challenges.

Samantha Lockhart, who will be BBC Scotland's outside broadcast director on the night, said

"I am completely overwhelmed by all the work that has gone on in such a short space of time in Stranraer. I have no doubt that it will be a great success".

She was backed by the BBC's Jayne Henry, who will be in Stranraer as producer on Friday, who added

"It is about having fun on the night we cannot make any promises about people definitely being on television, but if they come along on the night they will be in with a chance!"

The BBC will also be screening a programme of edited highlights exclusively from the Scottish shows. It is thought that this will go out in the early hours of Saturday morning, following the official end of Children In Need day.

It was after negotiations between the local Chamber of Commerce and the BBC concluded only three weeks ago, that Stranraer was picked to host a party along with other Scottish broadcasts from St Andrews, Inverness and Storn-o-way.

The BBC's Heather Suttie and local man Iain Clark will compere events and the fun starts at the Millennium Centre, George Street, Stranraer, tomorrow (Friday) at 7 p.m.