Have a Heart, the dedicated charity of the Heart radio network, has launched its 2012 Appeal to raise money for ChildLine, the freephone and online counselling service for children and young people available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The theme for this year’s Appeal is Be A Kid For A Kid and Heart is asking its listeners to support the charity by going back to their childhood, reliving their youth and having loads of fun in the process!

Whether it’s organising a School Disco, running a cake sale or digging out those embarrassing old photos for a ‘Guess the Baby’ contest in the office, it’s time to let the inner child out! Fundraising packs can be downloaded from the Heart website by visiting www.heart.co.uk/haveaheart

Launching today (Jan 23), the fundraising activity will build to an exciting Appeal Week from Monday 5th to Friday 9th March, where Heart presenters will be joined by a host of showbiz guests and celebrities, showing their support on-air and encouraging listeners to donate money and bid for once-in-a-lifetime auction lots.

Dalton Leong, Managing Director of Have a Heart, said, “We’d love our 7.6 million* listeners to get involved in activities to support the Have a Heart Appeal.  We’re aiming to raise funds for the recruitment, training and support of 140 new volunteer counsellors across the UK, enabling the charity to speak with an additional 33,600 children. This will enable us to make a big difference to the communities in which our Heart network of stations broadcast.”

Peter Liver, director of ChildLine services, said, “We’re delighted that Have a Heart has chosen ChildLine as the beneficiary for its 2012 Appeal. We really hope that Heart listeners get behind the appeal and ‘Be A Kid For A Kid’. The money raised by the Have a Heart Appeal will help us be there for children and young people who may feel they have nowhere else to turn.”

To ‘Be A Kid For A Kid’ and get involved in the 2012 Have a Heart Appeal, visit www.heart.co.uk/haveaheart and download a fundraising pack.