AN original song written by fourteen-year-old boy from Raglan struck a chord after hitting over 144,000 views on YouTube by audiences from across the UK and abroad this Christmas.

Dante Valaydon-Pillay wrote an original song, Give a Little Christmas surpassing thousands of views over a range of music platforms all in support for BBC Children in Need.

The song saw a major surge over Christmas Day alone, jumping from 77,649 views at midnight on December 24 to 134,502 views by midnight on December 26, an increase of 56,853 views in just 48 hours.

Since 2022, Dante has raised money for the charity through a series of personal challenges, from climbing Sugarloaf mountain- one of the highest peaks in the Brecon Beacons, everyday for five days and raising £1,500 and earning the Sir Terry Woga fundraiser of the year award, to singing for 5,000 rugby fans.

In 2023 and 2024 Dante set out a range of challenges for himself, 12 months of monthly challenges which included: running, climbing, abseiling, baking, cycling, canoeing, paragliding, creating art photos to sell , giving up a week of piano and singing performances and was also given three more awards.

In 2024 Dante received a ‘Highly Commended’ trophy in the fundraiser category at the BBC Radio Gloucestershire ‘Make a Difference’ ceremony, adding to the fundraising he has been doing for Children in Need.

Children in Need raises money to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds and young people who may be facing challenges such as mental health issues, poverty and family-related problems.

They assist charities and organisations across the UK, looking to help the future of children’s lives throughout England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Dante’s motivation stemmed from a deep personal experience. When he was nearly six, his mum suffered a series of strokes and was in a coma for five days.

“It was a scary time, but my family looked after me, and I was lucky,” said Dante.

He was inspired by children who don’t have the same support; Dante’s latest challenge was to write, compose, and record a Christmas song. He received support from producer Matt Watkins and guitarist Jim Ramsay, and both giving up their time they managed to craft a well, curated Christmas song.

Give a Little Christmas was recorded at New Junction Music Studio in Abergavenny, and all of the profits are going directly to Children in Need. Dante is now working on an EP that traces his journey from age six to fourteen, a story of resilience, hope and light.

Give a Little Christmas can be available to listen and watch on Youtube here and Spotify here.

The community can also check out the BBC Children in Need’s website where there is more information on what they do, there’s also an interactive map to see how they are helping in different areas. In Wales their nearest projects are in Cardiff where people can find the projects they have supported, how much money was raised and what it will entail.