Pudsey Bear Gets Name Change Cash
Published: 11th December 2008
A WOMAN who changed her name to Pudsey Bear to raise money for charity will now receive the cash she was promised after all.
Eileen De Bont, 37, a dental nurse from Denbigh, changed her name by deed poll to that of the famous bear to raise money for Children in Need.
Or at least, she thought she had.
On Monday the Daily Post reported that the chief executive of UK Deed Poll Services (www.ukdps.co.uk), Mike Barratt, had not paid the promised £4,000 to the children's charity, claiming she had failed to inform the relevant bodies of her name change.
But in an e-mail to Pudsey, Mr Barratt said he had now paid Children in Need £2,000 and would pay the balance once her passport is returned bearing her new name.
He said in the email to her: "After I posted your passport application last Friday, I paid Children In Need £2,000.
"Your passport application should only take about a week to process as they are not busy at the moment. As soon as your passport is received we will then pay the £2,000 balance."
After our story appeared, Jamie Jackson, chief executive of rival firm The Legal Deed Poll Service (www.thelegaldeedpollservice.org.uk), offered to step in and donate money to the charity if UK Deed Poll Service withdrew their pledge.
Mr Jackson said: "As soon as she had signed the deed poll, her name change would have been official. This means she did change her name as promised and therefore deserves the fundraising money."
Last night Pudsey said: "I am really pleased that at least it looks as though Children in Need will still get their money."
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