High-res images and broll footage of the premiere available to download here

Actress Ashley Jensen has joined a group of lucky schoolchildren on a knitted red carpet in the East Midlands whilst hosting an exclusive premiere to launch a brand-new Shaun the Sheep animation for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day.

Academy Award®-winning studio Aardman has colla-baa-rated with the international children’s charity on a ewe-nique Shaun the Sheep animation, The Knit Before Christmas, to celebrate the charity’s fundraising campaign and encourage everyone to sign up, take part and donate.

Save the Children Ambassador Ashley Jensen hosted the film’s premiere at Launde Primary School in Leicester. Launde Primary was the top fundraising school for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day in 2023, raising £3,744.84 to help children in the UK and around the world stay safe, healthy and learning.

Launched today on Shaun the Sheep’s Global YouTube channel, The Knit Before Christmas features our favourite Mossy Bottom Farm residents preparing for the big day on Thursday 12^th December. The leader of the Flock and Save the Children’s new Head of Wool for Christmas Jumper Day, Shaun the Sheep, demonstrates his co-knit-ment to supporting the charity’s baa-rilliant campaign as the animation unravels.

Jensen, whose critically acclaimed career includes starring roles in Extras, Ugly Betty and Shetland, is a long-standing supporter of Save the Children and helped launch the charity’s first ever Christmas Jumper Day in 2012. The Scottish actress – who has previously voiced characters for Aardman’s Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! Band of Misfits films – has visited Save the Children programmes in Tanzania, India, Greece and the UK in her role as Ambassador.

After the schoolchildren enjoyed the red-carpet treatment and watched the film’s first-ever outing in Launde Primary’s assembly hall, Ashley spoke about the lasting impact that fundraising campaigns like Christmas Jumper Day have on children’s lives, both here in the UK and around the world.

Ashley said: “I’ve been to a fair few premieres throughout my career but this was one of the most special by far. The kids absolutely loved the new Shaun the Sheep animation and they should give themselves a huge pat on the back for all the amazing fundraising they have done for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day. I’ve supported the charity for more than a decade and the work they do, for and with children, has never been more important. I’ve seen first-hand how donations from schools like Launde Primary make such a difference and I hope other children and teachers feel motivated to have a woolly wonderful fundraiser this year!”

Launde Primary School was chosen to host the premiere as a thank you for all the money they raised to create change for children that lasts for generations to come and to inspire other school children across the country to take part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day.

Ibrahim, a pupil from the school who is 10 years old, said: “The animation was great, it was super fun. I feel like Save the Children is doing a very good thing, because there are children less fortunate than we are and we’ve got to understand that if we can help them then that would be better. I feel very proud because I didn’t expect, out of all of the schools, that Launde – which only has 600 students – would be the best of the best. But then again, our students are really passionate about our school and our community is amazing in the Launde family.”

Clare Johnston, Assistant Head of Launde Primary School, said: “We are so proud of our pupils and staff for all their fundraising efforts - and to be named the top fundraising school of Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day last year was incredible! We know the money will help much-needed projects here in the UK, as well as around the world, to help children stay safe, healthy and learning.”

This year Shaun the Sheep has taken on a new fleece of life as Save the Children’s Head of Wool for Christmas Jumper Day in the hope of encouraging schools and youth groups up and down the country to sign up, take part, donate and make the world better with a sweater.

Sign up today at ChristmasJumperDay.org

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

For media queries please contact Steph Lowe on st.lowe@savethechildren.org.uk

About Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day:

On Thursday 12 December, Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is back. Join millions of people across the UK as they don their jolliest jumpers to raise money for Save the Children.

You don’t even have to buy a new one. Just grab any old thing from the back of the cupboard and cover it with stickers, tinsel, glitter, baubles or whatever you fancy. Or pick up a tree-mendous pre-loved festive jumper from a Save the Children shop.

By having fun, you’re creating lasting change for and with children. So, let’s get this Christmas Jumper Day party started and make the world better with a sweater.

To sign up, visit www.christmasjumperday.org where you can also find the latest information about how to take part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day.

·       For Facebook visit – facebook.com/christmasjumperday

·       For Instagram, X and TikTok visit - @savechildrenuk #christmasjumperday

About Save the Children:

Save the Children exists to create lasting change for and with children. In more than 100 countries including the UK, we make sure children stay safe, healthy and learning, and change the future for good. We find new ways to reach children, no matter where they’re growing up. For a century, we’ve stood up for children’s rights and made sure their voices are heard.

For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk   

About Aardman:

Aardman is an employee-owned company, based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton. An independent, multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio, it produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Current animated productions include a brand-new Wallace & Gromit film which is set for release in 2024, the studio’s first in-house game Chicken Run: Eggstraction, series 7 of Shaun the Sheep and a third series of The Very Small Creatures. 

Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio’s work – which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph – is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world. Recent celebrated projects include the BAFTA® nominated feature film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Academy Award® nominated short film Robin Robin, International Emmy® award winning Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, BAFTA® nominated preschool series The Very Small Creatures and the recent CGI comedy series for kids Lloyd of the Flies.  

The studio runs the Aardman Academy which has a commitment to nurturing talent by delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops teaching production skills and storyboarding, to comprehensive twelve-week courses for professionals in craft-based subjects from model making to animation. 

In November 2018 it became an Employee-Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come. www.aardman.com 

About Shaun the Sheep: 

Shaun the Sheep, Aardman’s family favourite TV series, is recognised the world over for its slapstick humour, distinctive look and strong, quirky characters and enjoyed across multiple media platforms. First appearing in Nick Park’s 1995 Academy Award® winning Wallace & Gromit ‘A Close Shave’, Shaun then went on to star in his own series, created by Richard Starzak which launched on BBC One in 2007.  Shaun the Sheep is currently broadcast in 170 territories around the world and is an internationally celebrated icon with over 5.6 million fans on Facebook.  In 2015 the first Shaun the Sheep Movie with feature film partner Studiocanal was released around the world to critical acclaim and the first half hour TV special aired as part of many broadcaster’s festive season., The feature film sequel Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon was released in October 2019 and nominated for an Academy Award® and was closely followed by a sixth season of the series in 2020.  A new festive special Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas was released in December 2021 and Aardman are currently in production on a seventh season of the series.