Three Bucks families were featured on this year’s Children in Need to highlight the work of a hospice charity.

The Watsons, from High Wycombe, Leavers, from Gerrards Cross, and Woosters, from Aylesbury, were thrilled to appear on the BBC’s charity programme, which has raised millions of pounds for good causes.

A five-strong crew including a producer, camera man and sound man, were welcomed by the families following a raft of preparatory phone calls, meetings and emails involving the families, Rennie Grove and Children in Need.

Millions of viewers followed children’s hospice at home nurse Francesca Lennon as she visited the three families.

Shailza Leaver, mum to Riley, five, and four-year-old Stanley, from Gerrards Cross, who both have a very rare genetic condition involving a duplication of an X chromosome, said: “Riley just loved the camera and didn’t stop laughing from start to finish. He wasn’t fazed at all by the big light they put outside.

“For us, knowing that the Rennie Grove children’s team is there to offer practical care and support 24 hours a day is so reassuring and I hope I managed to get this across in the film.We all found it a really enjoyable experience and the film crew were so polite and considerate, especially with the children.”

Francesca and the film crew also visited a family from High Wycombe to talk to Jess Watson, eight, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was just 13-months-old.

Jess’s mum Sam said: “Because Jess has spent so much of her life in hospital, she is very comfortable around adults and she took the filming completely in her stride. She absolutely loved every minute.

“Out of the two of us, I was definitely the one who was most nervous about the filming. Rennie Grove’s children’s hospice at home team has helped us so much over the years, I really wanted to make sure that I covered everything.”

Helen and Simon Wooster, and their children Milly, Jack and Theo, from Aylesbury, also welcomed TV crews.

Jack, aged four, suffered brain damage at birth and now has cerebral palsy, uncontrolled epilepsy and is severely sight impaired.

Reflecting on her day in the spotlight, Francesca, who lives in Chenies, said: “It was a very long and intensive day but it was fascinating to see how films like this are made. I was really looking forward to the part of the day when they interviewed me as I was so keen to get across the importance of the support we give to our families and how vital our 24-hour service is to them.”