Zodiak Kids, Zodiak Media Group’s children’s production and distribution arm, is delighted to announce that the hugely successful pre-school brand, Waybuloo, will be the official Sport Relief 2012 Early Years Partner. Waybuloo will be the face of the Sport Relief ‘Early Years Activity kit’ containing Waybuloo activity sheets, stickers, balloons and tailor-made ideas and learning activities to get children fundraising for Sport Relief 2012. To support this partnership Sport Relief will undertake direct mail campaigns to Early Years practioners nationwide encouraging them to sign up their nurseries and take part in Sport Relief 2012. The Sport Relief / Waybuloo promotion will also be fully integrated within the Early Years section of the Sport Relief website promoting the Waybuloo brand in association with Sport Relief for 2012.

Both Zodiak Rights and the Piplings will also be getting involved with fundraising activities to help raise money for Sport Relief.

Waybuloo, a unique mix of animation and live action, is a highly innovative approach to pre-school programming focusing on children’s emotions. It transports children to Nara, a live-action world inhabited by adorable animated characters called Piplings who embody a range of emotions such as Love, Wisdom, Happiness and Harmony. Join the loveable Piplings, Nok Tok, De Li, Lau Lau and Yojojo, for more new and surprising adventures as they explore the beautiful land of Nara on a journey to happiness. The magical new series introduces children to the Piplings’ exciting homes, each spectacularly decorated to their individual personalities, and stories that reflect their caring and sharing nature.

Waybuloo launched on CBeebies, the BBC’s UK Children’s digital channel, in May 2009. It quickly became a hit with pre-schoolers ranking as one of the highest rating show launches of 2009 and resulted in the BBC commissioning another 50 episodes, bringing the total number to 150. The series went into the popular CBeebies Bedtime Hour slot in September 2009, where it consistently rates well.

Internationally, Waybuloo has also had phenomenal success; it currently airs in over 80 countries worldwide. Internationally, licensing programmes are beginning to roll out in Australia and New Zealand. Other key categories will roll out late 2011. Zodiak Kids recently announced the launch of a a new 11 minute spin-off version of the hit CBeebies series, narrated by cult UK narrator, Dave Lamb, (Come Dine with Me).

Online fans can log onto the dedicated website Waybuloo.com, launched by Zodiak Rights.

Waybuloo is produced by The Foundation, part of Zodiak Kids and Decode Entertainment for the BBC.

As the nation celebrates the biggest ever year of sport, the entire country can join in the fun with Sport Relief 2012 from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th March. With hundreds of Mile events happening across the length and breadth of the country on Sunday 25th March, everyone can come together and complete 1, 3 or 6 miles – from tiny toddlers to top-notch sports pros!

The nation’s kids will do the Mile at school on the Friday and tons more Milers will take to the streets on the Sunday, so one million people are expected to participate in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile by the end of the weekend. And, most importantly, the money they raise will be spent by Comic Relief to help people living unimaginably tough lives in the UK and across the world's poorest countries.

Zodiak Rights holds worldwide rights in all media for the property, with the exception of Canada where Decode Enterprises handles broadcast and home entertainment rights, and DHX Licensing represents consumer products rights. Both Decode Enterprises and DHX Licensing are subsidiaries of DHX Media.