Mumsnet Talk

Back in 1980 when Children in Need started it was nowhere near as over-the-top as it is now. It was just a few short appeals interspersed with the normal programme schedule.
These days, it seems to last at least a couple of weeks. It's been on the One Show and on Radio 2 for ages. A bit too much, I think.

I'm SO glad I started this thread..... I've spent years thinking its just me.
Thrilled to know I'm not alone

YANBU - each to their own!

This is the first time I've bothered to watch it (DD aged 8 wanted to watch this year). I'm thoroughly enjoying it & it's good for DD to see how there are so many children less fortunate than her. It's obviously worked as she has just donated the £4.00 from her piggy bank (I made it up to £10). Far better than her buying a daft comic or the like.......and me buying another bottle of I feel fine !

She's desperate for Tom Daley to come on!

Ahhh that's lovely Bridget how sweet.

Many many years ago, on Harry Enfield, The Old Gits had a sketch with the line 'Children in need? They can bloody well stay in need'.

It has become the annual response in our house. I will happily donate money so long as I don't have to watch the shite they put on.

I'd rather watch Children in Need than the drivel that is Eastenders. Even the segments about children being abused are less depressing than a typical Easties episode.

I'm always torn with CIN. I've just returned from spending 2 years working in a childrens department in a hospital in one of the poorest countries in Africa. I think it is quite insulting to the hundreds of children I tried to look after who were dying from preventable diseases to have celebrities who could easily donate thousands feeling like they are doing a great job because they give their time to appear on a show for 5 mintues!! I also wonder how much money actually goes to these projects and how much goes on making teddies, t-shirts, posters ect.

However I do feel that people have a tendency to ignore what is happening in the world and anything that raises awareness is a great thing. My opinion is when you can remind children and adults that there are a lot of people in the world who don't have enough food to survive or can't access medical help maybe donating money to CIN will just be the first step they take, maybe it will persuade someone to actually get out there and try to do something about it.

Thing is we watch every penny
It's cost me £9 to send kids to school today
To us, thats a large Xmas present
I realise of course that some kids are getting no presents at all, but still...

Yanbu. The whole programme is cringeworthy bollocks.

I don't understand why slebs either making tits of themselves or having the chance to do amazing things that many people would love to have a go at is deserving of my money.

I'll be watching a DVD.

The good thing about children in need is that they give grants to charities that struggle to raise funds in other ways.

Ds goes to a special needs nursery, it provides SALT, OT and physio to children with disabilities as well as much needed support to their parents who attend with their children. It is the only development centre in a huge area, and it has had massive cuts to it's funding, as well as losing 2 of it major charitable donors due to the recession. The annual grant from CinN is enough to fund 2 members of staff. The centre struggles to fundraise whilst also carrying out the hugely important work they do, they are not a well known charity and most people are surprised when they discover how heavily the centre has to rely on charity to stay open.

These are the sort of charities that benefit massively from children in need.

(obviously the show is pretty unwatchable though!)

I dislike children in need because EastEnders is not on, and because I have spent far too much cash on spotty socks and other spotty clothes...which could have just gone straight to charity.

Actually, I might boycott it next time, send my DC to school in non spotty things if we don't already have any, and give the money straight to charity.

And I know I shouldn't mention it, but Fearn's dress.....

Yes Fernes dress and Susan Boyle's singing are both terrible.

YES! Fearne and Susan are awful I agree Everlong

awful. never watch it. can't stand even the idea of it.

Politics of Breastfeeding and Dead Aid dissuade me from getting involved in foreign aid appeals. I think that's over for me.
I guess I feel the way I do about begathons as I do about chuggers. Now I have just remembered about Bono. Eugh. To everyone who has mentioned the audacity of the uber rich trying to guilt force the poor into giving away money....
There's some analogy about this - charity being poor people in rich countries giving cash to rich people in poor countyires - as in exploding the corruption. Sigh

I'm with you haters. Can't bear telethons - the celebs, the newsreaders doing stupid dances, the cuts to starving/beaten/neglected children... The whole thing makes my teeth itch. I can appreciate they do a marvellous job, raise ££££ for good causes etc; just not on my tv.

But now the dds are 10 and 7 and get into it at school - they were filmed singing today - we actually have to watch. Including Girls Not Allowed To Eat. Shudder.

Yabu Eastenders is a proper pile shite.

You are being * very* * unreasonable* and your thread has made me really cross. How sad for you that Eadtenders has been cancelled. FFS.
<veryfuckingcrossface>

Very

UNREASONABLE

Your dads looking well, Tufty.

Do you know Usual, he's actually quite knackered at the moment. He'd never hear of not doing it though. He needs to sit down more often.

Oh but the last few comments are true - EE is shit. CIN equally so: just worthier.

He's a trooper.