To not donate to CIN

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

..because I strongly disagree that anything that requests donations should be covered by our wonderful NHS.

We shouldnt need Cancer charities, we shouldn't need children's charities. We're one of the moe developed countries in the world. Why should we have to appeal to anybody to get children fed and looked after.

Not giving at all is hardly helping though is it? Saying you object to giving as it should be covered by the NHS isn't going to do any good for these poor kids.

Money given to charity does reach the recipients. It's just that people don't understand the huge scale of the problem. Haiti, for example, is a country that has been utterly destroyed. It will take years to repair. The money raised in aid has reached the people there, but it will take a lot more than a few million to literally rebuild the whole island.

Sometimes it suits people to just declare that there's no point in giving, it doesn't do any good, it's an easy get out clause.

All decent charities will have an annual report which will details exactly how all their donations are spent so it's pretty ignorant to say that money doesn't reach the beneficiaries - it does. But to end poverty in the developing world for example it's ridiculous to think that money giving to aid agencies can do that -the money is a drop in the ocean. Only by changing political systems can poverty in the developing world be ended. But your money does make a difference to individuals and families who are given food and shelter by these charities, which is surely very important - just because your donation isn't going to change the world(and it's rather arrogant to expect that it will) doesn't mean you shouldn't give.

I made a donation. I always do.

I totally understand what others are saying though regarding where the money goes and whether the causes supported should be goverment funded, anyway.

My family was very poor and I had a pretty shit childhood. Although that's as much because my parents didn't really give a shit about us as it is about money.

Would charities supported by CIN have helped us? I doubt it. I doubt my parents would have asked for help if it was available anyway. I still like to think that some child, somewhere, has a little bit of a better time due to the donation I make though.

op I agree

why do we have to contribute to keeping vital services going?

these services should be a priority and should all be well funded by the government, and should not rely on the kindness of strangers to keep going

I would rather taxes were spent on keeping vital services running and funded, rather than wars abroad and helping ministers fly first class abroad and dont get me started on the gravy train that the MEP's are on

I'm all for giving to charity to help give services extra, it shouldnt be used as the primary source of income to a service that is vital to its users, thats why we pay taxes for

I made a donation, and spent about £5 at DS's schools and cubs groups.

I see what your saying OP and I agree with it, but the problem is it isnt covered by the NHS, and I dont see it changing any time soon, and therefore thats why I give.

I did have a little rant to myself when it showed how CIN goes to fund a club where children can go to have breakfast because they are not getting it at home. They have a waiting list FFS. That means there are children out there, waiting to join that club who go to school hungry every day.

I also have a monthly donation to GOSH because that isnt funded either.

BTW, not knocking CIN, think its great but these services shouldnt need charity money, should all be funded by the government, why arent they?

I looked on the CIN website last night to see what they do (and do not) fund.
They do not fund statutory services, ie those which should be provided by the NHS or education systems.
They fund projects that help make disadvantaged children's (and their families) lives a bit better.

This is Children in need, and they are in need whether the government, parents or poverty is to blame.

Personally I would rather see a War in need charity and if we donate enough we can go.....then we'll have enough for everything else. Costs a lot to kill other people.

The little boy in the 'poor' family lived in a shit hole. And his father smoked, how much does that cost? A lot more than a fucking shirt from Asda.

That argument is used a lot against poor parents (I found out from Uni studies).
Often, parents in persistent poverty turn to smoking or drinking as an escape from the day to day stress they face. I'm not saying it's a smart move, but it happens in all families to an extent, ie "I need a holiday/Christmas blowout/takeaway/night out to get away from all this stress". The stakes are higher for poor families, but so is the stress.

Tbh though I felt more cross with the boys mother who walked out and left him at 2yo then at dad who was at least trying to keep them together.

The thing is the hospices, etc are privately run. The govt won't fund them as they say there is adequate provision in nhs hospitals. There probably are enough beds for kids dying from cancer, etc in nhs hospitals. But if my child was dying and there was a choice between them being in an nhs hospital or in a hospice I know which I'd prefer.

I donate. I sat and watched it last night with dd and we were both crying. You never know when you might be in need of such services. If your child is diagnosed with a terminal illness or hit by a car and severely disabled you'd be glad these places exsist.

I don't donate to CIN as I would resent my money going towards Terry Wogan's big fat pay cheque which he practically holds them to ransom for every year, when everyone else that takes part does it for free.

Wow, big response. Apologies for my rather badly worded OP.

In case anybody's wondering I do give to charities - local children's hospice and the RNLI.

Does Terry still get paid? Internet seems to think he oesn't any more.

I don't think he does any more TooEasily but it fucks me off that he did until there was a media furore about it.

I don't believe people can't afford to give their kids breakfast either - it's one of the cheapest meals of the day (4 pints of milk is err ... £1 in Poundland and porridge oats cost buttons).

I also would rather go hungry and have to turn all the appliances off at 7pm than send my kids to school without anything in their stomachs

CIN give far to much money away to other countries, I wouldn't donate because the money does not stay here.

No it doesn't, Fabby

Jesus christ.

Give, dont give but ffs some of you are fucking pig ignorant.
You shouldnt be allowed to express an opinion if you havent a fucking clue what youre on about. Would save you looking so twattish too.

You idealism wont feed starving bairns, will it? The "I resent paying because someone else should be doing it" doesnt mean fuck if the someone else isnt.

And your government doesn't give money away, it loans it and gains interest on it.

Fabbychic- perhaps you could now make a retrospective donation to cin for all those years you WANTED to contribute if only someone, somewhere had made it clear the money was only used in the UK

I fully understand that the stresses of poverty can make the release felt by an addiction a life saver, but truly if your packet of cigarettes meant that your son was picked on at school for wearing girl's clothes that could be solved by the cost of a small packet of tobacco many parents would give up.

I have no problem with financially supporting clubs that feed kids and provide them with a bit of structure and support. None at all but saying that some people can't afford it just undermines CIN -it's the sort of thing that gets DM readers frothing at the mouth.

I like this website www.givingwhatwecan.org