To be really irritated by Children in Need

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Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the concept of helping CIN. But it seems that it's schools which are targeted for the fund raising. Schools which include the very children the charity is trying to help. So schools are asked to hold special days and raise money, asking those very children and families who are in need to give money they don't have. Isn't this just twisted?

I never donate (am always dubious about donating to big charities with lots of admin/staff over small volunteer groups), but as an aside I have a relative who has presented on these sorts of things and she was expected to (and did) give her time for free - the raise in exposure and therefore her corporate speaking rates made it worth it for her. No idea if that's standard though.

I work in one of those schools that has a high population of families who could well do with help from CIN.

We also have some (a very few) wealthy families.

We still do dress up days for it, things like wear your pjs to school with a 'donation'. It is well advertised before hand that we do not expect families to be donating money they simply cannot afford, however, if their child still wants to take part then by all means send them in in their pjs.

On average we collect just over £100 for CIN and similar charities. This is generally made up from a few donations of £1-£5 with lots not donating.

The kids love taking part and £100 is better than nothing for a charity.

My DP was offered a job with CIN (tech side of things) it was extreme amounts of money for the work/area. He turned it down due to other reasons but it's true the staff are very well paid with lots of perks.

I don't mind sending in £1 for the charity at school, it's the added pressure of the theme they gave to follow so, dressing up, money for cake sale (that we're asked to bake for) spare coins for the big picture thing they do, then the hard sell on the kids to bring money in for all the CIN merchandise.

I've just done all this for Remembrance Day!

Then it will be week after week of requests for the school fair in exchange for wearing some ridiculous themed costume.

I'd rather give ££ at the beginning of each term but then I guess that doesn't look as good and isn't as fun for the children.

I am sure I read a article last year that a lot of the money donated didn't even go to the charities.

I would never give money to cin.

DS's school doesn't take part, but the one next door (quite literally) does,so he always feels a bit sad to be missing out. They do other charity stuff though.

Glad I'm not alone on the Chris Evans auction. It gives me the rage every year. If they encouraged all their listeners to text a couple of quid for the chance to take part I'm sure they'd raise a fortune. Radio 1 always used to raise a massive amount that way to support celebs in various challenges. It's so exclusive - no place for it on the bbc imo.

I give a pound to each of my 2 children to give to the school's fundraising for CIN.
I don't mind giving it but it does feel a bit weird in a strange way as one attends a special school as she has autism and the other is a Young Carer.
Both attend activities that are part funded by CIN but do struggle financially, I suppose I am afraid of the activitie's stopping if they don't get the funding from CIN as there is not many places that my ASD daughter can attend.

At the risk of being flamed....sometimes get the feeling that the only purpose of those short films is to show off how caring and lovely a particular celebrity is. I also think that in this country we are so constantly being bombarded with pleas and calls for money that we are in serious danger of running out of sympathy.

Or maybe it's just me and I'm a bitch.

I only give to small, local charities.

I had to Google - the presenters aren't paid. Although Terry Wogan was

DM link www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-439875/Wogan-celeb-paid-Children-In-Need.html

Thought i was the only one who hated the auctions, and thought they should be raffled off. In fact my OH thought i had written the earlier post.

But then we worked it out are there 600 archers fans available to buy tickets to attend a recording, to match the bids i heard.

I feel far too much resentment at both of the BBC charities for the way they they do things, it bugs me every year.

I'm quite happy to donate money for things at school, but I can't stand the way an organisation as huge as CIN has to so blatantly target school children, amongst other things.

Well, charity is a personal thing and no-one is obliged to give to any charity or even watch the entertainment designed to raise funds. There isn't such a thing as an ethical/honourable charity IMO, Comic relief have recently been exposed for investing in companies associated with arms/tobacco etc, Women's aid have had plenty of negative press for their lack of genuine support of women in need, Oxfam were widely criticised for the little that actually goes to the projects on the ground, all charities have internal politics which would put most people off donating, so it's just a case of deciding which one you agree with most and how many of their negatives you can put up with when/if they're exposed.

Interesting about the CiN £90m investment portfolio.

I detest it so avoid Chris Evans when that "smuggery money can't buy" is on and never watch the main programme. I will donate to smaller charities as and when I want and refuse to watch the fundraiser and the rentagobs presenting this tripe

And I don't know any local group who ever got CiN funding.

Generally not fond of CiN myself (I think it's the smugness of fern cotton and terry Wigan and the like), but if you want to know where their funds go, check out their annual report and accounts:

apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends52/0000802052_AC_20120630_E_C.pdf

The bit I found about staff expenditure was on page 38, near the bottom of the page under 5.

Bear in mind that paid staff aren't just those you see on tv. And I am of the opinion with charities in general that I'd rather they paid for quality staff as they'll help maximise how funds are raise and help them spend more knowledgeably.

The accounts of charities are public knowledge so you can google search for any charity's accounts.

Ooh, sorry! Even more salary info on page 40, section 6. Numbers of employees per each wage band. I didn't keep reading far enough on initially!!

Heh. Just saw my terry wigan typo. Thanks iphone

They don't get paid, Terry Wogan used to but now waives his fee.

My friend works at the BBC and everyone works for free. What a brilliant charity, posts like this can be very damaging, there is no harm in getting schools involved - certainly not twisted!

Tents I totally agree its damaging. And as the information is out there for all, it's silly to just speculate!

Even though I'm not fond of it due to all the smug celebs, they are onto a winning formula. I bet the show costs a minimal amount due to everyone like Terry Wogan volunteering, so almost everything they raise is profit. Good on them. And from their accounts it appears most goes to children who need it.

there is no harm in getting schools involved

I disagree. Maybe it's not 'harmful', that depends on how you define harmful in this case, but it's not right for parents to be made to donate to a charity they might not support or have their child be made the odd one out on a day that is supposed to be fun. It's not right for parents to have to find and pay for their child to have something spotty or something yellow to wear just for one day when they then still have to pay for the privelidge.

It's the emotional blackmail of families (right at one of the most expensive times of the year) through school children that I can't agree with. Especially when in my experience, schools don't actually educate those children about the role of charity in society, how charities work, or even anything about CIN itself.

I hate it. I hate that the presenters got paid HUGE amounts until Terry Wogan was outed and gave a donation. I hate that the Pudsey Bears cost about £10 and 25p goes to CiN. I hate the stupid untalented newsreaders who have to do their 'funny' thing every year. Which is never funny. One year I hated the way Terry rushed past some kids holding a comedy cheque who'd saved up their pocket money and done odd jobs to fawn over a big businessman who was holding a bigger comedy cheque - who name dropped his business a lot. I hate the emotionally charged sad short films.

I'm just glad DP will walk in and say "what are you watching this shite for" which brings me back to earth again. Then we turn over and watch films with Nazis or zombies or preferably both.