children in need really pisses me off

[Mightybanhammer]

I know I am being unreasonable but I really do dislike it and can't quite articulate why.
Prefer to choose my charities rather than have it thrust down my throat I suppose.
Anyone else?

We are all mugs for the charity industry.

Even if it helps some people, it will never help all.

How do we decide. Well we can't because it is all taken from us by the BBC in shows like CIN.

I hate this sort of thing. Sorry. But lucky you if you get something from it. I don't begrudge it. Who decides where the millions go?

And who pays for the production costs of such a program. That doesn't come cheap.

They will have huge amounts sitting in their accounts. We've got an amount allocated to us for the next 2 years, but they will, sensibly, keep it in their accounts until we show we've used this year's money correctly.

Yes if all the people who said they were going to give to small local charities every year instead of CiN did so, they would have much more money, and wouldn't need the grants. I bet they'd be delighted if CiN came off air and they all had to do their own publicity in their community. They'd easily replace funding that way [hmmm]*

That's so true. I should get the 300ish kids that use us over the year to donate their £1 or £5 to us and that would totally take away the need for the £10k per year we get from CIN...

I bet many people would be surprised by what CIN fund in their area of the looked at the lists.

Well we can't because it is all taken from us by the BBC in shows like CIN.

Taken from you?

Who decides? Well, teams of Assessors assessing hundreds of applications in every region. Who then make recommendations to Committee members. Who meet to discuss the recommendations. Which are then reviewed by the Trustees.

It's fine for people to be incensed but not fine to be annoyed by something because you can't be bothered to find out how it works!

And who pays for the production costs of such a program. That doesn't come cheap.

It's a BBC programme. Broadcast on the BBC. Fundraising for the BBC Charity. The BBC pays.

So I guess if you want to get really annoyed you could complain about the waste of your license fee. I don't listen to Radio 1 or any BBC local radio station. Nor do I watch Eastenders. Should I ask for a partial refund?

I hate this sort of thing. Sorry. But lucky you if you get something from it. I don't begrudge it.

Oh how big of you. Oh yes and how lucky the seriously ill children, bereaved families, siblings of terminally ill children etc are to have something that makes their lives a little easier at awful times. So patronising. Lucky that some of us are mugs for the charity industry and think of people other than ourselves.

I bet they'd be delighted if CiN came off air and they all had to do their own publicity in their community.

And can you imagine the cost? Presumably those complaining about admin costs are expecting volunteers to leap at these opportunities.

I worked for a local bbc outpost about 20 years ago on Children in Need. All of the production staff worked for free on the night. I believe that Tel was paid his usual fee according to various rumblings..
I had quite a lot to do with the regional charity organiser and there was an unsaid tension between the filing of funded schemes that made good tv and the just as important projects that weren't filmed as they wouldn't encourage donations...

tension between the filing of funded schemes that made good tv and the just as important projects that weren't filmed as they wouldn't encourage donations

You write this as though it's some dark secret. The programme is designed to maximise donations. Obviously some stories are more heartbreaking than others. It's doesn't mean that the projects are more important. But it's a TV Appeal. It's got to move people!

Pissed off again.

I didn't mind a brief mention of how much they'd made. But clips of performances still isn't news And apparently three are going to be further clips/interviews later.

But lucky you if you get something from it

I agree. Watching my daughter die slowly from cancer made me feel very lucky.
Every time I think of her brother's distress and breakdown makes me feel fortunate.
When I see my other son in the midst of an anxiety induced autistic meltdown and I think about his future I get a warm glow of luckiness

ALL of my children have benefited from funds donated via CIN.
I wish I could sit back and compose a clever post on MN about how I refuse to be a pleb who tolerates CIN.

I will say it again. These threads are all so much attention seeking.
How the OP and other posters are just too clever, know too much and the rest of us are thick, mawkish air heads who want to see the lickkle children.

I know how charity works.
I understand the charity/tragedy model of disability
I have worked in underfunded services nearly all my adult life.
I have reservations about how we use family's stories to raise money.

But I am also a pragmatist when it comes to supporting life limited children, children who have experienced trauma, poor children and their families.

So until I am prime minister and I have to power to put together a compassionate government who actually give a fuck about those in need, I will continue to donate and accepted donations from CIN.

MrsDV
I know your story, let others walk in your shoes 💐

Agree with MrsDV. Some people on this thread have made themselves sound like absolute arse holes.

it's all well and good ppl saying well don't watch it then. But it's not just on the tv it is everywhere.
As for sick and disadvantaged children I look 1 in the face everyday.
it sticks in the throat just a tiny bit when I'm telling my own child that we can afford a flipping kinder egg this week when I'm being judge by tin shakers and teachers who have a heck of alot more cash than I do!

I don't want to take anything away from the work that charities do, but I feel that their role should really just be to offer extra support along side government provided functions. Of course with all the cuts now this seems all be falling on charities. It really is a sad situation whichever way you look at it.

I don’t think there is a single person in this thread who doesn’t wish that everything needed could be provided to every person with no fights and no need for charities to help. But we don’t live in an ideal world and I for one am very thankful for the charities - large and small and everything in between - who help to plug those gaps and make life easier for families up and down the country.

Third sector keeps this country ticking over but third sector organisations are fit to bust, the constant round of applying here there everywhere for grants just so projects can run so children can benefit must be a total arseache. People plough on doing their job offering these services so children and their families can have a glimmer of a good day/hour I think the posters who disagree with children in need should carefully research a local project get involved and see the difference and then complain.

it sticks in the throat just a tiny bit when I'm telling my own child that we can afford a flipping kinder egg this week when I'm being judge by tin shakers and teachers who have a heck of alot more cash than I do!

Nobody cares and noone is judging you.
If you cant afford to give or don't want to, don't.
If your child is disadvantaged they chances are they are benefiting from CIN funding because it goes all over the place

CIN is not everywhere. Its half a week in supermarkets and a night on the television.
Its not difficult to avoid.
Even if you can't avoid it you only have to put up with it being somewhere in your vicinity for a short while.

I think the posters who disagree with children in need should carefully research a local project get involved and see the difference and then complain

Indeed.

Nobody is judging you! Do you think 'teachers who earn more than you do' have never had a child in their class who has come to school with no breakfast? Or has never had to sit in a child protection meeting? Do you think your childs teachers sit around in the staffroom sneering and eating peeled grapes because a child in their school couldn't afford £1 for cin? I bought some keyrings for my children and donated some money. Other than that it didn't affect my day at all.

Not a fan of CIN either.....And to the people saying 'don't bother with it then;' as someone said earlier, you have no choice but to join in when your workplace or school partakes!

And as for the 100,000 plus charities in this country; some fatcats at the top are getting mighty rich.

I won't give fuckall to any charity, so shoot me. I know much of the money doesn't go the people in need.

And I hate chuggers with a flaming passion.

I do my own thing to help humanity and also to help animals and nature, and it's got nothing to do with anyone what it is.

The reaction (from some on here,) to people saying they don't like CIN is ridiculous! FGS, people should be entitled to their opinion. (Without being made to feel guilty, or that they are being 'nasty!' )

Your posts are always full of heart peipei my guess is you give fuck all to anyone or anything.

I know much of the money doesn't go the people in need.

People are indeed entitled to their own opinion. But they're not entitled to their own facts. As I've said before, you can find out anything you need to find out quite easily. There's no need to make up reasons why you don't want to support a particular charity.

Good luck to you in your life. In the sincerest possible terms, I hope you never need to rely on the generosity of the public. No-one should. But it's a sad fact that many do, so for the time being many of us will continue to support causes that are close to our hearts until the world is a fairer place.

I hope pei never needs a wheelchair for her child that isn’t eligible for wheelchair services but the wheelchair needed costs over £1000

Or that a child never needs to access specialist extra curricular activities tailored to their SN where the charity are funded for trained workers to carry it.

Or any of the other reasons someone may need a charity. You never know what’s around the corner

Yes some charities have big outlays but that is so they can “speculate to accumulate” to help those they do.

Mrs DV