To think children in need is out of touch?

[Tictocrobot]

It’s the idea that we should all be inspired by the tragic story of disadvantaged children. Sad music, celebrities visiting groups where disabled children are paraded so that all us at home feel thankful for our lot in life. We give £5 then thank our lucky stars and wash our hands of it.

I know that’s a sweeping statement but really? Disabled children aren’t tragic and why is it up to them to be inspiring?

Disabled children are people. They shouldn’t be marginalised. To only have an opportunity to go to an after school club because of a handout that could be removed at any time. The government should be making sure that all people can do all of the things.

I know, I know, budgets. But maybe just tax Amazon a bit more and stop scrimping at every turn.

In my county there is a waiting list of 400+ children to get a place at a SEN school. I have one child who I can sign up for music lessons, Cubs, swimming lessons, football club, drama club etc at the drop of a hat. I have another child who is not able to access any of those things.

I’ve gone off on a tangent. But I guess my main point is. Being disabled isn’t sad. It’s just another way of living. What is sad is the lack of funding and one night of celebrity culture and tear jerking videos isn’t going to solve that.

CIN is just celebs virtue signalling IMO. They give money to some very dubious people.
I choose the charities I donate to very carefully. I certainly won't give the BBC any more cash than they take for the TV licence.

It's never sat right with me so I've never made a big thing of it tbh.

It's the (mostly) white saviour complex, "look at us feeling sorry for the poor disableds".

The best way you can help people with disabilities and our carers, is not to vote Tory.

After the way BBC let many children get abused for years on end, I do not support CIN. The whole thing feels icky to me

I totally get what you're saying however these groups need the money. It's not just children , it's all ages.
The fight to get funds to continue services, clubs etc where I live is a continual battle.
Unfortunately how do they show the amazing projects Children in Need supports?
How do you get people who don't understand that world to understand and want to donate ?
I do feel also that it also shows how amazing some people are by what they are achieving against odds with the right support.

What I can’t understand (or perhaps it’s Comic Relief that say this) that every year on the show that say they’ve got the most donations they’ve ever had, but with fewer people watching each year, and prices and taxes rises and wages stagnating, I find this very hard to believe (and don’t, actually)

Oh God, yes, the covering up of child abuse, for decades. Such hypocrisy.

I feel exactly the same. Virtue signalling celebrities who probably don't pay any UK tax telling us to part with our hard earned. Millions raised every year but still the number of children needing help keeps on rising!!

@Dancingsmile I totally get that, I just find it sad and unfair that this has to be the case.

But those groups still need money to operate and many of them couldn’t without the money from CIN.

There is a lot I’m not keen about about it but it does make a massive difference to the charities it supports.

I worked in a very poverty stricken country and I had to physically remove a film crew from the children's ward as they were in between a mother and her dying malnourished baby. I said to one of the film crew that's enough she needs to greive for her baby and he said this is the sort of stuff that gets the money in.

Money has to be raised and with a lot of people losing money due to all the lockdowns charities are more desperate than ever but I hate CIN and comic relief

Another part of it that gets my goat, is that schools all dress up for CiN and talk about the poor disabled kids and what we can do. Meanwhile their poor disabled classmates are sitting RIGHT THERE wondering where it all went wrong.

I don't think disabled children should be "inspiring " nobody has a right to their medical information however I've worked /volunteered with CiN funded organisations that really do help children so I'm really torn, although it does seem to be about the celebs profile and some of them would turn up to an opening of an envelope!

It's never sit right with me. My eldest DC is SEN and I support the local charities but never made a deal of pugdsy day.
Why can't the celebrities endorsing it donate? Rather than ask people who are already robbing Peter to pay Paul?
Better yet campaign for more money for SEN schools, charities etc. Did you know most ECHPs get declined first in hope parents don't appeal?

Yes I refuse watch it. Im a disabled adult it’s all tea and sympathy if you are a disabled child when things that should be basically funded like a suitable wheelchair or basic kids clubs by the state have to be done via charity. Soon as you turn 18 society just sees you as work shy scum.

We treat child carers appallingly and then if they forced to be full time adult carer get lowest benefit going of it all. Says it all

I can see your point OP. I think that its great that people want to donate money for good causes, and if charities are able to help children and their families through fundraising money that otherwise wouldn't be available then I think its a good thing. But I can see your point of view too, it shouldn't have to be this way, those funds should already be available.

It funds the bloody brilliant Goalball club that gives my disabled son his self esteem and a reason to stay healthy. It would be great if government could fund that but they can’t even fund essential services so charity picks up the tab.

Don’t give if you don’t want to.

I don't like it for a number of reasons and I won't be donating.
I do give to charity but I know to choose which ones for myself, rather than throw money into a huge pot which much surely cost a great deal to administer. Like you I also feel uncomfortable about the emotive videos, especially those involving children who cannot give informed consent but my biggest objection is celebrities pleading with us to donate, when so many of them are immensely wealthy and are involved in tax avoidance. If everyone paid the taxes that they are supposed to, then at least some of these charities wouldn't need to exist.
I find it all very hypocritical. I won't be watching and I'll stick to supporting the charities which I already do.

We donate but don't watch it.

We've benefitted from the funding before, which was incredibly helpful but yes I am also really uncomfortable with the way some of the segments are chosen and filmed.

@Tictocrobot

Another part of it that gets my goat, is that schools all dress up for CiN and talk about the poor disabled kids and what we can do. Meanwhile their poor disabled classmates are sitting RIGHT THERE wondering where it all went wrong.

This! My son hates it.

@Dancingsmile

I totally get what you're saying however these groups need the money. It's not just children , it's all ages. The fight to get funds to continue services, clubs etc where I live is a continual battle. Unfortunately how do they show the amazing projects Children in Need supports? How do you get people who don't understand that world to understand and want to donate ? I do feel also that it also shows how amazing some people are by what they are achieving against odds with the right support.

Absolutely. It’s throwing the baby out with the bath water.

OP you aren’t wrong that vulnerable children and young adults shouldn’t have to sing for their supper,, but unfortunately a lot of the support organisations, schemes and small projects simply wouldn’t exist without CIN money.

It’s a bit like the ‘we shouldn’t need food banks’ argument. Well no, we shouldn’t but people rely on them to survive so please support them rather than pulling a face and pointing at Amazon.

When I was young and naive I worked for a charity funded by CiN- to the best of my knowledge we never actually helped anyone and I left as soon as I realised that.

I donate very carefully elsewhere now.

My dc who are too young to understand the nuance think they have donated pocket money to CiN and the money has gone to charity but not that one.

I dislike the way it's run
Yes they might support some worthwhile projects but I think a lot of the money goes to a big black hole

@velvetbee I guess I should also have added that I still think people should donate, as of course there are worthy causes, but i just think it’s wrong that this is the accepted way of making accessible opportunities. But then I got cross and went on a tangent

I don't think they're messaging that the kids are sad; in fact quite the reverse. It allows the public to see that kids they may not typically come into contact with, are as "normal" as everyone else. (Who really is "normal"?)
The bigger problem is that we are more and more accepting of the fact that these kids, and others in our society, are not being served. The fact they we have to have phone-a-thons and Go-Fund-Me's is allowing the government to abandon the principles of this nation - and taking our taxes anyway.