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.

I've never seen any evidence of where the money goes.

You are right OP. A mother of a severely disabled child properly put in my place when I explained our project and she concisely pointed out how impracticable and actually potentially harmful it was to promise these things we couldn’t possibly deliver. I’ve never forgotten it.

There should be a better way!

I understand what you’re saying and in an ideal world charity would not be required, but it is, and they are not raising money for groups who do not need it, a lot of groups would be worse off without it sadly.

@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.

Absolutely! That never sat well with me either, disabled kids don't just exist in another world somewhere.

Similarly I realised when growing up so many of the projects for disadvantaged kids were in cities. My back water village I grew up in had plenty of kids, disabled, ill, low income etc who'd have benefitted but never saw a penny of such projects.

And yes to celebs giving cash rather than their name/face to it. But really the stuff they pay for shouldn't be provided through charity it should be available from government funds.

You're right OP, it's awful, hypocritical, virtue signalling bullshit. Recipients of charity filmed like some kind of Victorian freak show while some over paid celeb gets paid £££ for doing a sad face at the camera. Makes my blood boil.

Another downside is the single that gets released.

The one this year is sacrilege!!

If it weren't for the funding many children wouldn't have access to the opportunities your children do because it costs more to run activities for children with additional needs. School is a statutory service, being able to play basketball (wheelchair) attend an art class when you are partially sighted or choir if you are autistic and need a helper needs funding, cin funds it and those for many other less fortunate

I agree, op. Many people, particularly libertarians, prefer charities to big government. I’d much rather pay higher taxes if I knew the money would be spent on ‘worthy causes’. Leaving this up to charities makes no sense. Oh, and Jimmy saville was a great fundraiser.

@2020isnotbehaving

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

Yep.

I don’t believe there should be charities. For a start, lower paid people pay proportionately more to charity than richer ones, so just raising taxes and funding everything properly would be much fairer. But… in the meantime, before the revolution it’s better than nothing.

It's not just supporting disabled children!

@NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy

You're right OP, it's awful, hypocritical, virtue signalling bullshit. Recipients of charity filmed like some kind of Victorian freak show while some over paid celeb gets paid £££ for doing a sad face at the camera. Makes my blood boil.

I couldn't agree more!

I dont mind charities providing support. I often think they do a very good job free of government control (think lifeboats) but care is such a fundamental need and things like education or care are a right that is very sad these arent funded by tax.
I dont like CIN concept though much though. I do think its dated.

@seeline no, you’re absolutely right - disadvantaged children.

@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.

And likely the school is refusing to make reasonable adjustments and ignoring large swathes of the Sendcop at the same time

Children In Need doesn’t just support disabled children.

@Velvetbee

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.

Typo. You mean 'won't'

Instead of all the crap that raising money entails we should be questioning WHY they need Joe Public to bloody bridge horrible vast gaps in funding for these people. (Not that the answer is very difficult to come up with)

Pledge a tenner because the snappily dressed welsh guy has drummed for 24 hours then go and vote Tory in the next election…

It's almost nauseating to see these 'slebs' queueing up to appear on this show yet are also the same 'slebs' who have no compunction when it comes to displaying their fabulous lifestyles.

But us folk, on NMW, benefits, pensions etc... must be made to feel guilty for living in our HA properties, a modest home that we've never been able to trade up, a rental that costs more than double some peoples' mortgages are browbeaten to donate even more of the money that we don't have.

And so we do.

The BBC shouldn’t be hosting it. They covered up child abuse for SO FUCKING LONG.

Also, the likes of these well paid celebrities asking the likes of me (£9.81 an hour) for money is ridiculous.

Makes me cringe. All of it.

@Toddlerteaplease

I've never seen any evidence of where the money goes.

You could try looking at their accounts. www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Final-CIN-Appeal-Annual-Report-2020.pdf

Having reservations about the celebs, the BBC, the films is one thing. Random suggestions of financial impropriety are quite another.

I agree not just disabilities and the above beyond things like play clubs for kids who lost a parent deserve funding. But then for every club like that we see a child carer doing everything for a disabled adult and want money give them hour out house somewhere free for hour a week or month. It shouldn’t be happening we shouldn’t have that in uk in 2021 the anger comes from Government being 100% happy about that and we have billions up the wall wasted on trains or PPE contracts for chums.

Maybe one year take all money raised and take councils to court to provide basics for “children in need” instead then come back and put the glitter on life as it should be.

I am so glad to be reading this thread.
I've always felt uneasy about CIN. I thought it was just me!
I really "get" the well-meaning, benevolent rationale behind it, and it certainly does raise a shedload of dosh.
But I too have the same views as some PP's regarding the "celebrities", and should we be fundraising for stuff that society should be providing? It's a real dichotomy.
I also felt equally uneasy about "clapping for the NHS".
But I kept my thoughts to myself and my mouth shut, for fear of being seen as a tight-fisted, cynical old bitch.
(Which I'm sure I can be at times but that's for another thread......)

Every year, for so many years, the local charities who support the school that I once worked in, had enormous funding challenges that caused them to cut back their services.a child bereavement charity had to halt referrals as they had no money to pay for counsellors.

Accessing child carer support was almost impossible as they had to prioritise cases.

Play Therapy was so difficult to access too.

I feel sure that CIN money goes somewhere, but I'm twenty years of working in schools and liaising with other schools, I've seen no evidence. I gather the application process is onerous.

the bbc are complete hypocrites still doing this after sville

they should have let another channel pick it up or do something else with it