Comic Relief: Worst since 2007

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The Times reports that Comic Relief is set to have it's worst year since 2007.

This is being blamed on the David Lammy "White Saviour" debacle, but I'm sure that it also doesn't help that they've just given £190,000 to Allsorts - the Brighton & Hove charity that supplies school packs with case studies in transitioning children as young as six.

Parent of a Six-Year Old:
My child’s primary school have been fantastic with her transition and were very supportive right from the word go.

The BBC has reported on the £190,000 Comic Relief Allsorts donation with a video story of a teen wandering around the Museum of Transology (I kid you not).

I suspect that the attack in Christchurch also had an impact. I know that I completely forgot about comic relief because I was watching the news from New Zealand.

They got 60 million as an on the night final total is that not good enough ? The only showed the stacy Dooley film once probably for damage limitation they also showed more inuk and positive African stories maybe they giving public prefer dying African stories.

I think they just need a rethink - there are so many factors.

As someone without children in school (so can easily escape it) I can't think of anything worse than watching Children in Need or Comic Relief as it's so many hours of v poor quality entertainment. Was OK in the 1980s when there were only 3 channels but not now.

They you have the plastic noses and buying of tat - loads of children are aware of not buying single use plastics so will be down on that.

Baking cakes - hmm, no thanks we have an obesity crisis.

Austerity and Brexit worries may have hit donations.

The white saviour thing has been called out for a few years, David Lammy has just got the most publicity for it this year. Some of the VTs of rich celebrity crying over poor child have been awkward for a long time.

And that's all without the 'what do they spend their money on?' issue.

They need a refresh of their fundraising strategy.

Agree with everything that's been said so far.

I have young children and I took them to Sainsbury's the other day to look at the fundraising merch. We just shrugged our shoulders and agreed they would take £2 each into school to donate (they do non-uniform).

Not funny, not original, not environmentally friendly...

Also, don't forget Millions of people are no longer paying for TV licences, so don't see it.

I think it's had its day, because of all the factors Anna listed.
Also it seems to be one of these charities that employs quite a lot of staff on salaries most of us can only dream of. I would rather give my money directly to specific causes rather than leave the sharing out to people I don't trust.

They need a refresh of their fundraising strategy.

Yup, or possibly it’s time to move on from Comic Relief. I totally forgot about it tbh. I’m kiwi and I’m giving all my spare money to that and the Vancouver Rape Crisis at the moment. But I have never liked comic relief tbh

I actually forgot it was on - it didn’t seem as well promoted as other years. I wouldn’t have bought the merchandise because it really just ends up in landfill.

Not giving to the corporate charity sector any more. My money goes mostly on the women's sector where sex exemptions are being upheld, pro-woman lobbying such as FPFW, or anti-austerity grass roots initiatives local to me.

Anyone wishing to donate to the developing world should pick one of the most bang for buck charities listed here:

www.givewell.org/charities/top-charities

I usually go with the Deworm The World Initiative.

Comic Relief will find all sorts of excuses to spin this custard pie in their faces - Brexit, the weather, whatever.

The fact remains that I don't find it funny when grant-making bodies pose a safe-guarding risk to children, through their support of Trans-Affirming projects.

I don't find it funny when a charity involves itself in politics by using hashtags like #genderjustice and the intimidating logo of Transactivism (a variation on three fists inside the symbols for male and female).

I made it my business to tell everyone and anyone that Comic Relief should be starved of donations until there was an improvement in its decision-making

(The image is taken from a Comic Relief Blog Post in 2018)

There was a call for bakes at work, and I asked for a list of charities, I couldn’t really find anything that assured me the money was not going on ‘right on’ trans charities, I decided against baking for comic Relief. To me it was lack of transparency and lack of trust about where the money would go, knowing what the bbc are like. I bought some cakes and donated that way, but didn’t exactly put myself out with the cost and effort of baking.

My children's school didn't do anything for it this year.

Yup. My donation went to Vancouver rape relief this year. Comic Relief do good work, but if they don’t understand what female means, I have no faith that their gender justice funds will be properly targeted

My office didn't do anything but that may be because the persons who organise this sort of thing realised compulsory donation fatigue might have set in.We have had so many opportunities recently to donate to charities not of our choosing.

I'm really pleased that my ds's school sent a text to say that they wouldn't be doing anything for comic relief and the students could choose which charity to donate to. They chose a local rape crisis centre and New Zealand.

I haven't given to this or CiN for years. I'm sick of celebs using it to promote themselves it's all so patronising.

I now patreon to Meghan Murphy and Dr Nic at Fair Play for women and when I have enough will also donate to Vancouver Rape Relief.

Good points raised so far. Am I right in thinking they also have significant cash reserves (so they haven't even spent the money from last time out)?

Also a charity I volunteered for never bothered trying for a grant from Comic Relief - too difficult (the paperwork!) and we weren't convinced that they would care about our women focus.

I think these things have become an expensive exercise in self aggrandisement and virtue signalling. The money goes to some dubious organisations.
I prefer to choose which charities I support and I donate to them directly.

It will be blamed on the David Lammy/Stacey Dooley 'white saviour' row but while that may be one factor I think there are many others.

The sex abuse scandals and subsequent cover ups of them by major charities.

The realisation by the public that there is a closed shop at the top of these charities whose tentacles reach into the highest levels of Government.

The forced participation of schools in Comic Relief, Children in Need and Sport Relief and the pressure this places on parents and children.

The alternating hectoring and patronising tone of rich celebrities telling people who will never have the kind of money and influence the celebrities have that they MUST donate.

For Comic Relief in particular the debacle around the insulting 'Woman of the Week' which was never satisfactorily explained.

A general feeling of compassion fatigue with the public, there are so many adverts on TV requesting people to just give £3-£10 per month for this charity and that charity.

Probably also a feeling that for all the money raised and spent over decades it has made little impact on bringing about long term permanent change and benefit.

Personally, I don't agree that the so-called independent BBC should broadcast the propaganda fests that are Comic Relief, Children in Need and Sport Relief.

I would never give to comic relief or any of these huge multi charity events. I would much rather give to a single issue charity so I know exactly where the money is going. By it's own definition , 'Comic Relief is a major UK charity, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty', which is fine but not very specific. There are many visions of a just world and people should never be shamed into not contributing to a specific one. I truly feel sorry for parents who are guilt tripped into giving and can only assume that donations are down as many are resisting the pressure.

On friday they were asking for the text donation and they were really pushing the £30 donation telling you that it could buy x y z but 30 quid is a lot of money for people to just donate it has got a bit above itself imo

Our school charged a pound for non uniform day. My eldest was told that she still would have to pay even if she chose to come in her uniform?! This plus the plastic noses cost me £4.50 for two kids. On the way in and out of school they had money collectors. This really annoys me as we are living on the bread line.

I donated to Vancouver Rape Relief rather than comic relief. I feel powerless when faced with the onslaught against woman's sex based protections but I can at least choose not to donate to an organisation which lauds Lili Elbe as an inspirational woman and gives financial support to misogynistic transactivism.

what was the woman of the week thing?

agree with posts saying there are multiple reasons that people are less keen