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've always felt Children in Need were the pits, possibly due to years of trauma based on the nightmare of 'Let's see what's happening in your region!' and it always being a man sitting in a tub of baked beans because let's face it, regional TV is shit.

However as an adult I can see they fund a lot of projects that would struggle to fundraise any other way.

Comic Relief annoys me with the 'Africa' focus - Africa isn't a country FFS, why not poverty stricken bits of South America or Asia, it now seems a bit random and dated.

And both need a think about how to tell us what an inspirational woman is, if they are going to focus on women and girls' projects

I think maybe the fact that over the last decades Britain has seen a widening gap between rich and poor is one reason why this isn't sitting quite right any more. It is starting to look rather Victorian with the slebs resembling the upper classes preaching to the lower orders about what they should do with their money.
30 years ago I don't think Comic Relief felt like that.

AnnaMagnani oh yes the irony of someone wasting a vast quantity of food in order to get people to donate money to feed starving people.

Also agree with TheCountess although I've been of that opinion for many, many years and subsequently don't donate to CR, CiN, Sport Relief or any other monolithic charities. I do support several charities but research and choose those whose objectives I believe in and who demonstrate a tangible benefit to those who are in receipt of their services.

It won’t be one single thing, it’ll be a combination. The poor press from the white saviour stuff, austerity, people feeing they have little enough for themselves. The terrible events in Christchurch. And yes, I think the allsorts thing will have had an effect. I know ive spoken to several friends and family about it who have been quite shocked and said they’d no longer donate.

The variety entertainment format has always been excruciatingly naff.

Personally I want to know where my moneys going. The malaria/women’s clinics? Yup that’s a great cause, but I won’t donate to the umbrella organisation if they’re sending money to allsorts.

I think it's more celebrity based rather than comedian based as well and the comedians and sketches they have aren't as funny. Comedians are woke and boring these days. Sanctified comedy. They do political rants and think that's comedy.

I think maybe the fact that over the last decades Britain has seen a widening gap between rich and poor is one reason why this isn't sitting quite right any more. It is starting to look rather Victorian with the slebs resembling the upper classes preaching to the lower orders about what they should do with their money.

Further, we have a growing split between those who give charity and those who receive it. I might not put this very well, but all these big charity events seem to be part of building a big economic model that I want no part of. They've built up at the same time and rates as the public sector has been demolished. I want a country with systems that work for all, not a few very rich people who occasionally give a bit of charity to make themselves feel good.

The charity given is to very specific people-as-objects as well, those deemed worthy or who will be grateful enough, rather than everyone who actually needs it.

I want a country with systems that work for all, not a few very rich people who occasionally give a bit of charity to make themselves feel good.

I agree. I also think that a lot of charity donations and volunteering actually comes from working class people.

It's got nothing to do with allsorts

Can't speak for others, but it certainly is in our household. We were pretty generous with Comic Relief until we discovered how much they were giving to Mermaids/Allsorts.

Here too. I see any money going to Mermaid as blood money. So no CIN or lottery.

I have been donating regularly, more than Ihave done in the past. But to organisations, charities and individuals who are working on issues and causes I care about.

Sorry BBC but I don’t want to fund your organisational narcissism.

After nearly two decades working in areas with much poverty I was finally involved in a small arts project funded by CIN. I was actually enormously appreciative as funding for the arts has humongously been cut.

I've always found it ironic that the children in need I work with raise so much money for CIN snd comic relief and never benefit.

Schools have increased how much they ask parents to donate or take part in fund raising events for the school so much in the last few years I wouldn't be surprised if that was a big factor too.

I'm also getting fucked off with the plastic landfill crap.

Typically I always donate, this year I didn’t because of comic relief’s support for trans ideology.

My daughter's school told them to wear something red, and bring in a pound for CIN. But they didn't inform the parents at all, so doubt they raised much money! Unfortunately their headteacher is a HUGE Stonewall fan, and their inclusion policy has 'gender' all over it; so I'm expecting Mermaids any day now...

Agree Dark. Most filthy rich people who then become lauded as philanthropists have exploited and bankrupted employees and opponents on the way up

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)?
All charities have cash reserves; if they spent all their money in one year, they wouldn't have enough to run on during the next year. CiN (and probably other big charities such as the Lottery) have a three-year turnover of cash, giving out most of their grants in tranches. And it's just good budgeting - do you spend your whole month's income in the first week?
Having said that, I haven't given to CiN for a few years, having decided they don't really need the fiver or tenner that is all I can usually afford to give to a charity each month. This month's tenner has instead gone to Vancuver Rape Relief; most of my charity-giving nowadays is going to women-centred groups.

Also agree with the plastic tatt. The BBC feel virtuous for having Blue Planet on the danger of plastics and see no irony in then producing a mountain of it for Comic Relief

As a family we support one orphanage. We know the people who run it, we visit it regularly. They do fantastic work and I know exactly where my donations are going. Not a celebrity in sight.
I also support a couple of UK charities that I have researched carefully.
I volunteered for a UK cancer charity for some years and was disgusted with the lining of pockets going on. So I am very cautious.

I usually give a fiver, but I gave it to the Vancouver rape shelter this year.

Hate CR. Donated to new Zealand this year. Hate that I'm forced to donate via primary schools forced donation policy. Also hate scoring corporate charities and especially those supporting trans rights over women's rights. Also I have some some charity work as a lawyer and i can't begin to tell you of the number of cases where there are financial anomalies. Sickening. Finally, I 100% after with the No White Saviours group. If you wouldn't walk into a clinic in England and pick up an impoverished looking child them don't do it in Africa!! Stacey D made a tit of herself and then went all sanctimonious.

Oh and the comedy is just so bloody cringe (as my teens would say!). It's preachy and patronising and the same old white faces every flipping year. It's programming is not diverse or representative and people are just thoroughly fed up.

It's just another thing which is showing more disconnect between the public and the power.
And It's yet another thing that will be ignored because of the arrogance of power.
We saw it with Brexit
We saw it with the GRA
And we see it here.
They are clueless about what the public actually think or go through.

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone donating to NZ, it’s very heartwarming to read

We didn't donate due to Woman of the Week and Allsorts. Was relieved when the school didn't participate - I think on environmental grounds.
We did watch a bit of the show on Friday but we both commented that it seemed 'flat'.

Does anyone under a certain age even know who Lenny Henry is?
Part of the appeal when I was young was it was full of alternative comediennes and it all seemed a bit disorganised. Now it’s so very controlled and orchestrated and so embarrassingly unfunny! The Four Weddings sketch was a travesty.

I won’t give them money any more for various reasons. They 100% need to stop with the plastic shit.

I'm afraid I even refused to buy at the school cake sale because I object so much to them donating to AllSorts.