Children in Need

Granny23 I agree. Just give some money - why do we need all these silly stunts all the time?

Whilst I always make a donation I do sometimes feel this is almost enforced charity giving. I don't watch the programmes on TV as I long ago came to the conclusion that many of the "celebrities" appearing are doing so to increase their own profile.

The silly stunts also put me off. Why sit in a bathtub of baked beans - why not donate the money used to buy the beans to either Children in Need or to help the people in the Phillipines. There was an item on the local news last night showing 3 schoolchildren standing on a blanket dressed in T-shirts whilst their schoolfriends threw baked beans at them! (what is it with baked beans )

I really don't like to whole Children in Need thing! But it brings in money to be used where it's needed, I suppose. Which can't be bad.

Off with Rotary to shake a bucket for the Phillipine disaster today. It's a it chilly....

It would be good to see a chunk of the money collected from the many millions donated to CIN passed on to the Phillipine disaster.

G23 a lot of these fundreaisers are exactly like that - they cost more than they make. I used to be part of an annual presence at a fundraising fair for a small local charity. Peope would give all kinds of things to be sold, and work for days baking and making jam and so on.

I had many arguments with other organisers whose mantra was "Anything we get for it is a plus, it did not cost us anything" - but it had cost the giver time and money, and they could have saved both by just handing over £1 or two.

Among the things we were given were a couple of Beswick china animals, slightly damaged. They would have gone for 50p or £1 each, maybe £5 if someone was feeling daring. I held them back and sold them on Ebay, with photographs of the very slight chip and the glued-back-on bit. Total - about £150.

Agree Granny23.
I once made a rich fruit cake for some fundraising fair or other, and was annoyed to see it priced at half what the ingredients had cost me.
Glamma I don't think you can do that. People have the right to choose where to donate their money.
Just to be clear, I have donated to the Philippines, for several reasons. We also donate on a monthly basis to Save the Children.
I don't donate to CIN because I find the whole ghastly celebrity thing a total turn-off.

In the past I have known a pre-school playgroup to have received a donation from C.I.N. They had a hard decision deciding what to spend it on as they had all they needed already! Why apply if you don't need it? If there are other organisations in a similar position, what a waste of our donations! I would love to see a huge chunk of this year's millions going to the Phillipines.
I had a collection bucket shaken at me by a handsome firefighter in uniform this morning on the school run, so gave him all my parking change from the car. How could I refuse him?

I definitely think there should be a donation from CIN to the Filipino children who at the moment are far more in need than any child in the UK. It's called Children in Need after all. CIN raises millions. I'm sure they can spare some of it without making a dent in their coffers. Some might argue that Comic Relief raises money for children overseas but children in the Phillipines need it right NOW.

In fact I won't be donating to CIN this year as I'd rather give a bit more to the Red Cross appeal.

Merlot I didn't mean that people shouldn't donate to the Philippines -far from it - I agree there is far greater need there than here.
I just think that people donate to a particular cause for a particular reason and that should be respected.
Everyone has the choice of whether to send money to the Philippines, or to CIN, or both, or neither.

Am I right in thinking that quite a lot of people boycotted CIN last years because of the Jimmy Saville thing? I might be getting confused with something else.

jane that thought never crossed my mind to be honest.

I think that many people will focus their giving on the Philippines this year and that CIN giving will be done. I gave as much as I could to the Red Cross. having said that, I have a picture of two GC in 'civvies' for the day, for which I suppose they pay £1 - hopefully from their own pocket money.

What about sending the money that you would have spent on Christmas presents for adults who don't need anything to one of these charities and just popping a note of what you have done in a Charity Christmas card.
I often agonise over novelty items for hard to buy for relatives and I'm sure they'd appreciate that the money went to someone more needy.

G23 love the new addition to our language ... the word 'onesieless'

In my last post (14.03.25), CIN giving will be done should read CIN giving will be DOWN!

Seems to me that the best place to donate money for the Phillipines is to the DEC - it comprises representatives of many major charities and the money is allocated as the repercussions of the disaster unfold. So we have donated to that.

Obviously, in Rotary we are also supporting ShelterBox, but it has huge reserves of boxes all over the world ready to be deployed. (A ShelterBox is a wonderful thing.) Then there is AquaBox...

My hairdresser likes riding racing cycles for a hobby and goes from one sponsored ride directly to another. I've stopped sponsoring him as I'm getting the feeling I'm supporting his hobby.

I usually put £1 in the poppy appeal box. Hopefully this year my £1 will cover the cost to the British Legion for the box they posted to me containing to tastefully designed notelets, a nice pen and a poppy.

And if Guide Dogs for the Blind send me just one more gimmicky thing I'm stopping my standing order.

They're all at it!

(Are all Rotary's supporting AquaBox?)

Oh this has really cheered me up. I loathe CIN, dislike all the dressing up and sentimentalisation of desperate situations. Grump, Grump, Grump. I never donate, and like others, will give extra to the Philippenes appeal. Grump.

Yes MIL is watching it (am on a MIL weekend this weekend). Very shouty.
Am retreating to the bedroom to do a little Welsh homework in self defence!!!!!
(reading book on Welsh grammar preferable to all that yelling...)

Iam64 I'm with you. I sometimes feel like a grump but I made a decision many years ago to tithe my income to charities I wanted to support. They are L'Arche, Marie Curie, Cancer Research and Cafod. That covers a lot of bases and that's it. I sometimes feel mean at not supporting obviously good causes, but you can't support everything and I've made my choice. Others will make different ones, but the celebrity aspect sickens me.

I have favourite charities like WaterAid, Save the Children and sponsoring a child, and donate to DEC, but whenever any charity starts hyping it up with goodies and publicity that costs money better spent elsewhere, they get the elbow. Vast amounts of money spent on fancy dress for children is better donated direct to charity.

I can't stand Tess Daly posturing on Children in Need, and find those outside broadcasts of lines of waving kids stood with cheques mindnumbingly boring. This year whatever might have gone to CIN has been given to the Philippines. I'm watching Gardeners' World!

Nfk no, not all Rotary Clubs - each club chooses its own particular charities. ShelterBox was, originally, a single Rotary Club's project, so holds a place in our hearts, and it is now a recognised partner of Rotary International.

No - I too find the whole CIN thing too much. So-called celebs making a very great deal of noise. I never watch it. I would rather choose which charities I want to support. I am a bit squeamish about the idea of parading people's problems on TV, especially children.