David Lammy/Stacey Dooley

Makes you wonder if it's worth putting any thought at all into the threads on here.

Anyway. Just give 'em some money. Who really cares if we actually watch or not?

I don't watch it anymore, but it used to be quite an 'event' when my daughter was little.
She was allowed to stay up and watch, and we ate some treats.. Happy days.

I know a “celebrity” very well who has participated in Comic Relief.

They raised a lot of money, did not receive payment for their time spent on training to do the task or the task itself. It was their way of “giving something back”

Not all “celebrities” are only in it for self promotion, unfortunately we hear more of the ones that are.

Does anyone else think that perhaps the remit of Comic Relief is too wide? How do they choose which countries and projects to support? I also become uneasy with rather well off celebrities asking me to give more on these specific programmes.

Seems he is not a racist. Simply pointing out that we are now all equal. And they have showers in Africa. We are obviously unaware they have cities that look just like western towns and cities, just hotter. So this footage should be shown instead of the poverty

I shall apologise for feeling concerned about those less fortunate. I shall keep my money in future and spend it on something else.

If you show people doing well, no one will donate. Der.

If they need it, do what's necessary to provide it. If they don't, end Comic Relief and other aid and spend it on people who do. Disasters and the like.

No one disrespects these people. And no one disrespects them because they are black. They want to help because they are (or were) thirsty, hungry and suffering. In fact DYING.

People will not donate if they think the problem is solved. You HAVE to show those in need. Painful as seeing it may be. And racist comments from David Lemmy are unhelpful. It shouldn't matter what colour Stacey Dooley is. She was holding a child in need. And SHE gave up her time to do something to help. Unlike D.L.

No one, not even Mother Theresa felt bad about helping others. Of course, it makes people feel good. And that is wrong because? If you have, and you help the have nots, it does not make you a bad person.

breeze well said ??

It’s not that we shouldn’t give money or aid those in need. It’s the images of well Off westerner with poor black child - no adult in sight- which is outdated. What if the celebrities on Children in Need had photos taken with poor child in a U.K. food bank - no parent in sight- saying how adorable etc. It’s just cringeworthy these days.

All of those things go on though.
At work last week a local councillor came in to 'consult' with the people who use a club that is for disabled people.
His picture was taken, they've ticked the 'minorities' part of their remit, but there was very little consulting going on.

I, a white person, support a child in an African slum. If I hadn't she would have had no schooling beyond primary, no health education, no future. It is not something I am given to mention because it is nobody's business but my own and hers. It would be wonderful if her Country had the social system to support slum occupants, but it doesn't. Am I wrong to have wanted to change one life?

Remember the starfishes on the beach?
eventsforchange.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/the-starfish-story-one-step-towards-changing-the-world/

The Diana photographs were at least 20 years ago. We would hope that attitudes had also moved on. However people writing things like this If David Lammy cares about ‘his people’ then he’s let them down with his haughty, resentful pride. He is well fed, not thirsty, educated and clothed. But he may well have seen to it that ‘his people’ now won’t be would seem to indicate little change or growth.

We are not all equal though.

When every child, from wherever, and every old person likewise, enjoys the same standard of living as this man then that’s when we are all equal.

B9 Its great what you are doing - but you haven't flown over to that country to have your photo taken with that child to put on Instagram. David Lammy isn't saying we shouldn't give aid where it is needed, but we should think about our relationship with the recipients.

You should work in journalism Lily65 interview people pick out a paragraph from all they've said then take it out of context.

It was sarcasm and you know it. Or you should. That's what the quotation marks were for

Stacey was in Uganda wasn't she? The Ugandan High Commissioner to Britain was on TV this morning. He said Comic Relief and people such as Stacey are doing a great job. The only objection he had was that a picture of a Ugandan child was put out on social media.

Precisely Anja D.L. is confusing equality of standard of living with racism. And it is not helpful.

That sounds reasonable enough.
It's a shame some people have taken and run with it.
(Weird saying!)

I have indeed flown over to that Country, I was very privileged to meet my child, and I have had photos taken with her, but they are for my own very special memories, and to send back when I write!

I personally cannot understand anyone wanting to put their lives online, people can find me by googling my name, but I try (not always successfully) to prevent photos going up. I never post anything remotely connected with family or friends, and get upset when people tag me in photos. Privacy is a relatively new concept, but I will defend mine as much as I can. I dread being identified on here, and have had to change my name once to prevent that.

It is depressing that there is never a nod to the good things that Britain has tried to do. Benjamin Zefaniah - another person who chose to stay in this country and has enjoyed freedom of practically everything including speech - refused an honour for his poetry because of our involvement in slavery. Yes, we and many other counties were involved, but as time went on this country did so much to help eradicate the foul trade. Out supremacy of the seas at the time helped to curb piracy and the slave trade, and many politicians - William Wilberforce for one, who almost worked himself to death with his efforts - petitioned for years and successfully brought new laws. Also, no apologies are ever demanded, or mentioned, from the descendants of the black gang masters who were the first to round up their own people and sell them on in the chain of slavery. There is never a word printed about their part in the suffering.

I dont think Mr Lammy was asking for an apology ,just that whatever fundraising there is isn't presented in the patronising, superior style it has been for decades.
I went to school in 1959 ,we collected pennies and when our little cards were full we got to name a "black baby" so it appeared to us it was our baby and that is wrong.We shouldn't have been told it was OK to call children from a different culture by Scottish or European names .They HAD names that were appropriate to their lives already Any giving has to be without gain,no publicity for the "stars" no looking like the white saviour that missionaries tried to be
its good to give but not for gain and not to look like lady bountiful

We did that too "paddyann*. It seems ludicrous now but we never gave it a thought at the time.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I think David Lammy's comments might lead to an 'own goal'. Many generous people donate to oversea charities.

Lammy's comments are patronising and arrogant, and may lead to fewer people giving to these causes.

As a nation, we contribute £billions annually in foreign aid. Much more than most other countries, yet people like David Lammy can only find fault.

For his comments to be considered credible, he should go out to Africa himself, and hope that people will donate.

I think that the accusation of racism is wrong. Only about 3% of people in Britain are Black. 87% of people, the vast power holding majority , white. Racism is not just about name calling etc. it is about power and control.

Programmes such as the one that surround Comic Relief focus on deficiencies and poverty. Some people hold that image and do not see that, whist the continent of Africa has huge issues because of climate, war and some poor governments , it also has thriving cities. It has also been exploited for centuries.. and that takes time to recover from. China is of course cashing in on Africa now by building infrastructures.. but using Chinese workforce not training local people.

I lived in E Africa as a child, my father was part of the British Colonial Service. It takes a few generations for any society to become self sufficient after colonial rule ..even when not fighting drought or lack of infrastructure.. but huge advancements are being made and we need to see a better and more balanced view.

It is a sad situation where we will only give our money for those in need because a famous face endorses the cause.