Children In Need

We dipped in and out of CIN on Friday night until the breaking news about Paris and then we went to the News channel and stayed there until the early hours.

Bloated charities no longer appeal. I never give to any of them these days, far preferring to donate to smaller ones who don't have execs driving around in compay cars.

Jane10 - my feelings exactly!

I found David Beckham's England and Ireland versus The Rest of The World football match last night far more entertaining. The finale of seven matches on seven continents in nine days to raise money for Unicef. A lovely, good natured game, played by people having fun.

I've always found it a bit distasteful somehow. Like those charities that send you something through the post and try to make you feel guilty for not sending them some money. The TV entertainers have a lovely self promoting time and we're expected to sit back and marvel at them. Well I don't watch and prefer to give directly to charities of my choice. There are more than children in need in this world. Sorry for sounding so sour. 'Children in Need' just isn't a charity I want to support.

We always donate in some form, and watch the show every year, but this year it was a very poor effort. The only bits we actually enjoyed were the Eastenders performance, Strictly, and Rod Stewart. We switched off at 11.30pm, it had got so boring, and some of the singers were terrible. I`m sorry that Terry Wogan was ill, he was sadly missed.

I suppose if you watch the program you see where some of the money goes. Apparently they are sitting on a huge amount of capital, on the other hand they give grants spread over three years. I think it is better to give direct to a charity, otherwise your money is going through two sets of administrative bodies which cost money to run. Ideally get involved with something local and give them your money.

I wish we knew more about where the money actually goes. I read this morning they raised something in the region of £37 million last night. They must be sitting on squillions but we know very little about how it is spent.

My niece is a Macmillan nurse and she has to regularly re-apply for her job as funding is always an issue.

That's where my donations go.

I never watch it.

To be honest - I was planning to watch it - but we have family here and the evening was over before it had begun!! We will donate though because I do think they support some very worthy causes

I taped it, watched it through the FF button as, once I had seen the first hour, it all got repeated through the night or they showed the Tom Jones which was on the night before which I watched then and was really good. I have give for many years but not last night. I do expect some entertaining, not just presenters replaying the same stuff over and over. It never used to be like that, the last couple of hours used to be riskier stuff and very funny, getting the people who had come in from a night out. Poor yesterday, no wonder Terry stayed home.

I saw a bit later in the evening. I don't know who the presenters were but they seemed very amateur. Made you realise how professional people like Terry Wogan are.

i thought we were the only ones that avoided it ,i do donate but as far as putting money in buckets, no thank you ,

annsixty I didn't see your post before I posted mine, that's very interesting.

I'll give a donation but won't watch it

A few years ago I was involved with an organisation giving help to the families of severely disabled children. We applied to Children in Need for funding and the conditions we found unacceptable, mainly the publicity they wanted which was not something we, or the parents could agree to. Parents of children with serious problems usually need privacy and anominity for their children, I do not contribute now.

I am also like Iam64- I avoid it like the plague. I have not watched it for many years.

DH won't watch it.
We were in Asda in the morning, there were one or two staff dressed up. Collection buckets placed at the end of each till. I put my contribution in with the half a dozen coins already in the one at my till

I'm a real bah humbug person where Children in Need is concerned. I do give to charities and I'm not knocking anyone who joins in enthusiastically but like Nelliemoser, I avoid it.

I happily avoided it all yesterday by catching up on the weeks televiewing I missed while on holiday.