Children in Need = Greed?

We have just had the annual fun-fest which is ‘Children in Need’. This is where ordinary, sane people do something completely mad, to raise money for children’s charities. These people are warm, caring individuals having fun along with children: who can criticise that?

Well it’s quite easy to be cynical about it all ,and I am very cynical when it comes to charity.

Firstly, charity is a way for governments to relinquish their responsibilities for the people who they were set up to serve. It is not the responsibility of Doris from Morecambe to bake buns in the shape of bottoms to raise money so that the children of this country can be safe!

Why, in the 21^st century do we have a charity that exists for the safeguarding of our children ( the NSPCC)? Surely, as a civilised society, it is our job to ensure that we have a government that is held responsible for this?

‘The Thatcher’ - I’m sure that was a Marvel comics super-villain? Whereas, here in Britain, she was a real life super-villain. She started this rubbish about turning back to Victorian family values. Are these the values where we sell our children, or our wives? The same values where children climb chimneys or work down mines? The same values that see 2% of the country having all the wealth? What a load of rubbish.

As citizens of this nation we should not have to go cap in hand for something that is by rights ours to demand. We pay the taxes; we vote in the governments so we have the right to a safe, free existence.

Now, Children in Need is becoming something more than just a fundraising event.

I have to hold my hand up here, and admit that I’m part of this cynical little deception.

Now it is really wonderful of celebrities to give up their precious expensive time to come along and raise money for a good cause. Forget that this event is held in the main buying time just before Christmas. Forget that they have a new album, book, film, or programme out. Forget that some of them are no longer in the soap and are out of work, they are just doing it for the children.

Also, what about those oversized comedy cheques that are shown on prime time TV, you know the ones where the woman dressed as a clown stands up and says, “Yes, Terry, we at Billy Buggins printers of Preston have raised £100 by selling badges with our new print range!”

The price of that advert on prime time TV at peak time would bankrupt ‘Billy Buggins’.

I was part of Children in Need yesterday; I do have a new book out (Diva Dave and Fat Sue).  I worked at a school in Elland in West Yorkshire.

I know the head teacher at the school and I have to say that it was a pleasure and a privilege to work with both the staff and the children (I have a new book out).

I not only worked with the children on the day but gave up the whole week to sort out and organise the event but I didn’t mind, because, after all, I have a new book out.

The children were tasked to write, publish and print a commercial book in a day.

On the day in question the children arrived in their bed clothes with teddies in hands all chattering and excited, the staff too were excited and I was excited, because I have a new book out.

We set off writing at nine AM: at ten, the whole text and art work was finished. We quickly e-mailed them over to my publishers (who have published my new book). The publishers then sent the laid out book over to the printers. I’m pleased to say that, after a long day with lots of twists and turns, we eventually claimed the world record for a commercially-produced book, 4 hours 24 minutes.

The kids were ecstatic, the teachers were tired but happy, and I was banjaxed, having driven around Yorkshire, with a phone glued to my head begging favours from good people that I know, and surviving a mugging attempt during the day.

But for me the day was slightly ruined by the BBC, who were told on many occasions that our event was taking place in Elland. The Beeb turned up to film a couple of women standing in a shop window in their underwear for ‘Children in Need’ - they were not promoting the shop of course. But we at the school had hundreds of little faces all waiting in anticipation for the cameras to turn up and film just for a few moments, so they could see themselves on TV. But no-one came, even though the school is no more than a few hundred yards from the near naked women promoting a shop.

Now, I hope that I have proven I do have something to sell and all the publicity will not do me or my new book any harm. But, having said all that, I do spend all my working life trying to get young people into the habit of reading and writing, as I have said many times in my blogs, 'education is a basic fundamental right for all people’. I worry about the amount of young people in our country that can neither read nor write.

Having said this, people like Howard Priestley, who is a very gifted and talented artist, also gave up some time for us on the day. This time I know could have been used for other things for him, on the day, which were very important, but he still gave his talent and time for free without any reward what so ever. Chantelle Davis who was, on the day, very ill, still managed to get to the school to film the event for me, again she has nothing to sell, or to gain from her actions.

I think what we can deduce from all this is that we are a nation of caring people, and cynics in business and government know this, and abuse it. Those that should serve, and we that sell, should hang our heads in shame for manipulating what is and should always be a day of celebration of innocence and fun. Where families can get together and laugh and act silly and raise some money, that should be used to give young people a chance in a life time. 

I think this day of celebration of youth and families is a wonderful event. I love to see the faces of the children when they are able to do something different from the ‘norm’. Not only are they able to act stupid for a day but also their parents and teachers joining in!

So to all you good honest people out there, thank you for all your support. And I do apologise for my cynicism; I did enjoy the day, even though I had a new book to sell.