It’s quite a big day in the national calendar. I don’t know how many people watch it on TV or participate in another way, but every year over 40 million pounds is donated to the cause. That’s got to be a good thing, right?
Well, as you might expect, the answer is not simple. It is absolutely true that thousands of young people benefit from CiN projects every year and without that money some projects would probably not exist. I worked for an advocacy project which received initial funding from CiN back in the noughties. I worked with young people with ASD, providing an Internet Social Club and general advocacy support. It was a worthwhile and much needed project. The sort of thing that might have been funded by the local council 2 decades before. The project is still running, albeit in a completely different guise. A restructure and shift in focus meant that the organisation developed services which could be funded by statutory bodies. The dedication and determination of the CEO and a competent and committed staff team meant the organisation didn’t cease after the funding did. Sadly, this is not the case for many projects. It is well known in third sector circles that certain funding bodies aren’t so keen on funding on-going work, expecting organisation to seek alternate sources of finance for project continuation. They like to support new projects. On-going funding is way less ‘sexy’ , though crucial to projects continuing and developing.
The other issue with charitable funding is that it lets Government off the hook. According to the NCVO Civil Society Almanac 2022, the voluntary sector (or third sector as it is more commonly called) contributed £20.2billion (1% of total GDP) to the economy in 2019/20. That’s not just children’s charities, but they do form a large chunk of the pie. That’s a big wedge of money not being contributed by local and national Government. It means they get off scot free from discharging many responsibilities, so that nothing but very basic services are provided. It encourages local councils, whose budgets are already stretched, not to think about provision for its local residents, it discourages national strategies and puts pressure on individuals to seek out their own solutions. People often get very desperate before they find the right third sector organisation who might be able to help.
Giving to such a high profile organisation seems like a no-brainer - a great thing to do. Your money is going to a good cause. You can feel good about your contribution be it a £1 or a million pounds. In fact, repeated ‘messages’ throughout the event tell you that. You can give yourself a pat on the back. Even if you aren’t able to donate, it might be reasonable to suggest that the whole spectacle gives you a nice warm glow, a feeling that you’re participating in something worthwhile.
I’m not criticising anyone who gets involved, of course not, but it would be much more beneficial to local third sector groups if you gave directly, or better still, got involved. Many organisations are in need of volunteers and an hour of your time every week, or even every month, would, in real terms, be worth a lot more than your text tenner.
There are other important issues with this event: the way it showcases disabled young people as ‘hard luck’ stories in need of pity; how somehow, we only acknowledge their existence and ‘worthiness’ when they stand up in front of us via our TV screens and appeal to our better natures by disclosing their conditions and vulnerabilities. These young people deserve our support without having to beg for it on national TV! Disabled writers and advocates Nina Tame and Cathy Reay make much better arguments about this than I could and I would encourage you to check out their social media posts on the subject.
I am not demonising CiN, or trying to encourage you to boycott it. I would simply like the producers to think about the way in which they may be exploiting young disabled people in particular. I would be happy if you could think about other ways you can contribute to disadvantaged young people in your locality. Thank you, if you already do.
The bottom line is this- we need structural change in this country, so that children are not in poverty, homeless, hungry and disadvantaged. In a country that can stump up over £50 million a year for a single charity fundraiser (2022 figures) with a Government donation on top, think what we could do if we really put our minds hearts to it.
100% agree...