Child’s play

Thirty years ago someone had the bright idea to emulate the american Telethons over here with a fundraiser taking over the entire evening’s television viewing. There were only three channels back then, Margaret Thatcher was prime minister and Bucks Fizz had just won the Eurovision Song Contest involving a rather nifty trick with skirts and velcro. Pioneering feminism and stripping for points, all in a single era.

Terry Wogan was one of three hosts in that first all-nighter and he’s still a stalwart supporter, hosting this year’s festivities along with Alesha Dixon, Tess Daly and Fearne Cotton. Mixing the tasty treats of novelty performances – such as the BBC newsreaders’ own Strictly Come Dancing, a special feature with The Muppets and some showbiz pals, and Lord Sugar having the tables turned when he enters the Dragons’ Den – with heartfelt appeals for your cash to help children’s charities not just in this country but around the world.

It’s a difficult time for all charities as it’s no secret that pocketstrings have been tightening for both the individual and the corporate donators. However, with Christmas cards and presents veering towards the homemade, supermarkets competing on penny-pinching and the personally-rewarding becoming more treasured than the purely material paybacks, I’d like to think a culture of giving and valuing that gift is being fostered. In this I mean that receiving a book that you will really like has become recognisably preferable to a gadget to cost three times as much and gets lost after 15 minutes as a Christmas present.

Maybe it’s my own personal shopping trips that have coloured this impression, but I’d like to think that substance is beginning to triumph over image. That’s not to say I won’t be enjoying the traditional Doctor Who teaser, Albert Square dressed in finery for their Queen tribute or Gary Barlow’s celebrity official Children In Need single. It just means that I might be phoning up to donate a small amount, aware that even a small amount makes a difference when added to other miniscule sums. Rather than just saying I definitely can’t afford it and munching on another Jaffa Cake.

You don’t have to watch it all, and to be honest vegging out and watching an entire evening of patchwork variety telly sounds quite exhausting, but it might be worth making a note at the beginning of the snippets of interest and popping back in time for those. I’m looking forward to the special edition of Never Mind The Buzzcocks promised for the BBC2 stint, as well as some new Vic’n’Bob CiN themed sketches. Oh, and of course the homemade cupcakes that sometimes make it into the office for our own charity bake sale (if we’re lucky). Very scrummy and a fabulous way of giving whilst still getting something to satiate that Friday afternoon sugar craving. It’s always easy to feel virtuous when I’m wolfing down chocolate for charity. Such a delight to give – om, om.

Children In Need, BBC1 & BBC2, Friday 18 November
Victoria Nangle