by Charlotte Gill, The Daily Sceptic
It’s not long to go until the next BBC Children in Need, which takes place on Friday November 13th 2026. Already, Brits are being encouraged to open their hearts and wallets to the vulnerable. Case in point: this week I watched The One Show (yes really) and it had an emotional segment about a young boy helped by a brain tumour charity. I mention this to emphasise that I am not anti-BBC Children in Need. It has done fantastic work over the years, pouring lots of money into groups and organisations doing the world of good. I say the same thing about charities, generally. The problem is ideological capture.
Children in Need is not immune to this issue. Indeed, I have been very alarmed by multiple examples of what it’s funding, including groups that are very identity-focused (based on race or another characteristic that further splinters British society) or are deeply ideological (for example, one LGBT+ group I explore – Cumbria Pride – has a page about pronouns on its website). In this piece I will give you five examples of exactly what Children in Need has been funding, in addition to its good work, to show you Pudsey’s downfall:
£45,000 to the Bahja Initiative
The Bahja Initiative describes itself as an “Islamic organisation aiming to bring about positive change in the community by reviving the Sunnah and upholding Islamic principles”. It offers “Sunnah Sports”, an evening Islamic school and adult education classes, including “Women’s Only Classes”, as well as having a supplementary school of Islamic literacy and martial arts – whose mission is to “permeate prophetic principles, in a fun and safe learning environment”. Children in Need’s grant to the Bahja Initiative was to “provide sport, craft and other youth club activities for girls in Hyndburn to develop their sense of identity.”
“This project will support LGBTQ+ children and young people through ‘Connect with Pride’ events. It will give them access to a safe space,” reads the description of Children in Need’s £45,000 grant to Cumbria LGBT Pride. The charity, which has also received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, has numerous photos of drag queens on its website homepage.
Read here (£)