This Friday BBC makes way for the annual Telethon, Children In Need and dominates your viewing pleasure with a stack of celebrities pretending they care about our kids. Last year ABLE2 focused on the negative side of the annual fundraiser so it seems only fair that we give a pawful of good promotion for Pudsey's big night this year.

Digital viewers among you may have caught the first week at the Celebrity Scissorhands salon. One of these reality shows which now seem to crop up leading towards a charity night such as CIN. The usual batch of Z-List celebrities are given the second chance to shine, this time the theme is working in a beauty saloon. BBC 1's Scott Mills, X factor's Rowetta and 80's freak Steve Strange are just some of the contestants in this mildly entertaining series which can be found on BBC3 and late night on BBC 1. The most popular 5 Nicky Smith wannabes voted by the public will be given the job of working on the big night pampering the celebrities participating on the Friday night Telethon.

24 hours before Terry starts his 7 hour marathon listeners of Radio 2 can request their favorite songs for a whole day starting with Bob Harris on the Thursday and concluding with Chris Evans at 5.05pm Friday afternoon. Radio 2 is also the place if you fancy bidding for money can't buy prizes in the Children In Need auction on Wogan's breakfast show.

Enough of all the build up. Friday 17th November is the night when it all happens. From 7pm until 01.25 you can watch such delights as Holby City singing Madonna, the newsreaders making fools of themselves, Two Pints of Larger & a Packet Of Crisps stars performing Wham hits and a load more Televisual treats.

OK, now for the important bit. Throughout the evening expect the show to be broken up by short films with kids who need your help. Nowadays disability is only a small proportion to where your money goes. Child Prostitution, Bullying, Self-Harm, HIV/AIDS and Homeless are all given a helping hand with your donations. But seeing as we are a disability website it seems only right that we concentrate on the disabled side.

Of course, most kids with disabilities don't need cash thrown at them, just a bit of acceptance in society would do, but for severely disabled kids money does come in helpful. The current stats which say that 17,000 UK families are lumbered with a disabled child. They face 3 times as much cost supporting them and the disabled child themselves are likely to be abused and neglected than an able-bodied offspring.

In 2005 423 organisations for disabled children received a chunk of £7,586,209. The Sequal Trust which helps disabled children communicate better was given £10 K and Leighton Buzzard Mencap received £5,110 to finance Summer excursions for their 'Special Kids'!

So far we have been quite kind to Children In Need this year and we feel Wogan does a bloody decent job for free every year. Or does he present the evening for free? Apparently not!

Earlier this year after taking a train home from a showbiz event we chatted to a BBC guy who gave his verdict on the Telethon. Apparently most of the BBC staff are pestered all year to raise money for the event and Wogan IS paid for the night. Terry Wogan's annual contract includes his work on Children In Need although you will never find this written down in black and white. So this Friday when you seen the Irish goon gushing up the round of applause just bear in mind that he's picking up a huge sum at the end of the year which will include this weeks charity show.

CHILDREN IN NEED is on Friday 17th November, BBC 1 from 7pm.