Thank you, Sir Terry

What I learned about charities from Sir Terry Wogan I was a TV-watching child of the 1970s and 1980s, and Sir Terry Wogan was ubiquitous on that medium during those decades, presenting his chat shows, fronting programmes including Blankety Blank and Children in Need, and of course commentating on the Eurovision Song Contest. News of his death really struck me and got me thinking this week about how much I learned from him, and in particular what charities can learn from his example. Don’t take yourself too seriously Many will remember Wogan for his hilarious, often bemused, sometimes cynical commentary on coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest. I also loved his self-deprecating singing of The Floral Dance. What do I take from both of these? He didn’t take himself too seriously. Yes, there are some things that we need to be passionate or serious about, but I learned from him that I should guard against earnestness. It’s not an attractive quality, and life is an absurd, rich, song-contest of a pageant that should be celebrated with an indulgent smile. Stay loyal to what you believe in Wogan presented Children in Need for over 30 years, and I can’t think of many other examples of such high-profile longevity of charity association. This is important because it flies in the face of the accusation that celebrities and personalities will flit between causes. Not Sir Terry. He stayed loyal to what he believed in and what he was passionate about. And I�