Isn't it a weird world we live in where people will give to charity

But only if a 99 year old bloke struggles round his garden first.

And I include myself in that.

 

Bit off the mark with that one. On average £10 billion a year is donated to charity in the UK. Captain Tom has captured the imagination but people were already looking for ways to donate to the NHS before his magnificent gesture. Social media and TV coverage had a large part to play. Tom just united the country in much the same way Geldof did in 85.

 

I have in the past but then get calls from charities I donated to pushing for more money. Still give to collections etc and dip my hand in but try and stay away from direct debits

 

I struggled with donating to this to be honest.

It's great what the chap has done but we shouldn't be having to resort to this to get the funding for the NHS, it should be funded properly in the first place.

Never the less, I have sent my money off.

 

Yes but how much of that £10b is on the condition of someone doing something? I've you do this and I'll give a fiver to charity or a sponsored walk, swim, run etc?

I'm not complaining but it is a bit of a weird human nature isn't it that instead of just giving money we require some sacrifice in return.

And I know that doesn't account for ALL charity, a lot is done anyway.

 

Me too. I did a direct debit to a deaf children charity and they kept asking for more and more. They also kept sending me updates and letters through the post despite me asking them not to. Cancelling was an absolute nightmare too

 

You're right. Most of my donations have indeed been because mates/family or work colleagues have walked, cycled, swam, ran, danced etc for charities, some I've never even heard of. That seems the way it works regarding general public donations otherwise noone would donate to the more obscure charities.

 

I cycled my equivalent weekly commute last week. Raised £325, well chuffed with mesen. Any little helps, not just today but all the time.

 

Weird isn't it how we work though I do see the point that it helps get exposure for little known charities.

The only one that annoys me is bucket collectors specifically at football matches. I am completely against anyone rattling a bucket whilst looking forlornly at me and trying to guilt trip me into donating. I've always thought that a collection bucket on the counter of all refreshment stands and at all cash turnstiles would be a much better way of getting money

 

It pisses me off when people do something expensive and ask for donations, like jumping out of a plane. Just donate the money it costs instead which is probably more than you’ll collect. Or when it’s something like ‘Dry January’, no, I’m not paying for you to not drink, donate your drinking money. Or the worst one about that is when they ask people to donate to ‘buy them a drink’. So, I’m supposed to donate for you temporarily not being an alcoholic and then you want me to pay extra so you can have a drink after all? I mean what?! What are you actually doing then?

There I feel better getting that off my chest!

As a disclaimer, no I don’t hate charities, I have a regular donation set up to Dog’s Trust, I’m currently boarding a Guide Dog, I edit books for blind and dyslexic people and I give random cash donations to various charities throughout the year plus clothes to charity shops and food to food banks. I’m just a miserable bugger.

 

The worst bit then is when there’s around 5 of them all slightly spaced apart and even though I gave to the first one I always feel a tight arse walking past the others. I end up trying to give a bit to each but then you don’t want them to see you only put 20p in or whatever and still thinking your tight not knowing you’ve done the same at them all. Not that I overthink things or anything...

 

"I edit books for blind". That makes me Chuckle

I'm exactly the same. Or when the same person tries to get you on the way in and then again at half time

 

It makes people feel good and I include myself. I donated to Captain Tom because of who he is and what he was raising money for. I also give away a % of my salary every month to different charities of my choice through a Give As You Earn scheme and this is not high profile. I just give because I want to help charities close to my heart.

 

I thought really hard about replying because I think it lacks a bit of class if you give to charity then shout about it! I wanted to say plenty do give. payroll giving schemes are easy to join and means it’s donated every month

 

But not sure I'd describe it as weird and I know you don't mean it in a bad way. Its just what people do.

 

They probably couldn't hear you.

 

I just wonder how many people contributed to the appeal but paid an accountant to reduce their tax bill last year.....

 

Exactly what I was describing. It's the GAYE scheme.

 

Yes I understand that. I know a lot of people do exactly that. I have in the past but don't at the moment which I don't take as shouting about it because to be honest it was never a lot of money at all.
But yes I know a lot do give anyway I just always find it amusing when somebody does something and people donate because of it

 

My major gripe is giving to people who do something, supposedly for charity, when really they are just using it as an excuse to raise their profile on social media.
For example, my Mrs wanted to sponsor someone £30 for some fun run for a cancer charity. Great cause and no issue with sponsoring that. However, this person wanted my Mrs to sponsor her £10 each off her and me and £5 off each of the two kids as four separate sponsors made her look more popular on her sponsor form for her to post on her effin Facebook!
I then learnt that this ‘good Samaritan’ had never had a family member affected by cancer and was also getting married two months later so we were effectively sponsoring a pre-wedding weight loss regime as well as helping someone boost their online popularity.
So, instead, I donated £50 to the Motor Neurones Disease Foundation (killed my Dad so it is a charity that means something to me) and told my Mrs to just send her a copy of the receipt rather than £30 towards her ‘diet’.
So, in the case of Tom Moore, I happily donated as all this publicity is definitely NOT what he set out to achieve. Just a good man doing a good thing.
(Incidentally, cancer charities are definitely an excellent cause to donate to, but I do so as and when I can, because I want to, not because someone is charging you to go bounding Round the park while taking selfies of themself)