'Pick this site’s charities for the next year.' Poll results/discussion

Bargainetta wrote: »

I voted for Help for Heroes because I expected the animal charities to be the front runners and the statistics for the homeless in the U.K. are shocking - something like a third or a half of the people on the streets are ex-forces some quite unable to cope with what they have seen. They may have chosen to join up but then look at the slick advertising and how vunerable the young are to that sort of thing. Mental illness is so often overlooked.

Agreed. The Peace Pledge Union campaigns against this slick advertising and argues that militarisation is not inevitable.

Are there just too many charities out there today?
All trying to raise money often for the same thing i.e. cancer and all have staff and offices to run and pay for.
While I admire people that set up a charity in memory of a lost loved one surely they could do this under the umbrella of a larger established charity?

I voted for Carers UK as I think most do a thankless job that gets overlooked and often have no choice in whether they want to do it or not.

southernbelle wrote: »

I have voted for Help for Heroes, as they are doing an amazing job.

As a member of the forces myself, hopefully going to Afghanistan next year, it means a lot that there are people who are raising this money which would help me if I were to be injured. We hear a lot about fatalities in the news, however not so much about injuries, some of which are horrific.

Hooray for Help for Heroes! :beer:

Well said southernbelle. As a proposer for the Help for Heroes charity I was somewhat saddened to see that some posters in the thread have brought politics into the discussion. That is their right of course, which I have absolutely no problem with, but nevertheless it does sadden me, particularly when Help for Heroes make it very clear that the charity is non-political and is not trying to say anything about the rights and wrongs of current military campaigns, it is simply trying to raise awareness and funds for those men and women who don’t make it home unscathed and gives people the chance to show that they care, appreciate and support all our Servicemen and women.

I hope that it receives the support that I believe that it deserves and many thanks to all those that have, and those others that hopefully will, vote for it. :beer:

I went for shelterbox
I've worked for not-for-profit and charitable organisations all my adult life (and a portion of my teenage years too)

Alot of charities do duplicate each other and alot spend funds on marketing etc rather than real need.

Hence shelterbox, I don't know alot about it but it met some of my personal criteria for 'aid'; will it go direct to the people who need it in tangible form?
is it straightforward to deliver? Is it adaptable to different circumstances and cultures? Is it easy to see where the costs are? Does it work together with charities, governmental and other groups? Is it meeting immediate shortterm need rather than ongoing handouts?

BLISS… should be funded by taxes,
CAP UK... need should be addressed in different ways, by numeracy and financial education of children and young people (as an exyouth worker I can say most schools do a terrible job at preparing kids for the real world and its finances)
Carers UK… should be governmental, reflecting the fact that each carer reduces burden on NHS
Citizens Advice... close call, probably my next choice as I agree there is a need for an independant group doing this work. And government funding tends to restrict your independance
Foal Farm… I might support my own local animal charity in variuos ways but I don't think money from a national site should go to just one local animal rescue centre
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People… This really should be governmentally funded as a hearing dog or a guide dog allow a disabled person to live independantly
Help for Heroes… no, if forces cannot provide adequetly for their personel who are injured in line of duty then thats something that needs to be addressed within the public sector. And I personally dont' want a big armed forces or to be involved as a country in iraq. yes the marketing is slick, again I'd rather see real intervention and education programmes aimed at young people and giving them the skills to make better choices.

iT4 Communities… had personal experience of this charity which wasn't positive
NCH... Charities like this do good work but are a cop out for the government who should be addressing the underlying issues of child abuse, child suicide, falling education standards etc
Samaritans… just listening isn't enough, (very personal view)
Shelterbox… giving emergency aid worldwide. Site: Shelterbox
St Giles Trust… looked like they did good work, would need to know a bit more about them

Overall I like the idea of work which actually changes the situation long term, tackling root causes or which works on short term intervention basis to stop things getting out of control in a crises.

So to use an example: parenting - bloody tough job!
I'd support; charity which gave one off nanny/babysitter/holiday care to a family who felt they had reached the end of their tether. Give everyone a breathing space and hopefully prevent the crises point hitting of mom (or dad) having a breakdown
I'd also support work done to look at root causes of WHY parents are under so much stress, is there any way to identify the at risk groups earlier etc etc