Do you still give to charity?

lynzpower

Charity workers love to fly off on mercy missions to tropical countries where they drive around in Land Rovers. They love to be photographed with black babies and give moral guidance to native communities. The fact is that the UK is desperate for social workers (a much maligned group). Charity workers run a mile at the very thought of this. Who picks up the mess in cold run down British streets? Step forward the Sally Army and the Big Issue. There is the true spirit of charity for you

Incorrect. I have worked a social worker and a volunteer.here in the UK. NCH, barnados, Scope, Mencap nspcc, rspca, cab, alone in london, eaves, centrepoint, all are based in the UK.

Your comment about Black babies is offensive,. do you think all charity workers are white?

Fire_Fox

macaque wrote: »

The people who run big charities earn large salaries and enjoy great kudos from their jobs. They jet around the world in business class and stay in top hotels. They have become dependant on suffering. For them, the idea of an end to suffering is cause for great alarm. They employ political lobbyists by the truckload, they have huge marketing divisions and in some cases budgets of hundreds of millions. The proportion of donations that reaches the troops in the field is often shockingly low.

Charity workers are driven by the best of motives. Unfortunately, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. You are a charity worker. Both of us have been judgemental about each other. The difference is that my judgements stay here whereas yours travel abroad with you in your charity work.

Charity workers love to fly off on mercy missions to tropical countries where they drive around in Land Rovers. They love to be photographed with black babies and give moral guidance to native communities. The fact is that the UK is desperate for social workers (a much maligned group). Charity workers run a mile at the very thought of this. Who picks up the mess in cold run down British streets? Step forward the Sally Army and the Big Issue. There is the true spirit of charity for you.

It would be helpful if you clarified the sources of all your information.

Mozette

I stopped my regular donations a while ago because I couldn't afford them; I still randomly give when I can now things are a bit better (having now got rid of shedloads of debt).

Fire_Fox

I have reduced the amount I give to charity on a monthly basis for sponsoring a Palestinian child as part of an overall drive to reduce my personal debt. However my family gave very few Christmas presents this year, preferring instead to buy 'good gifts' and sponsor another child in Burundi. I also donate the extra coppers from my wages via 'Pennies from Heaven' ... but I can't say I actually know what this is for!

The reason I choose to give to charities abroad is that my £20 will go a lot further in a poorer country than in the UK. I think it's important to give to charities that support education and businesses run by local people as this, ultimately, is what will empower communities to make their own choices in life. If my donations also contribute to the salary of a charity worker from the UK that is surely a good thing for our economy.

Horace

I dont give money to charities abroad unless I am visiting the country in question. When I was in Australia in 2003 I raised some money for the Royal Flying Doctors by charging people to use the balcony in my room at the Desert Gardens Hotel, Ayers Rock to take pics of the rock (my room was the only one with a view:j ).

I currently work with a local charity called FastAid which works with the ambulance service to provide community first responders, I have sponsored a vehicle and today I spent 4 hours washing cars at a fire station in order to raisse funds not only for FastAid but also the Fire Service Benevolent Fund. I think it is very rewarding to give your time to a charity and think that more poeple should do it.

hethmar

We still have monthly dd for two charities and I am a volunteer with a few others.

Have to agree with some comments - when you have been working at some of the big charities, I shant name names, you realise how little of the money actually goes to the causes. They rely heavily on free volunteer workers and the management are paid a LOT. Its not so much a vocation with a lot of the people, more a cushy and prestigious career. Sorry, but thats true in my experience. Ive worked as a volunteer for 25 years now in various charitable organisations and its the small, grass roots ones which are the most genuine.

bigheadxx

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never donated to charity. I get 90% of my clothes and shoes at charity shops though (if that counts).

I've given a Big Issue seller £1 about twice in the last 5 years too (the hot looking ones).

So nothing's changed for me.

I received a surprise letter from the Mind charity shop that I donated to before Christmas. It said thatbecause I had gift aided my donations they had to keep me informed. The letter went on to say that the items had fetched £20.20 so far and that if I wanted the proceeds from the sale I should write back to them. Who says charity doesnt begin at home.

(Obviously I didnt claim this money back but who wouldnt be tempted if it was say a few hundred pound?)

incher

My contribution remains the same: I buy books from charity shops and once I've read them, I return them, so they can sell them again. I also fill a bag full of clothes once every couple of months (the bags they post through your door).

I feel that is good enough. My family is not well off and we don't have lots of money spare. In the past, in different financial circumstances, I was more generous.

I guess I will be more generous if my financial circumstances change for the better.

But I do worry about how any donation I make is used. I don't like to be sceptical, but corruption does seem to find its way even into charitable organisations.

hethmar

My aunt lived in Africa for some years and she says that the corruption is awful. She knows when she donates (and she does to many charities) that most of the money/what it buys will never reach the people who its intended for. She now gives most money to the hospital ships which she feels is a genuine charity which helps many people. She does give Oxfam gifts to people too and even then she says she wonders what actually gets through.

LydiaJ

Still giving the same proportion of my income, and no plans to change that.

Most of it goes to 4 charities - one large international one, one local one where I know most of the staff, and two small ones that have been set up by people I know personally who are still in the field doing stuff. One of the small ones is doing a variety of small projects (Aids orphans etc) in central Africa, and the other is setting up sustainable supplies of clean water in central America. I gift aid wherever possible.

ETA And I sponsor a child in Guatemala, but that's only £22/month, so a lot less than the others.