Save the Children and general charity rant

Eydon

goater78 wrote: »

Why did you give them your phone number in the first place? I'm always careful who I give my number to!

Ah, but they are crafty !!!!!!s. This last week I had seven missed calls all from the same number - it was Cancer Research (or rather Listen on behalf of Cancer Research).

On the eighth call I was in so I answered. Chap was very polite and said you used to donate £10 a month to Cancer Research but you stopped in 2005 and they were ringing to see if I was interested in starting up again.

Usual response from me - no, ex-directory, TPS please stop calling.

It was only after I hung up that two things occurred to me:

1) I stopped donating in 2005 - 7 years ago and yet they still had my details on file

2) I moved house in 2006, so new address and new phone number, and yet they still managed to track me down.

Abbafan1972

Do any of you have a facility to block phone numbers? If yes, I would do that so they can't get through.

My Mom donates to the RSPCA (not sure how much, but it's a small amount, all she can afford). They have phoned her up a few times trying to persuade her to increase the amount to £17 a month!

ju1i3_2

This is an interesting article that points out some unpleasant facts about Save the Children (bit long but worth getting to that bit). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/9528107/Charity-shouldnt-begin-at-home-for-Save-the-Children.html

PaulJM

As per the above article, it strikes me sometimes that these large charities are like 'Jobs charities' That is to say that they seem to exist to provide some jobs to people, and little else.

It's a bit like the old sociological thing -getting a group to dig holes, then the next day getting them to fill them in.

Then again, when the top jobs are getting £150,000 a year, I guess it's providing someone with a healthy lifestyle. But, I suppose to run such a massive organisation, you need a well qualified dude there.

Think I'll just find a local cause to give my money to. I feel with these big charities I'm paying for an advert or something.

Chlorine7

I no longer donate money to charities. I know how much a friend is paid (enough to be a high-rate tax payer) by cancer research to essentially read and check statistics. While, I'm sure that the role will evolve, this is what they are doing is right now and I can only imagine how much the higher managers are paid.

I donate my clothes and books to their charity shops because at least something useful is going to someone who needs/wants/ (fits into!) it.

I am also dubious about those standing outside Supermakets with their buckets. If they are geniune why haven't they got permission to be inside and why must they shout at you to get your attention?

PaulJM

Chlorine7 wrote: »

I no longer donate money to charities. I know how much a friend is paid (enough to be a high-rate tax payer) by cancer research to essentially read and check statistics. While, I'm sure that the role will evolve, this is what they are doing is right now and I can only imagine how much the higher managers are paid.

I donate my clothes and books to their charity shops because at least something useful is going to someone who needs/wants/ (fits into!) it.

I am also dubious about those standing outside Supermakets with their buckets. If they are geniune why haven't they got permission to be inside and why must they shout at you to get your attention?

Yes, I agree. And this might be really contraversial, but last year I had cause to try to get a bit of help from the heart foundation, after a big op. I found absolutely no help, except from a list of local shops. Now that does seem self-fulfilling.

azzabazza

Today is our day for the weekly delivery of junk mail. Addressed to 'The Occupier' was an envelope from the British Red Cross containing two coasters, two greetings cards and one pen. Also there was a request to set up a regular donation. This totally disuades me from donating to this charity. I hate to think how much it costs them to drop this into every letterbox.

I choose local charities (one in particular run by our local radio station) to help the disadvantaged. These charities have very small overheads and the majority of fundraising goes direct to those in need.

viv0147

After reading some of the comments, and reading the Guardian article about save the children. I have just cancelled my direct debit it was only £3 a month that's all I could afford out of my pension, the wages that the staff are on are ridiculous! So they can pay my £3 for me.