Charidee

[Trav Le Bleu]

Or more specifically, charity events. Isn't it sad that we need them? Poor old Eddie Izzard... soaking wet Christine Blakely ... saddle-sore Sir Les. Why should people have to go to these extremes to get you and I to part with a fiver to help the downtrodden and afflicted once or twice a year?

More to the point, people having their hair cut for charity... erm, excuse me?!?! Or sitting in a tub of beans. It's like he's saying,

"I want to raise money for starving children in Africa,"

and people are saying, "no, no, forget that,"

to which he replies, "but I'm going to sit in a tub of cold baked beans!"

"You are?! Why didn't you say so?! Here, have a tenner you mad loon!"

Why? Why not just give him a tenner and he DOESN'T have to humiliate himself? After all, it's not him who's getting the tenner.

The reason is of course is that Joe Public is incredibly shallow and self-interested. When I worked in a call centre I volunteered to take calls for the Princes Trust show (the famous one that Russell Brand got into a lot of trouble for.) The number of people who rang up and said they would give a tenner if they could speak to a celeb (which wasn't possible - there were probly about 20-30 celebs taking calls in other call centres out of literally thousands of people also doing the same, so it was luck of the draw) and then refusing to donate when they couldn't. Oh yeah, that and the people who kept ringing up to complain about Russell Brand "Clear the line love there's people who actually want to give money trying to get through."

Lastly, theres the people who need to be sponsored to do activities in exotic places for charity. I don't get this, cos most of the time it looks like something that I would love to do, but they're getting other people to pay for it and then giving what's left over to charity. I could be wrong here and please feel free to correct me if you have done something like this completely at your own cost. I'm pretty sure however that ther are some that don't, but regardless it's a bit like being sponsored to go on holiday.

I'm not even going to start on mega-rich popstars and their charity events.

Basically is all I'm saying is, why don't people just give to charity, you know, have a few small direct debits, instead of the constant fund raising.

Rant over.

[lou]

I give monthly to Wateraid (A bloody great charity I have to say!) The Red Cross and I sponsor a child in Africa, which I love as we get photos and letters from him so you get something back. The money goes to his local community not him directly but they all benefit and we can send him the odd pressie, which I always get a photo of him with, in return.

I donated a tenner to Sport Relief after seeing Eddie Izzard's run. I dont normally as I give enough a month as it is IMO. Its about what you can afford.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I give monthly to Wateraid (A bloody great charity I have to say!) The Red Cross and I sponsor a child in Africa, which I love as we get photos and letters from him so you get something back. The money goes to his local community not him directly but they all benefit and we can send him the odd pressie, which I always get a photo of him with, in return.

I donated a tenner to Sport Relief after seeing Eddie Izzard's run. I dont normally as I give enough a month as it is IMO. Its about what you can afford.

:appl: :appl: :appl:

I know what u mean. Had a charity caller the other day and I explained that I already give quite a bit to charity and that I'd like to have something for myself, but it still left me feeling guilty, even though he didn't push the point and was really very nice about it.

[lou]

Youre lucky then, the ones we have knock our doors are very pushy and I dont like them calling door to door at the best of times. I would never give to someone who did that out of principle.

[Rocket-Ron]

Or more specifically, charity events. Isn't it sad that we need them? Poor old Eddie Izzard... soaking wet Christine Blakely ... saddle-sore Sir Les. Why should people have to go to these extremes to get you and I to part with a fiver to help the downtrodden and afflicted once or twice a year?

More to the point, people having their hair cut for charity... erm, excuse me?!?! Or sitting in a tub of beans. It's like he's saying,

"I want to raise money for starving children in Africa,"

and people are saying, "no, no, forget that,"

to which he replies, "but I'm going to sit in a tub of cold baked beans!"

"You are?! Why didn't you say so?! Here, have a tenner you mad loon!"

Why? Why not just give him a tenner and he DOESN'T have to humiliate himself? After all, it's not him who's getting the tenner.

The reason is of course is that Joe Public is incredibly shallow and self-interested. When I worked in a call centre I volunteered to take calls for the Princes Trust show (the famous one that Russell Brand got into a lot of trouble for.) The number of people who rang up and said they would give a tenner if they could speak to a celeb (which wasn't possible - there were probly about 20-30 celebs taking calls in other call centres out of literally thousands of people also doing the same, so it was luck of the draw) and then refusing to donate when they couldn't. Oh yeah, that and the people who kept ringing up to complain about Russell Brand "Clear the line love there's people who actually want to give money trying to get through."

Lastly, theres the people who need to be sponsored to do activities in exotic places for charity. I don't get this, cos most of the time it looks like something that I would love to do, but they're getting other people to pay for it and then giving what's left over to charity. I could be wrong here and please feel free to correct me if you have done something like this completely at your own cost. I'm pretty sure however that ther are some that don't, but regardless it's a bit like being sponsored to go on holiday.

I'm not even going to start on mega-rich popstars and their charity events.

Basically is all I'm saying is, why don't people just give to charity, you know, have a few small direct debits, instead of the constant fund raising.

Rant over.

The problem is that you get bombarded with charity buckets every where you go.

I must have been asked by about 8 people on Sunday if I'd like to give for sport relief. Even though I had donated a fair bit during the week.

we are not all shallow and self centred

[James.]

I climbed Kilimanjaro for charity in February and my girlfriend and I paid for the entire trip by ourselves. Once we finish fundraising I will also be donating the estimated admin costs involved in donating through Just Giving. This means that every single penny goes to the charity.

It did not sit well at all with me to have people pay for us to go on an amazing trip of a lifetime (which it was). There were however a lot of people who did not pay for the trip, however they ended up raising signifcantly more than us because they had the additional motivation of covering the trip costs as well as raising money for the charity.

I have also started donating £100 a month to charity. I started with LOROS and will choose a different charity each month.

I'm not preaching or trying to come across as angelic (because I'm not). I'm just in the fortunate position where I have a good salary and feel it's important for me to give something back to those who are not as fortunate as me.

I wish everyone had a similar attitude, but greed and selfishness are strong forces...

[Guest]

Youre lucky then, the ones we have knock our doors are very pushy and I dont like them calling door to door at the best of times. I would never give to someone who did that out of principle.

Or people that try and stop you in the street. If, and when, I give to charity, I do so for the simple reason it's a charity that means something to me, or that I feel is worthy. If I allowed myself to be bullied into donating to every clipboard waving goon who tries to stop me, I would have no money.

[Trav Le Bleu]

I climbed Kilimanjaro for charity in February and my girlfriend and I paid for the entire trip by ourselves. Once we finish fundraising I will also be donating the estimated admin costs involved in donating through Just Giving. This means that every single penny goes to the charity.

It did not sit well at all with me to have people pay for us to go on an amazing trip of a lifetime (which it was). There were however a lot of people who did not pay for the trip, however they ended up raising signifcantly more than us because they had the additional motivation of covering the trip costs as well as raising money for the charity.

I have also started donating £100 a month to charity. I started with LOROS and will choose a different charity each month.

I'm not preaching or trying to come across as angelic (because I'm not). I'm just in the fortunate position where I have a good salary and feel it's important for me to give something back to those who are not as fortunate as me.

I wish everyone had a similar attitude, but greed and selfishness are strong forces...

Was wondering if you'd post, having noticed your Kili expedition and fair does to you for doing it out of your own pocket. :appl: