Now we know.....

[loveallthingsitalian]

I cring when she starts that breathless speaking. It always reminds me of a sketch show about a sex phone line where 2 old biddies - think Les Dawson - sitting dunking their biscuits in the tea in slippers, dressing gown and rollers whilst “talking dirty” to men phoning sex lines.

 

[Deleted member 21102]

I had an acquaintance some years ago whose friend had a job with one of the big high profile aid charities . They had plush offices in London, she had a really good salary, a fantastic pension pot, a new car every three years, and all sorts of perks. The fact that a lot of the world is still living in dreadful poverty proves that all the billions of charity money raised, and the billions contributed in foreign aid, is not reaching the intended target, or used appropriately but still the money is being poured in, regardless. Too many on ‘a nice little earner’. Much back scratching and shady dealing.

I've worked in a large charity and saw for myself how money meant for the deserving was frittered away by middle and senior management in expensive, pointless meetings and hotels to justify their existence, and in travel to same meetings up and down the motorways. Plus the management were as hard-nosed and self-promoting as any businessman while still masquerading as "caring". Nah. Pull the other one. You're after an easy ride at the expense of your generous donors. The whole thing sickened me and I now give to a select few charities where I can see where the money's going.

 

[donna255]

It was proved that Oxfam for every £1 you give 90p goes on admin. Hence, the area managers driving around in high-end cars bought by the charity. Even cancer charities the managers all get paid big money and have shiny new company cars renewed every few years.

The Chuggers that we used to see standing in the street asking you to sign up and donate every month got paid £10 per hour and if they did not meet a target let go. It was revealed in a national newspaper at the time. That was why some used follow people down the street asking them to sign up. I remember coming out of Tesco and young woman with a pram was getting the go on you know you will feel so good helping by the male chugger. She was trying to walk on but still he was after her. I walked up and told her to tell him to f*ck off. He wasn't pleased.

Then who remembers the Oxfam add to buy a goat for the starving farmers? It was reported again in the national press when investigated that these farmers could not feed the goats not alone themselves and the goat was slaughtered and eaten within a month.

 

[Dream Girl]

It’s July and the charity hasn’t changed, has it?

 

[loujareth]

The Chuggers that we used to see standing in the street asking you to sign up and donate every month got paid £10 per hour and if they did not meet a target let go. It was revealed in a national newspaper at the time. That was why some used follow people down the street asking them to sign up. I remember coming out of Tesco and young woman with a pram was getting the go on you know you will feel so good helping by the male chugger. She was trying to walk on but still he was after her. I walked up and told her to tell him to f*ck off. He wasn't pleased.

The other day coming out of Sainsburys there was an Air Ambulance charity 'cart' and I was in a rush and said sorry not interested, under his breath a few seconds later her cursed me, I'm not sure what he said but could tell by is tone he was not happy.

 

[donna255]

We are entitled to give to whatever charity we chose and not be guilt-tripped into giving because someone is shaking a collecting tin at you.

 

[Dream Girl]

I always think when you knock on someone’s door or stop them in the street.
You never actually know just what is going on in their lives. It’s like GW knocking on our door whilst I was having chemo questioning my husband about death.

 

[merryone]

I always think when you knock on someone’s door or stop them in the street.
You never actually know just what is going on in their lives. It’s like GW knocking on our door whilst I was having chemo questioning my husband about death.

I agree totally, but not only that it's just the general guilt tripping. Just the other day I answered the door to a chugger campaigning for Battersea dogs and cats home, a totally worthwhile charity and I love what they do but I have no spare money at the moment to be able to commit to a regular donation to them. I was upfront and honest and told the girl straight off the position I'm in but instead of saying ok and thank you..she started going on about how I wouldn't have to commit to anything financial and just to hear her out. The first thing she said is "You love animals don't you?" I said yes, I do, but I'm very sorry but I'm gonna have to go as I have my dinner in the oven. I felt terrible. After my telling her I'm can't afford to donate, I'd have been happy to take a leaflet with details about their work with perhaps some fund raising ideas - but she clearly had a script to stick to! Some of the charities that come a knocking...eg greenpeace I usually just say "Not today thanks" and close the door. It's intrusive, and like you say could be very inappropriate!

 

[stratobuddy]

I have an official "NO cold callers" on my door, so I VERY rarely get any, and if I do I am fairly rude to them eg, can you read, did you see my notice, etc? Then I close the door even if they are in mid-sentence. BTW I always open the door on the safety chain, which only leaves a small gap, so they can't really see me anyway.

 

[Lemonpop]

I do so love a tangent

I stopped buying Walkers after the stupid Lineker ads, too. Couldn't they have given the job to someone not rolling in money already? Do they think everyone buying their product is a football and Lineker fan?

This knee crap? I was told it stemmed from American footballers who had seen it on Game of Thrones (never watched it so no idea), but wherever it came from, please stop. I cringe whenever I see it. It's another form of bullying as far as I can see.

Football, as with most sports has different colours both playing and supporting. This inane knee-jerk reaction to BLM just to make yourselves look good is getting irritating now. If you want to help, stop reacting to the thugs that rile up racism on Twatter. Just report then block. Like normal people do when they've suffered ANY kind of bullying nonsense online or in life.

My grandfather started working down the mines at age 12. Died age 55 of 100% pneumoconiosis after suffering from and working through arthritis all his life. He'd get his pay on Friday evening and gave most of it back to the mine-owners on Saturday morning when the rent collector came around. The mine-owners were also the house owners (and pub owners, where a lot of the wages would be spent).

I took my mum to visit relatives in the Valleys and took her round Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch. She was amazed at how beautiful they are. Also deeply saddened and angry that they were built from the blood, sweat and tears of miners and their families - the women endured severe hardships, too. My mum was clothed by the Sali Army from birth until she went to work at age 14 as a scullery maid for another rich family.

Many, many people throughout history have had it incredibly hard. I saw something on telly about the Industrial Revolution and conditions people lived in then were truly awful. Many of the Greenwich tunnel workers expected to die on the job due to the awful conditions! From cloth weavers to miners to metal workers (which Mr. AE left about 10 years ago where he worked 12 hour shifts in terrible conditions - and his was one of the cleaner and easier departments) to the girls and women running the households of the business owners. The boys and young men that fought in the last two wars (not to mention the other 'lesser' wars ongoing. Just remember and honour them.

I have found its a waste of time reporting anything on Facebook. The moderators imo are a total waste of space and ,I have posted that on Facebook.

 

[Lemonpop]

I’ve mentioned this before, so apologies for repetition.

I worked in international banking for 40 years, selling our products and services to overseas companies. We were once asked by a major charity to bid to supply accounts and payment services supporting their aid efforts in Africa. In the end it was decided not to bid. The whole set-up was something we didn’t want to be involved in. Umpteen “commission” and fees accounts, accounts for the top brass in each country, etc etc you get the drift.

A friend of ours was in Guinea West Africa a few years ago as her husband was involved in the building of a harbour. She went to the local market and boxes and boxes from Oxfam were being sold in the local market. Since she has never supported Oxfam.

 

[Twilight]

I'm a member of the RHS & it's always asking for money. I visited Bridgewater today, this is their new garden in Salford & it's cost squillions. All very nice but the weeds were competing with the plants, & in some areas they were winning, so I was disappointed that all the preparation for the grand opening hasn't been converted into maintenance. When I got home I had a letter from them requesting funding to revamp the Laboratory at Wisley.

 

[Lemonpop]

It was proved that Oxfam for every £1 you give 90p goes on admin. Hence, the area managers driving around in high-end cars bought by the charity. Even cancer charities the managers all get paid big money and have shiny new company cars renewed every few years.

The Chuggers that we used to see standing in the street asking you to sign up and donate every month got paid £10 per hour and if they did not meet a target let go. It was revealed in a national newspaper at the time. That was why some used follow people down the street asking them to sign up. I remember coming out of Tesco and young woman with a pram was getting the go on you know you will feel so good helping by the male chugger. She was trying to walk on but still he was after her. I walked up and told her to tell him to f*ck off. He wasn't pleased.

Then who remembers the Oxfam add to buy a goat for the starving farmers? It was reported again in the national press when investigated that these farmers could not feed the goats not alone themselves and the goat was slaughtered and eaten within a month.

You can't tell me they couldn't have retired CEO's who would work for expenses only. In fact it should be compulsory come to think of it. Aren't some of them on nearly a quarter of a million a year???

 

[Dream Girl]

I'm a member of the RHS & it's always asking for money. I visited Bridgewater today, this is their new garden in Salford & it's cost squillions. All very nice but the weeds were competing with the plants, & in some areas they were winning, so I was disappointed that all the preparation for the grand opening hasn't been converted into maintenance. When I got home I had a letter from them requesting funding to revamp the Laboratory at Wisley.

Not far from me, and they killed the deer on the land to create it

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Don’t start me on The National Trust. Last week we went to a property for the gardens, first outing in 18 months, and they were a bleeding disgrace! The weeds were knee high - makes you wonder what they have been doing all this time when they had our money and not allowed to go. They have a garden area the centre of which is a very special to the house water feature (which I haven’t seen on for years) - There wasn’t one single flower or plant in it, only dry hard soil and weeds where there is normally an abundance of summer cottage plants.

There is an Italian sunken garden, the water feature had about a millimetre of dirty water and the pump etc lying in bits, again weeds everywhere. No doubt there would be someone saying the weeds are good for the environment but that’s not really what I’m paying to see in formal gardens, I can see my own for free.

We left early very disappointed.

Yet there is hardly a month goes by without a begging letter as every bliddy thing they do costs millions!

 

[donna255]

I give to two charities each month. IFAW and N.I. Hospice, I phoned them myself and also said if they every phoned me asking for more money or wrote to me about that I would stop my monthly donations. They never have, the IFAW do send me newsletters a few times a year and once a year free greetings cards 6 with envelopes. I do use Amazon Smile and picked Cats Protection as my charity so small amount given to them. M&S Sparks card it is WWF so shopping again donations made when you shop.

I remember an elderly neighbour when chatting with me saying she agreed to give to a cancer charity monthly and then got endless phone calls asking her to up her donation. Now, it started with £2 per month and less than a week later asking to up it to £3 and so it went on and on and on. I think she said it got to £10 per month they wanted from her? She just stopped giving after that. They were hounding her and I have heard that from others too endless phone calls to donate more and more.

 

[maymorganlondon]

I think there needs to be more transparency about where donations go, and more regulation on fundraising. There was that awful story of an elderly woman hounded by charities. I can't remember if she took her own life or had another cause, accelerated by the incessant phone calls.
Charities should be a force for good in the world, but many - especially big ones - have become bloated and arrogant on the fundraising side of things.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Donna I found that with the cancer charities I give to. On top of my monthly amount I was plagued with raffle tickets to sell (to myself) they ending up coming monthly so I had to put a stop to that but it wasn’t easy the pressure was enormous.

A year or so ago there was a spy camera documentary on the call centres who do these charity phone calls and it was appalling- I stopped several standing orders after seeing it.

Although I haven’t encountered Chuggers for some time even pre Covid , I also made a mental note of the charities who were most aggressive and made sure I never gave to them.
Now that donations are on line or via text you can’t get rid of them so often I give anonymously via PayPal charity portal but ofcourse they miss out on the gift aid element but thats the price they pay for using personal data. Even when you go into the charity shop to give in stuff they ask your details, supposedly to do gift aid but in truth it’s to get you onto their lists and sell your details to others. I just say I’m not a tax payer (god if only!) so they don’t need any details!

 

[Vienna]

Who remembers going to Sunday school and your Sunday School teacher would give you a little book called Sunshine Babies and they were photos of children from other Countries. Your Mum, Dad or whoever would tear out a photo and pay their 3d or 6d for it and write their name on the stub. You`d return to Sunday school the following week and be ever so proud if you`d sold all of the photos.

 

[merryone]

Who remembers going to Sunday school and your Sunday School teacher would give you a little book called Sunshine Babies and they were photos of children from other Countries. Your Mum, Dad or whoever would tear out a photo and pay their 3d or 6d for it and write their name on the stub. You`d return to Sunday school the following week and be ever so proud if you`d sold all of the photos.

Yes, although ours was done through our regular school and was in aid of the N.S.P.C.C . Same thing but the booklet was called "Sunny Smiles"...I sold my whole book!