Am I being Mean?

I knew someone who was an expedition leader on these trips, and the usual arrangement is that participants pay for their own travel, but have to raise a certain amount for the chosen charity in order to join in. Most would make that clear though. IMO the travel is a good incentive to fundraise.

I won't pay for middle class kids to go on a jolly under the guise of charity. The companies which organise these jollies are onto a good thing (I have a contact). Would they be so keen to go and volunteer in a local care home?

I would also be dubious, Mauriherb, and I think there should be additional information for shoppers to read about the trip to satisfy themselves that it is not just a jolly.

I had some teenage boys knock on the door a few years back asking me to sponsor them per mile for a charity walk. They expected me to pay up front - as many others had - and I said "Suppose the walk doesn't go ahead"? they assured me it would, whatever the weather, so I said I'd like to speak to the organiser first.

They looked worried and said it was their scout leader but couldn't give the name of the local scout pack or say where they met.

I was certain this was a scam and have been wary of people asking for money for charity ever since.

I'd like to see them do something useful to raise money to travel. What about a litter pick? My husband always asks why these young people have to travel abroad to do charity work. Why can't the money be sent abroad, and the young people who live there do the work? Just saying ...

I never pay up front. Someone in the office (man years ago!) was supposed to have done a sponsored walk, took the money and didn't do the walk. We all took her word for it that she'd paid the money to the charity. But several were suspicious.

My nephew is off up Killimanjaro again this summer. He's a doctor and every trip has to (understandably) take a doctor. All expenses paid. I don't know who funds him.

My two youngest went to a local comprehensive school that has funded projects in Kenya for years, and now in Tanzania. One went on the trip, one didn't.
Like Linsco56 said, all the bag packing in supermarkets was one way of raising a pot of money to cover the costs of building projects over there, it didn't pay for our schoolkids fares or personal costs.
They do have to raise money for themselves to go and work for a fortnight in education and health projects there, building classrooms and clinics and libraries, for example. They work alongside young people their own age as well as meet others in the communities there.
Hopefully it broadens their minds so when they watch Comic Relief etc they understand the difference small projects can make in everyday lives.

When my son went to Nepal with his Explorer Scouts he got sponsorship with doing a 1/2 marathon & we the parents did our bit too by stewarding at dirt bike races (they couldn't as U18)...They did car washes, race nights & quiz nights which thry then split between them...One kid had his grandma pay for the trip (£1500 at the time & did nothing so the others weren't that impressed with him!) All in all they had a wonderful time knowing they had paid for most of the trip themselves

I have a slightly jaundiced view of this sort of enterprise. After the 2004 tsunami struck, my DS and his friend - both big strong hard-working guys - rang every one of the major charities to say that they were going to SE Asia (at their own expense) but would like to help wherever help was needed - they would put their other plans on hold. They were told - without exception- 'we don't want your help, we want your money.'
They went anyway and got involved in a rebuilding operation in a remote place which had been by-passed by the international charities.
I KNOW the charities had enough on their plates at the time but I did find their attitude so discouraging.

Stansgran your link confirmed what I have always believed about this type of sponsorship. I only contribute to certain Charities & none which are outside UK. I know many of you will support Charities outside UK.

I also refuse to be "blackmailed" into giving to "bag packers" at supermarkets, I don't want my bag packed thank you

I completely agree with you Mauriherb.
Why do you need to go to Kilimanjaro/Nepal/Costa Rica to support this or that charity? It is a fun holiday for the fundraiser and I often wonder how much of the monies actually go to the charity in question.
Also, I think it is rather patronising to fly in, tell people how to live, and then -bugger- go off again, leaving the "charity cases" behind!

I had an online expate American friend who did a Nepal walk for education there. She asked for sponsors beforehand, but paid for most of the trip herself. Once there, she met with a poor village's leaders and someone else who was in charge of improving education in remote mountain regions. She ended up having a school named after her!

A couple of years later an organisation was formed. I don't see her as a trustee, but am sure she's still involved.

kasin.org.uk/

I got a leaflet in the post. It offered hot air ballooning, safaris and all sorts. I thought it was a holiday company offering adventure holidays. It was a charity. The thing I then found awkward was a woman at work, who knew me only by sight as she was part time in a big dept., asked me to sponsor her husband for one of these trips.

I think there are people just angling for a holiday for gap years, or special occasions and go after crowd funding from friends and strangers! Disgusting IMHO.

I've got mixed feelings about this. I'm all for young people helping others, but £2000 seems such a waste when, as many of you say, it could be spent here. There are so many people asking us for our money these days that, with the best will in the world, it does become annoying at times.

Totally disagree with this method of collecting money, no need to climb a mountain to raise money, FGS just donate some of your pocket money.

I feel the same about sponsored parachute jumps and similar. A whole load of the money raised goes to the private company organising the jump or whatever the challenge is. I'd far rather sponsor someone to do something helpful and inexpensive, like tidy a disabled person's garden.

hear hear Inge Jones
The head master of my son's school wanted me to sponsor the entire class to sit still without speaking for half an hour. ... the funds raised being used to buy new roof tiles.
I explained that I had anticipated that fees would be set to cover maintenance too
and should I wish to sponsor my son I could not consider paying him to do something entirely unproductive

It is a pity that despite the clear explanations given by Constance and Linsco66 that many on here have been a bit over suspicious and even verging on nasty. These teenagers or their parents pay for their own expenses, the £2000 figure or whatever, is the minimum amount that the charity want them to raise, exactly the same as the London Marathon where you have to guarantee to raise £500 as a condition of entry. Although we are of course, all fully entitled to support charities or not, I think these young people are to be applauded for what they do. These trips are life changing for many, and the discipline involved in raising the donations, organising their travel, inoculations etc are all excellent life skills. Those who suggest that this is an underhand and crafty way of paying for a holiday have got it wrong. Support charities as you wish, but do not criticise those who are trying to do it their own way.

Having checked online, it would appear that you can self fund (costs around £2000) and raise any sum you can for your chosen charity, OR raise £4000 and the organisers will pay for your trip out of the money that you have raised.
Personally I would not wish to fund the trip costs for young people unknown to me.

I wouldnt choose to give money to these charity overseas trips either Nannapat1, but the point I was trying to make is that many on here have been quick to criticise, or worse, suggesting that it was all just a jolly being paid for by innocent people giving donations.

I agree with you 100%

whenever I've done charity runs I've always clearly stated in my fund raising "the admin cost of me entering is ££, which I am covering myself, if you would like to donate, your donation will not be covering my entry/admin"
- always!

I absolutely hate the fawning over another friend who does "once in a lifetime" cycle trips in dream overseas locations (at least one every 2 years) which friends and family basically pay for, because whatever they raise over the ££££ needed to get them there and escorted (often in areas of natural beauty where this sort of tourism is actually destroying world heritage areas) is going to some heartstring pulling charity!

Go on flippin holiday to tenerrife or butlins and give the ££££ to charity!

I don't know why I feel so bitter/angry about this, but I do!

I think it's the disingenuity of it, they're not admitting that they're doing it for themselves and their own selfish desire to cycle to the inca trail or whatever it is (which would at least be honest and understandable) it's all "because this charity has touched so many of my friend's lives…. blah blah.."

ON THE OTHER HAND, a friend's daughter needed to raise ££££ for a huge international trip with the scouts, she never pretended it wasn't for her own benefit, she openly said she was raising the money because "I really really want to go" - and I happily gave her odd jobs and extra money on top for that trip

To address the self funding issue, those of us who do cover the costs of entry are usually pretty keep to let people know that their donations will be going to charity not to cover our entry! So you generally know when someone is self funding and just fundraising above that!

"keen" not "keep"

Overseas charity tourism is in itself very dubious/contentious too from both ethical and environmental points of view.

The people doing these big "dream trip" charity trips rarely give you much info about the ins and outs of the workings of what they are supporting.

I try to be a concientious charity supporter, there are good and bad charities! And I feel that if you are looking to raise THOUSANDS you should have some information to hand when people ask you the hows and the whys about the charity.. but usually they can't! which tells you all you need to know about their motivations frankly!

I can tell you a hell of a lot about the charities I've run for, and could (and have) engaged in meaningful debates/discussions with people who have questioned the eithics of the charity (including questions about a health charitiys links to "big pharma" etc)

My ex does all that sponsored stuff in supermarkets, enjoys himself thoroughly at other people's expense.............lovely holidays and everyone grateful to him for giving the charity next to nothing. Also terrible burden on friends who are asked to sponsor him each time. The companies that organise these thing ought to be ashamed of themselves.