Anyone else irritated by all the adverts asking for £3 a month to help………

Irritated only by the number of them. Rarely watch adverts of any sort but I don't need to be guilt tripped by anyone. We support MSF, RNLI and the Salvation Army on a regular basis. Every two months we select a local charity close to home and donate to that.

We used to adopt a child through ActionAid but after 'losing' three children in various wars and troubles in Africa and reading that the well that had been created was poisoned and the school burnt down we stopped it. Someone told me once that so much money had to go to local politicians in Africa to allow the aid to get through that they saw little of it (but I don't know how true that is).

Sad as I am for everyone and every animal that needs help there is no way we can help them all so we support the charities we both agree on and those that have meaning for us.

Here's a link to Charity Watch:

www.charityclarity.org.uk/how-do-we-rate-charities/

I have a monthly direct debit to the NSPCC and they have never chased me for an increase. They do send out regular letters informing how they have been spending their donations but I feel that these are superfluous. I trust the society and what they do. I feel that printing and postage costs are so high now and they should save their money, as I trust them.

www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jul/07/watchdog-investigate-charities-boiler-room-tactics-pressuring-vulnerable-people

I wonder what happened to this investigation from 6 years ago? The same tactics are still being used,

EllanVannin

I'm a giver to the North West Air Ambulance and ignore the usual raffle tickets a couple of times a year. Money prizes ??

WE were wanting to support the East Anglia Air Ambulance a couple of years ago, spent ages talking with the chap only to find out it was a DD for a draw. I do tend to give directly rather than through the paid beggars on TV for any charity.

Susysue

Nannyknee

I also get annoyed, I don’t want to see starving donkey emaciated dogs and cats whilst I am eating my dinner. Also I give to the charities I want to. Also why be so specific and ask for £29.06 for a room for homeless.

Nannyknee what an enormous callous heart you have!!! Obviously not an animal lover!! Shame on you!!

SusySue, We’re been huge supporters for 40 years, of many charities whilst both working full time. Many were animal charities. We had to reduce to a favoured few after retirement. Many of the current adverts are horrible to watch.
I totally agree with Nannyknee. Seeing these heart wrenching adverts when we can’t donate any more is awful.
You have been extremely rude to her and should apologise.
Unless you’re the Charities Police and have a license to hound and attack. You shouldn’t attack and embarrass other members simply because they have a different opinion to yours regarding those sickening type of adverts.

Same here Dillonsgranma.
The Salvation Army get out onto the streets and use the money wisely.

My husband is a commercial removal contractor and has moved charity head offices either in or out many times. The furniture, decor et is all top of the range, designer furnishings, not standard desks and chairs what you would expect. They also have no qualms about throwing items away whether or not it is still in good condition. One CEO office had about 100k spent on decor, fixtures and fittings and he only worked there 3 days per month.

Needless to say we no longer donate to any.

I actually give two, three and four pound monthly to 3 different charities. I don't miss those small amounts. Charities have been hit so hard this past two years because of covid.

I don't give to any charities by direct debit as I cannot afford it, and I NEVER give to foreign charities. Charity begins at home.

It is manipulative and wrong to cause people to see things that they cannot unsee. The charities must spend a lot on tv advertising.

Those who have unlimited money to give to charities are quite capable of researching where to give it and those who are less capable are not benefiting from being guilted to give money they cannot afford.

I would rather help local charities,where they get all the money,or just donate to and buy from charity shops.I don't start any direct debits if I'm stopped in the town centre,I just say I can't afford it.I know these charities are struggling,but they're just trying to get round us by showing tv adverts where children or animals are suffering.I feel sorry for them,but we can't afford to help everyone,and we don't know how much of the money gets used to help them.

I donated to a charity and was hounded mercilessly to increase my monthly donation, from £3 - £5 - £7 - £10 etc. Eventually I had a call to say 'it was time to increase my payment again'. I enquired if it was voluntary, and she murmured that I had never refused before. I said I am now - I'm cancelling completely due to a change of circumstances. I too had calls, letters, home visits and threatened them with a court order for harassment...I give in cash when and where I want now.

My granddaughter has Cystic Fibrosis so I donate to two separate charities that support this. I also buy stuff if I want to from various charities like shopping bags and T-shirts when I feel like it. I also donate unwanted items to charity shops or home collections. I feel thats enough. I dont mind the TV ads as I understand why they ask but it used to annoy me when they used children for the Cancer charities because there are lots of other diseases that effect children and CF is one of them. It seems to me if they can afford to advertise on TV which costs a hell of a lot of money then they don't actually deserve any more.

I was executrix for my father who died some years ago. He was by no means rich, had a state pension and a personal pension of £500 pa
Upon examining his belongings, I found a neat pile of
50 brown envelopes all addressed to charities; all containing an advertisement which had appealed or a further demand from a charity to which he had previously responded and a postdated unsigned cheque for whatever he felt appropriate to each charity concerned
This was a man who had known he would die poor but was concerned that he would die cold. He contributed his entire company pension and more if he could afford it. They made a mockery of his charitable instincts
I wonder how many of these celebs, who earnestly beseech us to contribute, themselves give any more than their name to the cause.
Being daughter of a naif man, I also made a large contribution to a charity for setting up a school in Africa.... as did a friend's husband. He discovered later that we had both contributed to the 4 members of the founder's family's flight to Africa to smile graciously when the school opened.
Another charity I supported was for the education of Down's syndrome children. Fair enough, until they sold my details on and I was besieged by charities in which I had no interest and of which I had never heard
it is nothing but an industry, For me it leaves no possibilities but the Salvation Army and the RNLI

A one off payment is best. The Charities employ agencies to collect and arrange direct debits for them. Once you are in the system you are open to future contact etc from them. It is sad in these days that there are people and animals that rely for their safety and wellbeing on Charities. Help where you can however small or large. In the past l have collected for charity. I often found those who had the least gave others with big houses and new 4 x 4s on their drive made excuses and gave nothing. But and big BUT its charity - definition 'the voluntary giving etc' not 'blackmail or harassment '

I donate a small amount each month to a local hospice for children after reading an article that they depend on regular giving to pay wages etc. If I totalled it up and gave the same amount at once I would find that difficult. But everyone should only give what they feel comfortable with without pressure.

I agree , these adverts cost money that could go elsewhere.
What I also object to are the huge salaries the Charity top bosses claim while imposing strict hours on their volunteer workers .
Many of these Charities give a very small percentage of their income to their stated cause .

I stopped giving to charity when i found out that my mums next door neighbour was a manager of charity shop on a very high wage while all the other staff were volunteers.

An elderly family member with dementia set up almost 30 standing orders. She herself struggled financially. When the family discovered all donations were stopped. She’s a poorly lady but still they try.
These charities must hav been aware of her vulnerability. The phone calls continued tho!!

Nannyknee

I also get annoyed, I don’t want to see starving donkey emaciated dogs and cats whilst I am eating my dinner. Also I give to the charities I want to. Also why be so specific and ask for £29.06 for a room for homeless.

Nannyknee what an enormous callous heart you have!!! Obviously not an animal lover!! Shame on you!!

I have a standing order of £36 per month to World Vision and I have a sponsored child. I have done this for the last 40 years. I have just given Medecin Sans Frontier (not sure how to spell that name) £50 for their Afghanistan appeal. That's it. I remember giving a standing order to the Red Cross of £2 per month for clean water. They kept ringing me to increase this amount, so I cancelled the standing order

My 90 year old mother gets begging letters from charities every day. She recieved 12 begging letters yesterday, It makes her very upset as she feels compelled to send money to them all. It was the same last Christmas and I took loads from her and rang up various charities and asked them not to mail her again. Many of them were quite abusive when I told them they were affecting her mental health. She donates by Standing Order and one-off and i think the charities must pass her details round. I find it very upsetting that she is hounded in this way.

If we donated to every Charity adverstised on TV, say just a pound a week we wouldnt be able to afford to live ourselves, a one off donation I think is good then you wont have charities pestering you for ever.

To make things really simple I just give to the Salvation Army at Christmas time every year. I’m absolutely sure they don’t waste a penny of it