Direct approach begging

The same Big Issue, a scarfed lady of Eastern european appearance, is very pleasantand and has been selling outside Waitrose for about 10 years. A long time to be homeless, surely??

Small thing in Leek, Staffordshire jevive. A lady in a hijab and long dress and coat has stood outside WHSMITHS, selling Big Issue, every Saturday for 4 years. At the end of the the day, a large Mercedes car comes and picks her up. I'd rather give to the Salvation Army chap who stands a little further down the road because I know what good work they do for the homeless.

Small thing? Same thing, doh!

jevive, people don't have to be homeless to sell the Big Issue.

In fact, I think they need to have a place to live as having an inccome allows them to claim housing benefit.

I was approached by four men asking for money as I walked a few yards on one cross roads in a pedestrian area in a north west small town centre today. None of them were familiar beggars in this town. All looked to have significant drug problems. In response to 'can you spare some cash', I said No and continued walking.
I saw four other men sitting begging in the same area, which connects M and S with the indoor shopping area so is a bus thoroughfare.
I wondered if they'd somehow been brought in to beg. I've never seen any of them before and never so many in one small area.
It's a growing problem.

I give to local food banks and sometimes big issue sellers and I think you are right Ana as there are regulations about selling The Big Issue. We have a lady from Romania outside our Co op and she sells the Big Issue. She is very friendly and willing to share her story and has been there for a few years - she supports 4 children and people locally have provided help for her . However I was shocked to find a beggar with a kitten outside a shoe shop in Princes Street Edinburgh last year. The staff contacted the SSPCA and he has never been back - this is the main thoroughfare in Edinburgh with trams, buses and taxis whizzing past - no place for a kitten to be held in a lead beside an upturned hat! I don't give to people like that and no it was not like Bob the cat in London.

The police in Norwich are having a big much publicised crack-down on aggressive begging. It did result in bad publicity last week when a small fight broke out at a soup kitchen and they rather overreacted by sending I think, eight officers to sort it. On the whole though it's been welcomed and will hopefully stop the ones who're being 'bused' in to beg and then pass most of the proceeds over to their pimps.

I do feel sorry for the rough sleepers. Finding somewhere to sleep, especially with a dog, is a big problem.

This house ( in an Eastern European country) was built on the proceeds of begging and other 'activities'
I know this as if wasn't very far away from where I lived.

That is quite astounding petra

A few years ago my husband and I were on a train in Italy, when a very tall and heavy beggar started hassling us for money. He became quite aggressive and was ranting at us in what seemed an African language. I acted daft and started speaking slang in the strongest Glasgow accent I could muster. He eventually threw his hands in the air and walked away in disgust. What concerned me was the fact that noone else on the train batted an eyelid and there was no intervention from the ticket collector.
In hindsight, I wonder if he could have been carrying a weapon and we should have just paid up.

I ignore beggars politely. At my previous job we received lots of regional newspapers and in lots of front pages there were stories from big cities where there was a problem with aggressive or bothersome beggars.
In Peterborough their investigation revealed that a majority of beggars aren't genuine, some went home to a posh house in the suburbs to count their dosh.
In Nottingham I've noticed that there aren't so many nowadays.
On one shopping trip a young lady with ratty hair and bovver boots stood in front of me, stamped her foot and demanded, "Gimme some money!"
Little me responded, "F*&% off, b!*ch" or words to that effect (I prefer not to swear but it can be very effective if put on the spot) whilst stamping my foot back at her - her jaw dropped to the floor. Picked the wrong person, didn't she? I glared at her and walked away At one time I would have felt scared but I've become cynical - do you blame me?

My family always joke about a time when we were on Liverpool Street station and a very dirty menacing looking man came up to me and before he spoke I said "go away" in a very firm voice and he did. I dont mind giving to poor homeless people but I don't want them approaching me when I am out with my family

Oxford car parks now often have a beggar sitting by the ticket machine
I find this intimidating and those older and less able than me are frightened and often avoid parking and therefore unable to carry on with their lives. The parking attendants appear to not be around at these times!

I'm not saying 'all' but I'm still wary of Big Issue sellers as well. There is a lady in my area that sells it in two local towns (tourism areas) that is picked up in a big fairly new looking 4x4. I certainly wouldn't buy from her.

But the whole point of Big Issue selling is to give them a job and respectability.
The 4x4 driver could be a charity worker.

It is a problem that's for sure. I don't give to anyone on the streets now. My friend did and she read in the paper later that a homeless man had been found dead of an overdose in an alleyway. They put a photo of him in the paper and she recognised him as the one she gave money to. It still haunts her.
There are many charities who help the homeless - if you live in Wiltshire there is the Amber Foundation in Melksham and another in Trowbridge. I rang them last year to see if they would like the bed sheets, duvets etc that were surplus to requirements. They were really pleased and came over to collect them. It was not rubbish just with the family grown up and we no longer have so many visitors these days it was just clutter.
Ask around in your local area if you have any usuable household goods. The Amber Foundation look after the youngsters on the street and help to find hem their own bedsits and flats and see them on their way. Very worthwhile and beter than the alternative in my first paragraph.

I give to local food bank.
I used to give to Big Issue seller until I saw her being picked up from behind Waitrose by a brand new 4x4 driven by a man she was obviously very friendly with. He was picking up other sellers to by the look of it. He looked very affluent. I heard later they were all from one family.

Me too, Imperfect, I was approached [but in the street] in Canterbury by a Sudanese/Ethiopian lady asking for money. She went into a spiel and asked for help for her family or whatever. I would have given her some cash, but when she asked for my debit/credit card number, I was so furious I walked away. DD who was with me wasn't pleased I hadn't helped her!!!
We give to loads of charities via SOs; I don't feel we can afford any extras. DH is always very generous in crises, bless him!

Big issue sellers are often taxied around in very nice cars by people who run little teams of them, it was well known when I lived in N Devon that ours were brought over from Bristol.

Of course charities advise people to donate to them and not to beggars, they make a living from the charity and very often a handsome living too.

I despair of charities now having worked, paid and unpaid for several over the years. My local hospice shop, which told staff to 'work harder' had employed a CEO who wasn't who he claimed to be at all and has recently gone to prison for that. The well renumerated HR people and board who interviewed and appointed him still have their jobs.

Try to do the good closest to you, that way you do at least know where the benefit ends up. I say 'sorry no' to beggars, but I do take people who are known to me as homeless and house them with me, until they get back on their feet. I took one who was on licence from prison last year, someone I had known for a while and I am happy to report so far, so good for him.

I do vol. work for causes in the village where I live and if everyone did what was closest to them personally, then charities and their astonishing 'overheads' would have to become more frugal, and money and help would reach those who needed it most.

Beggars are fast becoming a plague in city centres and it is intimidating to be approached, especially with a leaflet asking for money. Begging is against the law and I view it now as a petty crime and weigh it up against other crimes, wuld I be so happy to supprt them, littering for instance?

For me the answer is no and I am confident that I do my bit for people who are struggling.

Many drug addicts are homeless, and many will be begging money for their next fix as your young companions warned, but addiction is truly an illness and most definitely not a lifestyle choice. There will often be a very sad tale behind the route to addiction - particularly heroin - and the reason these people take it is to block out a pain that they cannot manage. Once the addiction takes hold, these poor people are at the mercy of drug dealers and will do anything for their next fix. I'd say the best thing would be to buy some sandwiches for anyone you'd like to help, and perhaps a small donation to a charity that helps people caught up in this horrendous situation

As a previous native of London I came across the homeless on a daily basis on my way to work. There was one particular boy that used to sit outside my office with his little cat. He never asked for money but it was obvious that it was what he wanted. I got talking to him and would say hello to him whenever I saw him. His story was one of abuse at home. Whilst I never gave him money I would buy the cat some food for which he was very appreciative (the boy as well as the cat). One morning the boy and the cat weren't in their usual place and I assumed they had moved on. The next day the boy was back covered in cuts and bruises and the cat had a dried bloody nose. It turned out the protection rackateers that operate amongst the homeless had beaten the boy and the cat because he didn't have the "fiver" to give to them for the space he occupied on the street! What a very sad state of affairs. I never avoid or look down on homeless people as I see so many other people doing. There but for the grace of God go I, as they say.

3-4 times a year four of us go for a night out in Manchester..our City...?? and the increase in beggers is quite alarming/sad!! One of my friends brings lots of bags of peanuts to dish out instead of cash...for protein!! some of them are so very young.sleeping bags/cardboard boxes...its awful..and most of them are British...its a big problem!! No one should be homeless....

Although I may give some coins to the odd street musician/performer(if they are good)as I consider that 'working', I would NEVER give to a beggar although I might buy some food for the dog/cat if they have one. I consider most of them to be chancers and should not be encouraged. Genuine refugees are helped very generously by the state using tax payers' money far more actually than our own genuine homeless.

Yes it's intimidating. In Edinburgh I've seen beggars get picked up at night in big fancy cars. My daughter sometimes asks them if they would like something to eat and if they say yes, buys something and gives. But never direct money! I'm older and unfortunately I don't feel safe enough to do this. It maddens me if I see them wearing good shoes etc or smoking. Now I give to food banks instead.

We were confronted by a man who was wearing a suit. He said he was going for a job interview but didn't have the bus fare to get there. Hubby gave him the money. If the story was true then I hope he got the job, if it was a lie, then shame on him.