Children in Need

[wafflycat]

Whilst CiN is a worthy cause, it's Sir Wogan that puts me off. I've grown tired of the annual *nagging* for ever more money and ever bigger donations. One year (can't remember exactly which one) I switched off, as Sir Tel was being thoroughly *awful* in his pleading, nagging, emotional blackmailing that about there not being enough money in and how we all had to 'dig deeper'. I admit to having compassion fatigue as regards CiN.

And considering it came out (last year/this year?) that Sir Tel gets paid several thousands for his night's work (£1300 per hour), it put me right off. Okay, so post it becoming public, IIRC, it was announced that Sir Tel apparently knew naught about his earnings from the night in that 'he'd never asked for it' one has to wonder about how much of the donations are going from those who can ill afford to part with their dosh funding not kids in need of help, but those adults who are actually much wealthier & healthier than those parting with their cash. I'm entirely happy to support various worthy causes, but not Sir Tel's fees for the event, so to speak.

If that makes me a grumpy old fart, so be it!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yep - good cause and all that but I just can't stand that sort of programming. If I watch any telly tonight it won't be BBC1.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Yep - good cause and all that but I just can't stand that sort of programming. If I watch any telly tonight it won't be BBC1.

 

[User482]

No-one disputes the worthiness of the cause, but I can't bear it! I normally escape down the pub.

 

[User482]

No-one disputes the worthiness of the cause, but I can't bear it! I normally escape down the pub.

 

[Pete]

I can sympathise with your feelings, Waffly.

While this is nothing to do with CiN (for which, as I said, there's a collection tin at our workplace, nothing more), there's a hot and very angry debate going on at work, about which charity should benefit from our Xmas raffle. You see, our parent company (a big multinational) offers to match the sum raised from employees, but with strings attached: it has set 'rules' about what type of charity would be acceptable. I don't understand the rules myself (no-one does!), but they're very prescriptive and many 'obvious' charities are excluded from the list. I am no longer surprised at the passions that can be felt and tempers raised, over the matter of charity.

And another thing: prime example of myself getting compassion-fatigue . I don't often sing out loud about this, but I do have direct debits (for modest sums) to a couple of charities that I feel I want to support regularly. One of them is one of the big international aid ones - I won't say which. Well, so I get a phone call from said charity. After an initial spiel "thank you for your valuable continued support, etc. etc.", caller lays into the full works, a long and obviously well-prepared tele-sales pitch about all the good works they're into, and wouldn't it be nice if I upped my monthly payment? I have to admit this put me right off. I um'd and er'd "I'll think about it" and rang off, feeling really p!ssed off. I haven't stopped the DD, but nor have I raised it. Maybe I might have done, had the approach been different.

Anyone else feel the same sometimes? Am I a mean old fart?

 

[Pete]

I can sympathise with your feelings, Waffly.

While this is nothing to do with CiN (for which, as I said, there's a collection tin at our workplace, nothing more), there's a hot and very angry debate going on at work, about which charity should benefit from our Xmas raffle. You see, our parent company (a big multinational) offers to match the sum raised from employees, but with strings attached: it has set 'rules' about what type of charity would be acceptable. I don't understand the rules myself (no-one does!), but they're very prescriptive and many 'obvious' charities are excluded from the list. I am no longer surprised at the passions that can be felt and tempers raised, over the matter of charity.

And another thing: prime example of myself getting compassion-fatigue . I don't often sing out loud about this, but I do have direct debits (for modest sums) to a couple of charities that I feel I want to support regularly. One of them is one of the big international aid ones - I won't say which. Well, so I get a phone call from said charity. After an initial spiel "thank you for your valuable continued support, etc. etc.", caller lays into the full works, a long and obviously well-prepared tele-sales pitch about all the good works they're into, and wouldn't it be nice if I upped my monthly payment? I have to admit this put me right off. I um'd and er'd "I'll think about it" and rang off, feeling really p!ssed off. I haven't stopped the DD, but nor have I raised it. Maybe I might have done, had the approach been different.

Anyone else feel the same sometimes? Am I a mean old fart?

 

[wafflycat]

Aye, nothing like the implied inadequacy of donation that is made via the "is that all you're giving, sir/madam?" approach to get one to switch off pronto.

 

[wafflycat]

Aye, nothing like the implied inadequacy of donation that is made via the "is that all you're giving, sir/madam?" approach to get one to switch off pronto.

 

[User482]

Pete, I sympathise entirely. A charity I make a regular donation to periodically phones me up to ask me increase my direct debit. Similarly I once made a donation to my old uni's student hardship fund, and now they harass me. But the best one was the doorstep collector who got aggro when I said I don't make donations at the door. I'd helped to organise and take part in an event for the same charity only a month earlier! This seemed to cut no ice...

 

[User482]

Pete, I sympathise entirely. A charity I make a regular donation to periodically phones me up to ask me increase my direct debit. Similarly I once made a donation to my old uni's student hardship fund, and now they harass me. But the best one was the doorstep collector who got aggro when I said I don't make donations at the door. I'd helped to organise and take part in an event for the same charity only a month earlier! This seemed to cut no ice...

 

[wafflycat]

And chuggers. Lord I loathe chuggers. I am willing to donate to many a worthy cause but just because I'm not going to give my bank details to a total stranger in the street, does not mean I am being mean & thoughtless. I make a point of *not* donating to charities that I'd had a chugger approach me about. I do the *polite* 'no thank you' to chuggers but several have responded "So you don't want to help the homeless/sick children/starving victims, then?" At which point I've put on my best matronly scowl and told the offensive little twerp uttering the nonsense to go find his dick & to f**k himself.

 

[wafflycat]

And chuggers. Lord I loathe chuggers. I am willing to donate to many a worthy cause but just because I'm not going to give my bank details to a total stranger in the street, does not mean I am being mean & thoughtless. I make a point of *not* donating to charities that I'd had a chugger approach me about. I do the *polite* 'no thank you' to chuggers but several have responded "So you don't want to help the homeless/sick children/starving victims, then?" At which point I've put on my best matronly scowl and told the offensive little twerp uttering the nonsense to go find his dick & to f**k himself.

 

[Trembler49]

There are 2 things which really get me about CiN.

1. It's the awfull smugness which surrounds the whole event for weeks around it. It's just... well.. you know..

2. I am not convinved that disadvantaged people in the UK is a needy enough cause. We are a wealthy nation and our idea of disadvantaged is different from children in say Bangladesh or Ethiopia. I would rather give to children with no shoes, no homes and no food, than to children whose parents can't afford to take them to Alton Towers.

 

[Trembler49]

There are 2 things which really get me about CiN.

1. It's the awfull smugness which surrounds the whole event for weeks around it. It's just... well.. you know..

2. I am not convinved that disadvantaged people in the UK is a needy enough cause. We are a wealthy nation and our idea of disadvantaged is different from children in say Bangladesh or Ethiopia. I would rather give to children with no shoes, no homes and no food, than to children whose parents can't afford to take them to Alton Towers.