Today I'm angry about.....

[Dujon]

Like some of you lot I often wonder 'why' when approached by well meaning people doing silly things to raise money for a good cause. It seems that much of the money raised for charities doesn't reach the intended recipients but disappears into 'overheads'. That is sad. I'd much rather people who would like to help put time into the organisation they support. That might sound contradictory, in the sense that without money the organisation would founder, but if I happened to be a donor (particularly a corporate body with a heart) I'd be much more likely to contribute to a charity where, say, 90% of my money would be used properly rather than one where, say, 10% finally filtered through.

[TANGODANCER]

Got a letter from United Utilities today including a " We can make a difference" donation form, asking for bank detail etc, to help them provide water to Africa. Included in the same envelope was a seperate sheet showing a £2 a month rise in my water bill. Nice timing.

[Gary the Enfield]

I can see the worth in someone doing a long run or something like that. That takes effort/training/etc. Feck that bunjee-jumping skydiving shite, though.

If somebody wants to put the effort and training in to do a long run, isn't it always because they fancy the personal achievement, health and fitness improvements and 'something to talk about' benefits associated with doing a marathon?

If it's a cause worth supporting, it's a cause worth supporting. I'm perfectly happy to sponsor the marathon-y stuff where you'd do it anyway, it isn't taking a penny out of the donations and folk think, I'm doing this so I might as well raise money for a good cause while I'm at it.

You see this is precisely the sort of vacuous, empty headed nonsense that I and others rail against. There are lots of things that people would 'do anyway' but they don't feel the need to say 'I might as well raise money for a good cause while I'm at it'.

If the cause is all important, then why not spend all that time training and effort on advocacy for the cause or even stacking shelves and paying the wages into the pot? I would sponsor that, but of course nobody does that because there is no personal glory attached.

If the cause is incidental to the activity, then it will not affect the likelihood of my sponsoring it, thanks.

If the activity has a genuine role to play in making a certain point, then that is different. A girl I worked with last year lived for a week on £1 a day for food, which was a genuine personal sacrifice that got us all thinking about the poverty charity she was raising money for (irrespective of the fact that living on £1 a day here is not really comparable to doing that in poor African countries). That is the only sponsored activity I have contributed to in recent memory.

I wrote that quickly and it doesn't read properly. I meant,

"If it's a cause worth supporting, it's a cause worth supporting. (As in, if you want me to donate, convince me of the merits of this charity).

*Separate paragraph*

(However,) I'm perfectly happy to sponsor the marathon-y stuff where you'd do it anyway, it isn't taking a penny out of the donations and folk think, I'm doing this so I might as well raise money for a good cause while I'm at it. "

In the second sentence I'm referring to the GtEs of the world who genuinely would run a marathon anyway, and whilst they are at it might find it a good way to use it to frame a discussion about a charity close to them. I wouldn't sponsor GtE if he ran a marathon to raise money for a donkey sanctuary; but, I think if one of the runner folk had a charity close to his/her heart which I might consider, then running the marathon (which isn't taking any of the money donated) is actually a good way to kick off a discussion. I certainly think there is a difference between that sort of thing and 'pay for me to walk the great wall of China'.

I run far too many races to be continually asking for money. Compassion fatigue is all too common nowadays.

When I ran the marathon I genuinely thought it would be the pinnacle of my running 'career'. As such I decided to raise awareness (and money) for two charities close to me: Great Ormond Street Hospital where my son was treated and Cancer Research as my Mum was undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer at the time. The next time I ran it I donated money myself and didn't ask anyone.

I received a lot of support from this website at the time and I am very grateful for that. Millions of people every year raise money for all kinds of charities without 'going on a jolly' and their effort (from sitting in a bath of beans to running ultra marathons) are all worthy in their own right. If everyone took the stance that it doesn't affect them personally (to the extent that they needed persuading) then money would never be given and awareness would not be raised. In the mildest of instances posters requesting votes for their girlfriends to win awards they might not otherwise acheive would not get the response they require.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

I run far too many races to be continually asking for money. Compassion fatigue is all too common nowadays.

When I ran the marathon I genuinely thought it would be the pinnacle of my running 'career'. As such I decided to raise awareness (and money) for two charities close to me: Great Ormond Street Hospital where my son was treated and Cancer Research as my Mum was undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer at the time. The next time I ran it I donated money myself and didn't ask anyone.

I received a lot of support from this website at the time and I am very grateful for that. Millions of people every year raise money for all kinds of charities without 'going on a jolly' and their effort (from sitting in a bath of beans to running ultra marathons) are all worthy in their own right. If everyone took the stance that it doesn't affect them personally (to the extent that they needed persuading) then money would never be given and awareness would not be raised. In the mildest of instances posters requesting votes for their girlfriends to win awards they might not otherwise acheive would not get the response they require.

Touché! It is the good sorts like you who make me feel guilty for holding this view.

To some extent I see that the social convention is there and given that it is, people feel they might as well work within it to make money for their causes.

I don't understand why you feel the need to be 'persuaded' is a bad thing though. My position is that I am more likely to give to charity if somebody explains to me the work that a charity does and why it is important to them, than if they tell me they are doing a run for that cause. I have certainly given to charities that don't affect me 'personally' on this basis.

In that sense, my own actions are not inconsistent - I explained that winning this award would be beneficial to my mrs and therefore that I would appreciate the favour. It would have been very odd if I had explained that I am running a marathon to secure the votes.

[Gary the Enfield]

I run far too many races to be continually asking for money. Compassion fatigue is all too common nowadays.

When I ran the marathon I genuinely thought it would be the pinnacle of my running 'career'. As such I decided to raise awareness (and money) for two charities close to me: Great Ormond Street Hospital where my son was treated and Cancer Research as my Mum was undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer at the time. The next time I ran it I donated money myself and didn't ask anyone.

I received a lot of support from this website at the time and I am very grateful for that. Millions of people every year raise money for all kinds of charities without 'going on a jolly' and their effort (from sitting in a bath of beans to running ultra marathons) are all worthy in their own right. If everyone took the stance that it doesn't affect them personally (to the extent that they needed persuading) then money would never be given and awareness would not be raised. In the mildest of instances posters requesting votes for their girlfriends to win awards they might not otherwise acheive would not get the response they require.

Touché! It is the good sorts like you who make me feel guilty for holding this view.

To some extent I see that the social convention is there and given that it is, people feel they might as well work within it to make money for their causes.

I don't understand why you feel the need to be 'persuaded' is a bad thing though. My position is that I am more likely to give to charity if somebody explains to me the work that a charity does and why it is important to them, than if they tell me they are doing a run for that cause. I have certainly given to charities that don't affect me 'personally' on this basis.

In that sense, my own actions are not inconsistent - I explained that winning this award would be beneficial to my mrs and therefore that I would appreciate the favour. It would have been very odd if I had explained that I am running a marathon to secure the votes.

It's not a bad thing. For my own part the charities I support are largeley self evident though. Donkey Sanctuaries and Snow Leopard supporters may need to do a harder sell, I agree.

As for your missus awards it was no skin off my nose to support a cause someone I know (ish) has aked me to. It's just like 'liking' a page on facebook or re-tweeting a message on twitter. And if it improves someone's life as a consequence then so much the better. How did she get on, by the way?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

As for your missus awards it was no skin off my nose to support a cause someone I know (ish) has aked me to. It's just like 'liking' a page on facebook or re-tweeting a message on twitter. And if it improves someone's life as a consequence then so much the better. How did she get on, by the way?

The awards ceremony is this Sunday and she has been told that she is in the top three and that the winner will be announced at the event - the award in her category is being presented by Simon Callow.

Fingers crossed and thanks to everyone on here who signed up to vote.

[Bruce Rioja]

Black tie do then, PB?

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Black tie do then, PB?

Good point - I'm not sure actually.

[Athers]

My favourite one of these was a "Challenge Peru" or something similar where a colleague was asking for £3,600 for her and her non-colleague boyfriend to go to Peru to help a small community. Sure there was at least something noble involved but my eyes went straight to the paragraphs where they talk about helping locals to herd alpacas and an excursion trek up a mountain.

I think they know how to handle the alpacas, they've only been doing it for thousands of years.

[TANGODANCER]

My favourite one of these was a "Challenge Peru" or something similar where a colleague was asking for £3,600 for her and her non-colleague boyfriend to go to Peru to help a small community. Sure there was at least something noble involved but my eyes went straight to the paragraphs where they talk about helping locals to herd alpacas and an excursion trek up a mountain.

I think they know how to handle the alpacas, they've only been doing it for thousands of years.

Or they could just get jobs and pay taxes to the government who are probably already helping Peru with aid, or save up the fare themselves if they want to feel really noble about it.

[BWFC_Insane]

My favourite one of these was a "Challenge Peru" or something similar where a colleague was asking for £3,600 for her and her non-colleague boyfriend to go to Peru to help a small community. Sure there was at least something noble involved but my eyes went straight to the paragraphs where they talk about helping locals to herd alpacas and an excursion trek up a mountain.

I think they know how to handle the alpacas, they've only been doing it for thousands of years.

I'm trying to raise £3000 so that I can go to Jamaica to teach the locals how to drink rum and relax in the sun.

All donations extremely welcome for this very noble cause!

[Gary the Enfield]

My favourite one of these was a "Challenge Peru" or something similar where a colleague was asking for £3,600 for her and her non-colleague boyfriend to go to Peru to help a small community. Sure there was at least something noble involved but my eyes went straight to the paragraphs where they talk about helping locals to herd alpacas and an excursion trek up a mountain.

I think they know how to handle the alpacas, they've only been doing it for thousands of years.

I'm trying to raise £3000 so that I can go to Jamaica to teach the locals how to drink rum and relax in the sun.

All donations extremely welcome for this very noble cause!

I'll pm you my bank details.

[Little Green Man]

People in the office with their (loud) Rockford Files ringtone. Grrrrrrrrrr...

And the new bloke who cracks his knuckles all day.

[Little Green Man]

And the new bloke who cracks his knuckles all day.

Well blither my crin, he's only gone and handed his notice in.

[mrkint]

Not angry but just something that makes me very uneasy about seeing a trial (or a bail-hearing at this stage) being live-blogged, with people texting/tweeting in saying "i dont think he did it/he did it" kind of stuff. Just really, really... :/

[bobo the clown]

And the new bloke who cracks his knuckles all day.

Well blither my crin, he's only gone and handed his notice in.

With broken fingers ?!!?

[mrkint]

I think I've mentioned it on here before, but...

cyclists in London. Absolute stupid tw*ts. Every morning when I cycle to work (which by default makes me a tw*t, but that's by the by) there are at least a dozen instances of cyclists running through red lights, nearly running over people, causing drivers to swerve. And then they have the temerity to have a go at every other sod on the road or pavement, thinking they have a divine right because they're using pedal power. I'm all for more driver awareness about the vulnerability of cyclists on the road, but the latter really need to get with it in terms of not putting themselves in mortal danger by just being plain stupid.

I'm aware I've tarred them all with the same brush, but honestly it's becoming a daily occurrence on the commute. And it still pisses me off. I was walking down Oxford Street just before Christmas when a guy was walking across the road. It was busy and I wouldn't have done it, but whatever. Anyway, a cyclist goes past him and just clouts him around the head as he's crossing the road, while going at full pelt. I don't think I've been as incensed in a while. Thankfully the guy was alright, and as I say, I wouldn't have crossed the road when he did, but wtf gives the cyclist the right to do that? No one batted a fecking eyelid.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I think I've mentioned it on here before, but...

cyclists in London. Absolute stupid tw*ts. Every morning when I cycle to work (which by default makes me a tw*t, but that's by the by) there are at least a dozen instances of cyclists running through red lights, nearly running over people, causing drivers to swerve. And then they have the temerity to have a go at every other sod on the road or pavement, thinking they have a divine right because they're using pedal power. I'm all for more driver awareness about the vulnerability of cyclists on the road, but the latter really need to get with it in terms of not putting themselves in mortal danger by just being plain stupid.

I'm aware I've tarred them all with the same brush, but honestly it's becoming a daily occurrence on the commute. And it still pisses me off. I was walking down Oxford Street just before Christmas when a guy was walking across the road. It was busy and I wouldn't have done it, but whatever. Anyway, a cyclist goes past him and just clouts him around the head as he's crossing the road, while going at full pelt. I don't think I've been as incensed in a while. Thankfully the guy was alright, and as I say, I wouldn't have crossed the road when he did, but wtf gives the cyclist the right to do that? No one batted a fecking eyelid.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I don't (thankfully) live in London. But it's not just a capital phenomenon. The tw*ts are everywhere. On the way to East Midlands airport, in the car, in a filter lane for a right hand turn at traffic lights that had turned red, but were about to turn back green and I was simultaneously undertaken and overtaken by a mob of cyclists. They not only nearly got themselves killed, but at a couple of them were verbally abusive to people crossing on foot at the proper place at the proper time. As you say tw*ts and becoming increasingly evident.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Indeed - as someone who has lived a year in the Netherlands, it seems to me that large numbers of people cycling is self-evidently a good thing IF:

a) our roads and cities are set up to accommodate it; and

b) cyclists themselves stick to a strict code of etiquette (or, at least, the laws of the road).

We should make life easier and safer for cyclists, but the quid pro quo is that we should ask more from them too.

[Bruce Rioja]

Bollocks - Just realised that I'm away next week and we've got Blackburn at home on Tuesday.