Reply to: Doing stuff for charity... am I missing the point?

[xoggoth]

As Su Ellen said, you don't have to be a particularly caring person but if you can do what you like doing and do summit useful at the same time, why not? I used to do stints at Furnihelp. I don't do any charity stuff at mo. but I do police search team and local council footpath inspections and repairs, all good excuses to keep fit and spend my time wandering around the countryside.

[Mich the Tester]

Could they not take out insurance in case they get injured? I know the NHS is there for those according to need - but why pay for those who put themselves in danger? Or even those who get legless?

Shouldn't people take some sort of responsibility for their actions?

And if they want to learn about the NHS become a nurse.

Because doctors and nurses don't want to be forced to make that kind of judgment of people.

[doodab]

Shouldn't people take some sort of responsibility for their actions?

Hush your mouth. That's crazy talk.

[BrilloPad]

But in doing so they learn a lot about the NHS and give freely to hospices.

Could they not take out insurance in case they get injured? I know the NHS is there for those according to need - but why pay for those who put themselves in danger? Or even those who get legless?

Shouldn't people take some sort of responsibility for their actions?

And if they want to learn about the NHS become a nurse.

[SueEllen]

Let's call it playing devil's advocate. I'm not angry people do this, or planning to confront them with a reason it's silly, just interested what other people thought about it. After all the experience might be great, but what are the people unable to feed their children going to be more impressed by, people climbing a mountain or food on the table?

To be fair the fact that they have taken time out to put themselves in pain can inspire them to do things like volunteering, which while painless in the physical exertion stakes is high in the frustration stakes.

[SueEllen]

I read that those people who raise money for charity doing extreme stunts like parachuting cost the NHS more in broken limbs than they raise.

But in doing so they learn a lot about the NHS and give freely to hospices.

[d000hg]

Hey, it is your prerogative to be a tightwad if you like d000hg. Nobody is holding a gun to your head.

Blessed are the poor and all that..............or not, apparently.

This isn't about what I do or don't give - I give because I want to give and eschew sponsoring anyway. I think I'm reasonably generous in my giving, but the people doing this could have raised more for their charity by paying the entrance fees directly to the charity if nobody sponsored them at all.

are you thick or just trolling?

Just asking like.

Let's call it playing devil's advocate. I'm not angry people do this, or planning to confront them with a reason it's silly, just interested what other people thought about it. After all the experience might be great, but what are the people unable to feed their children going to be more impressed by, people climbing a mountain or food on the table?

[Old Greg]

A lot of people have very little money left for food after they've paid out for the essentials .... like smokes, drink, a new tattoo and satellite TV sub.

It's not always about you.

[darmstadt]

Grim reading: America's Worst Charities

[Old Hack]

I do regular bike rides for charity; this year will be Glasgow to Bristol with a group of friends. What do I get out of it? Corporate sponsorship from a couple of people who take part ensures we raise a fair amount of money, but once you go through some pain, day in day out, and push yourself to the point of not wanting to continue, but carrying on, gives both a sense of achievement hard to create from simply writing applications day in day out.

I spend a good 5-7 days a year doing this, losing out on earnings and paying for my travel, hotels and food, but wouldn't miss it for the world.

I guess it's also harder spending time with good friends as your family gets larger, and older.

[Old Hack]

d000hg - Spreading gods word of love and peace since 2008

[minestrone]

I once had a crazy notion to go to Africa to help them dig wells and build houses / walls etc.

Until some on here pointed out my plane ticket there and back would probably pay for an army of builders for a months work and that I was being a

That might have been me, or at least I was in the group that picked apart the logic of your ill fated expedition plans.

You would have taken half the village's food supply anyway

[BrilloPad]

I read that those people who raise money for charity doing extreme stunts like parachuting cost the NHS more in broken limbs than they raise.

[TheFaQQer]

They even have the gaul to have a go at me

Unless they are using Asterix (or one of his friends), it's "gall".

[Gibbon]

About 30 people, around half from my church, successfully completed the 3 Peaks this weekend in support for the local Food Bank. It's a great cause and I admire their dedication but according to their JustGiving page they have raised £650 - let's say £1500 with other pledges included.

To take part, each person had to pay £120 towards accommodation and extensive travel costs. So after slogging their guts out and giving up time training, if each of them had just given (hah!) £120 to charity they would have raised £2000 more, i.e. double. Not excluding money spent on kit for the event.

Now to me, it seems that if they really cared about the cause they would have been better off not doing the 3P at all. Of course we can talk about them spreading the word but if we assumed that has negligible effect, am I missing the point or are they?

You missed out on a religious experience, apparently the vicar from Horton or Settle used to go up Pen-y-Ghent in a thunder storm and talk to God.

Otherwise I agree with and since I gave some money for a charity sky dive years ago and found out all the costs came out before the money went to charity I've never given to these type of events. I do give to the non aggressive homeless though and never to those chuggers who fill whole streets.