Middleaged tax exiles in need:
I left the radio tuned to Radio 2 after lsitening to Mark Radcliffe last night and caught a few minutes of Wogan just now. They were doing a celebrity auction for Children in Need.
Now I've got nothing against Pudsey and his mates (In fact groups I've worked with have benefitted from the money given) but this auction was deeply annoying.
It's called "Things that money can't buy" (or something similar) and people can bid to have dinner with people of the telly etc. Firstly the titles wrong because clearly if you've got 20 grand you can have dinner with the bloke of that cardiff Dr Who knock off. Also isn't this another example of communisn for the rich capitlism for the poor? When you or I chip in for charity all we expect back in retrun is a paper poppy or perhaps a smile. Rich people when they give want a "night of their lives" (is it technically gving if you get something of equal value in return.)
S0 the whole thing seems to have very little to do with giving and is more about a ego massage for thoe invovled. I aslo think it's different from going to charity gig becuse when i'm at benefit I'm not on national radio crowing about my generosity (well done to anon bidders by the way) nor am trying to claim some superiority and seperate myself from the herd........ look at me I'm having a creme caramel with Joanna Lumley , look she's smiling sweetly as I go on about my house in portugal .... look I think she's about to ring up the Gurkhas and have me whacked...
So it's simple if you want to give to chairity go ahead and give, prefrably by Gift Aid so the charity can get the tax back . Don't flatter youself that munching chicken salad in the Ivy with the cast of Holby City makes you St Francis of Assisi.
Lastly if you want a charity to support can I suggest Oxfam there are very good with kids everywhere.
6 comments:
I've come to realise since I've started working with fundraising people that giving to charity is entirely about ego. But how shallow are you if your name on the donor wall or the sponsored seat or the entire bloody education wing (hello Sackler family!) makes you feel good? Does it really make a difference?
See also: people who sit on loads of boards because it makes them feel 'valuable' and proceed to do nothing!!
bah humbug...I mean right on brother...come the revolution Mr Wogan will be first against the wall with all those others from Children in Need...nasty capitalist scum
"Don't flatter youself that munching chicken salad in the Ivy with the cast of Holby City makes you St Francis of Assisi."
That is my quote of the week :)
Four star: thanks and wellcome.
Al, I'm not against children in need it was just these donors seem to more interested in how they look than the actual charity work. Also a frankly don't care either way on wogan he's not to my taste but the rest fo country love him so be it.
As a regular listener to Wogan the donors other than the few minutes when it is announced don't get a lot of attention. The events they bid for themselves often pass with very little public fanfare other than a genuine thank you from Tel himself. Some of those who bid and fail give their bids anyway. Earlier this week someone won the bid and then found they couldn't go. The prize went to the second placed bidder and the original winner made up the not insubstantial difference.
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