TEXT Santa etc

I watched this programme last night I was so pleased for the people who needed help and were getting it from some wonderful people and volunteers. Some heart-warming and heart wrenching stories and a clear message to all of us that people who really need help should be given whatever they need without a fight or question. I was moved and yes I did send some money (I won’t say how much). Also it showed how generous the public are when things do matter and it does give you hope that people do care

From me a greta big THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS & CHARITY WORKERS AND ORGANISERS (across the world) you are much more worthy of the title of HEROES than any celebrity, sportsperson, business mogul, political and / or state leaders. You define what makes the human race so great and makes me feel very proud thatt I am a human being

However it did raise some questions in our household and the first 2 (but least important) were:

We wondered if the presenters were getting paid and if they did will they donate their fee to the 6 charities

How much of the revenue from the adverts went to the 6 charities

Then we looked at the other side

We should not need charities surely this sort of support for these people should be funded from central govt and not rely on the begging bowl and generosity of the public- sorry I know begging is strong word but that is what it is.

Yet we continue to support huge fat cat bonuses, plough money into overseas aid, pay huge welfare bills to the lazy scroungers (British or otherwise) and fund ridiculous projects that end up achieving very little. As an example of wasting money – the 2012 Olympics from the bid costs to the staging of the event (yes they were good and exciting etc.), what really is our legacy now other than a few facilities and some memories!!!

Who really profited?

What real benefits could this money have brought to the thousands of people that these charities support?

How many blind people waiting for a guide dog would not have to wait?

How many lives could be saved?

How many terminal patients could be made more comfortable?

How many diseases could we conquer?

How many more people could be trained to help?

How many lives could be improved, from patients to family & friends?

How many jobs could be created?

Our legacy – simply would not need words or figures!!!

Some people may say it is a life style choice tax increases or voluntary charity contributions

The stories we seen are probably the tip of the iceberg and show once again how wrong our priorities are until the reality is thrust before our eyes – sadly many of us will go back to our greedy, selfish ways until the next fundraising TV programme comes around!!!

Its well known that when Terry Wogan does the Pudsey Bear TV show he gets paid, was told it was about £10,000, your guess is as good as mine as to if he coughed up any for the charity. So for the others I would think the same.

They say for the Text Santa all the full amount of the contributions go to the charities, if you tick the box the government gives back the 25 pence or so it also takes....Very kind of them....Not mentioned if that could be in the pound as well.

Advert people might give something under the name of the company but wont give any on the outcome of any increased revenue because they say they never know what percentage is sold via the adverts.

All this asking for money is okay but to remember the charity shops are run by volunteers in many cases for no wage, while the boss has a company Merc, and where do you draw the line, all over the radio now is "Send £3,00 to support a penguin" it's a tenner for a Tiger but only £3,00 for a child.

While the very first band aid show for the starving Ethiopian was going on a ship was in the Royal London Docks being loaded up with thousands of bottles of Johnny Walkers Whiskey bound for the Ethiopian Army.

Some of last years text santa money went to a couple of bullying charities which have closed down ealrlier this year. They have since been invstigated by ITV to see if they used it to pay off their debts instead of using it for the intended purpose.

I'm sorry, but I don't trust big charity.Some of the "chuggers" in the street take their wages from the donated funds with the rest going to the charity. Some of the charities only spend 20- 30% of the collected funds on the cause, the rest is on admin costs. My cousin works (free) for a charity, but was still sent to a 5* hotel in Senegal to a debate on world poverty that was attended by lots of country leaders. She was also sent on a course to the Brecons to learn how to make mud huts, not a lot of use in central London!!

I support local charities now where you can see where the money is mostly spent.

Mark