TV charity ads

I've been off today and have the tv on in the background. If I've seen one charity tv ad, I've seen umpteen. They tear at your heart by showing you abused animals, starving children and the likes. Does it make you want to donate? I already have, but you cannot donate to every single charity. There's no end to it, especially at this time of year. They try and pull at your heartstrings.

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No Alice , i donate to a few charitys in things that have had an impact on my life, Leukimia, Breast Cancer, and then only to local collectors for local things.

Simply cant support everything, even when i was working and had money, i do miss not being able to go out and buy a bunch of toys for the Salvation Army appeal, as i knew it went to deprived local kids.

I used to support the Shoebox charity as well, fill a Shoebox with gifts that went abroad for children. sobering to think the kids often were just as impressed with the Chritmas paper shoebox

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Nom, when my boys were in school, we did the shoebox appeal. There has been a video on Facebook over the last week with the children receiving their boxes and you'd think they'd been given the world. It's so humbling.

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My son helps in a Crisis shelter for the homeless over the Christmas period.I donate to that charity,there are so many charities pulling at heartstrings especially at this time of the year.

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What a great thing for your son to do Enfys. You must be very proud of him.

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I think it just desensitizes people, seeing one after the other. I found myself looking at what they wanted people to donate and one wanted £19 per month, whereas most others wanted £3. I was thinking "well, at that rate, for £18 I could cover 6 charities and save a quid!" I generally also think "how much of that money actually gets to where it's needed" and my answer to myself is invariably "not a hell of a lot."

The worst thing you can do is sign up, anyway, because after that they're always on the damn phone trying to wheedle more money out of you. In addition there are always a spate of phone calls out of the blue from other charities who ring up to see if you want to help them too. They obviously pass your details on to other charities as well as pestering for more money per month. Yes, Red Cross, I'm looking at you, which is why I got irked enough to cancel my donations.

Like most people probably do when these ads are droning on I go and put the kettle on for a cuppa. I now prefer to devote my efforts to a charity I do volunteer work for, which helps people in my local area.

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I'm afraid I've become immune to the charity ads, I get the phone calls, too, asking for pledges, direct debits or a one off donation.
I donate to charity shops and also buy a few bits so I feel I do my share...

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I work for a small charity we can never understand how they afford to advertise it's expensive ! also puzzles us how they afford to give people so many freebies if they do donate. Regularly get stuff from red cross - pens, note books, calendars, diaries and book marks, been getting them for 15 years since we donated £15 to them once !!

Re: TV charity ads

Quote Tachyon. “I now prefer to devote my efforts to a charity I do volunteer work for, which helps people in my local area”
Good for you, I get so annoyed at them trying to shock you into giving them a perpetual donation, the result of this bombardment of suffering ads has everyone in our house(including my two teenage grandsons) immediately switching to another channel. If the better part of your contribution reached those they portray on the screen it would be ok but far too many people at the top are making a very good living out of working for charities, and it’s their wages and expenses that eat up the bulk of the money. Make no mistake charities are big business now and have no scruples when they want you to part with money you can ill afford, the whole charity business needs investigating and need to open their books to let the donors know where every penny goes. They have a bloody cheek telling you how much to give in the first place.
I have my own local causes that I support. I would sooner give money to a tramp in the street than any of those who advertise on prime time TV, at least I know the tramp is getting the lot.

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Not really topic-related but I tell you what I hate and despise more than TV and Radio ads - the "Chuggers" that try to dazzle you with fake sincerity on the High Street. Abysmal people.

I do like giving people who pack bags in supermarkets a couple of quid though, especially young people from Cadet forces, and the like. I always give them a big smile and a "thank you". It's nice of them to give their time up and it should be encouraged.