Charity, what do you do?

[doug boardley]

My wife is a shopaholic!!! but her favourite stores aren't the branded ones (phew), she loves charity shops... BHF, Cancer Care, Oxfam.
We were having a clear out of the boys toys the other day, (in anticipation of them getting an inlux of new toys for their birthdays) and altho' they were sad to see some of them go, when we told them they were going to Oxfam they both said " Good, that means the kids in Africa can play with them!" We looked at each other, (me and Mrs Doug) and decided that we couldn't be patronising and tried explaining how the charity shops work. I think they kinda grasped it, altho', they're not willing to donate their Center Parc piggy bank.
Anyway, do you donate to charity?, which one? and how do you contribute?

 

[jolly fix]

I Work a few weeks a year for the children's world charity,my wife is a director for pearl of africa foundation (she was in uganda filming not so long back),i also buy the odd thing at local charity shops (work shirts).

 

[enduro]

I raise money for The teenage Cancer trust and St.wilfrids Hospice.

 

[The D]

I tithe my 10 percent to the church and my wife is always in the charity shops and whenever we have a clear out it goes to one of the charity shops.

 

[Deleted member 9966]

If I purposely donate (like at Christmas times) I always consider the British Heart Foundation and Alzheimers Society first, as these are the two main medical conditions in our family over the years.

But if people are doing sponsored stuff, I try and give generously to those people too. One guy at work did a bicycle ride from Brighton to London or something to raise money for charity. As it was a long distance and something I would never dream of doing myself, I donated heavily to show my respect for what he was doing and that it was an extremely good cause.

I shall also be frequenting charity shops when I have kids. No point buying brand new clothes and toys all the time when good quality kids stuff is available at a fraction of the price.

 

[Dan]

I give plenty to Dougy Mac, the local air ambulance service, and more recently heart and cancer charities.

Recently sponsors the mrs' sisters' fella for the local half marathon too.

ElectriciansForums is sorting out charity stuff too, including pens, and half the pot is going to dougy mac which was my choice.

 

[doug boardley]

gonna change my last name to "Mac" would you like my address Dan?:lol::lol:

 

[Scott]

Any cancer charity for me, sponsorship mainly. Loads for Race for Life this year as its close to my heart.

Sponsored £20 to a friend yesterday who did a skydive for Cancer Research, (its was 13000ft Doug )

Florence Nightingale Hospice is my other one, they do a sterling job there (as they all do im sure)

 

[david campbell]

donate a bit to cancer research and animal charities, and my other 1/2 often clears out our unwanted stuff and heads to the charity shops!

 

[Dan]

We just cleared out our wardrobes and we managed to fill 4 bags, three were sent to the charity shop, 1 was old work clothes, no good to anybody, even as rags.

And for some reason, the wardrobes still look just as full - yet I can never find anything to wear! Strange world this is. haha :lol:

 

[hillhead]

I very rarlely pass a collector,i put a £20 note in a box last night at my surprise 40th birthday bash,the collection was for some girl who needs serious surgery on a tumor(poor girl).
I also seen 6 foreign women collecting in a local town lately handing out small candles with a note(help me,i have 3 small children and have no money to feed them).I took a candle as i was on the phone(bluetooth),she walked away giving me time to swallow, then came back as the lights were just turning green thumping my window the cheeky sod!!!!:yikes:
She got no money from me,next day seen the same happening.I didn't drop my window and as i drove on a little there was a guy standing out watching these women,obviously controlling the scam!! .
The police seem to move these people on reasonably quick but they just keep popping up again so BEWARE people.
Just be careful and make sure you give to genuine causes

 

[b-fly]

I really feel dumb when I give money to help some beggar and than I understand that he/she use them for alchohol for example. Now I give people only to organizations and people who are authorized to take money for charity. If a beggar wants money from me I offer them a meal. They often refuse to me :glasses:

 

[mikethetile]

I give time to help the salvation army

like Deano I tithe to the church and then help out

we give practical help to the homeless and needy locally.I spend time talking to the homeless and we chat about how they got into this situation and the best way forward, they get practical help from the homeless group but love it when someone who understands what they are going through sits and chats with them. at xmas we raise money to buy presents for those that will have nothing to look forward too

we also have projects going worldwide especially in africa where the sa are building schools and equiping them. theres no such thing as free education in a lot of countries so we build free schools to educate the youngsters so that they will be able to drag their country out of its world position, there is also the usual well building programs as a lot of villages have no means of getting clean water without walking miles for it

michelles off to kenya later this year to teach the kids music and ill be over there in the next few years to give practical help with the building program. it costs thousands to volunteer and I dont have it right now

we also do the usual soup kitchen thing and feed people during local disasters

im not a god botherer and would rather just get on with it than look for reward

 

[M.J.]

wow, I really feel that I don't do enough for charity. I use these boxes of the organizations and I hope that my money help someone. And sometimes buying a meal for the baggers as b-fly said if I give them some money, they won't buy a meal.

 

[richard Kent]

Cancer research by direct debit only £3 a month and sheld by direct debit £2.50 a month, every little helps.