[Margaret Pilkington]

I think the problem with benefactors, is that the young folk of today do not see their relevance.

The days of Benjamin Hargreaves were not the days when the government of the day provided things......if a community required something, it had to damn well fund it by public donations or find someone who was rich enough to fund it....and the community went around feeling grateful for what they had been given.
Today it seems that there is very little gratitude because it seems that everything comes so easy.......and is usually disposable.
People(in the main) do not go without anything, in order to save up for something important.....there is no make do and mend.......everyone expects to be able to have what they want, when they want it.
Benfactors have gone right out of style.