Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

I also think that the air ambulance should be funded. The government is responsible for NHS funding and the ambulance services are lumped under the title of 'Care Trust' which also covers patient transport (you can access the NHS structure online at www.nhs.uk ) I think that people using ambulances unnecessarily should have to pay a charge of at least £50. The amount of people using our ambulances as a free taxi service is unbelievable. The ambulance crews are not allowed to tell these people off, but I have been known to give them a good rollocking when they arrive on our ward, then ring a friend for a lift home half an hour later after wasting everybody's time....:D

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

lol Lettie but then you have the flip side to the coin when someone like me, who got a proper rollocking off the doctor for not ringing an ambulance with my apendix! I'm one of those who would still try to drive myself to the hospital if my leg was hanging off, I'd be telling myself it's nothing serious! :)

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

Doug, maybe you have charity fatigue. There are so many charities out there begging for our money. I donate books and clothes to several of the charity shops.....I toss my loose change into collecting tins.....but like Lettie, I am not going to be intimidated into giving.....some of the pictures we see ARE heartbreaking.....and if you could be sure your donation would help those people then maybe, just maybe it would be worth while. The huge amounts of money that was donated after the Tsunami do not appear to have filtered through very well.....and we are now 10 months away from that disaster.....so where is the money? What is it doing? Is it languishing in some government departments account?

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

Well I give to cancer research the heart foundation and kiddy charities. To me its up to the individual to whom they donate there hard earned cash and in some small way hope it goes to the area of need they want it to.

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

I have to say that my personal response to people collecting for charity is "I pay enough in taxation for the government to take care of that. I do not see the point of keeping a dog and barking yourself."

The only charity I contribute towards is the Haig Fund and I do that as a continuing means of expressing my appreciation of what I enjoy as a result of the sacrifice of others.

It is not so long ago that I pointed out the scandal of the Guide Dogs for the Blind charity, with reserves of millions of pounds, which it prefers to keep in the bank while spending less than it takes in donations each year.

The Imperial Cancer Research Fund; how many millions of people's hard earned money have been poured into that black hole over the years, and are we any closer to a cure for cancer?

The NSPCC would have us believe that if enough of us donated by direct debit every month, then cruelty to children would suddenly become a thing of the past. Who are they trying to kid?

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

[quote=Acrylic-bobThe Imperial Cancer Research Fund; how many millions of people's hard earned money have been poured into that black hole over the years, and are we any closer to a cure for cancer?[/quote]

Who's to know if there isn't a cure for cancer already? The pharmaceutical industry and research organisations would loose billions if there were. So no incentive for them.

I have read a book that claims a cure exists! Reckons vitamin B17 is it, found in the bitter contents on apricot kernels and apple pips and the like.

Charitable donations are a personal choice and probably needs to be a regular contribution so that none are suddenly cut off.

It is also an emotional response. Many individuals and campains pray on the emotions. I fight against any individual or organisation that says "GIVE". I like to respond 1-to-1 when my internal prompting says "give".

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

I do find the use of child actors in television advertisments by the NSPCC, recreating scenes of children in distress, in very poor taste. It must work though.

Like A-b said, although the likes of the NSPCC do good work, there really should be no need for an organisation like them. They pick up the cases were our government controlled Social Services have clearly failed.

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

I've seen the buckets at Asda checkouts for the Earthquake fund.I didn't donate and was half tempted to take the bucket to donate to a better cause.I've given alot to charitable causes over the years but not this one.

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

Oh how I hate to find fault with such a positive little soul, but earthquake should be in lower case, and twice you didn't leave a space when starting a sentence.

I got the jist of your post though, despite these appalling errors.:)

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

No contest, my handkerchief contains arsenic and old lace.

I think that someone who delights in pointing out other people's mistakes, rather than posting original comments, should be very sure not to make a mistake of their own.:)

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

You are quite right for once Doug, I shall forgive the little scrote.:)

Re: Charity giving and Conscience
 

They say charity begins at home, but there is a limit to it.