'Chuggers' shunned as Britons try to dodge charity donations
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Independent Minds
Why did the man cross the road? Apparently, it was to give the charity collector a wide berth, according to a survey which reveals the lengths to which Britons will go to avoid giving money to fundraisers.
The poll shows that two-thirds of people will cross the street to avoid "chuggers" or charity muggers.
More than a quarter admitted to falsely having told a charity worker that they had already given money to their colleague. A similar proportion said they had told a Big Issue seller that they had already bought a copy of the magazine. Nearly half of all Britons admit to telling a street collector that they have no change and 7 per cent said they had haggled over the price of an item in a charity shop.
The poll of more than 2,000 people was carried out by the website Leap Anywhere, which encourages people to advertise charitable actions they want others to do or are willing to do themselves. However, the group's research shows that only one in three Britons had given their time to charity in the past 12 months.
Delving into the effects of the credit crunch on charitable tendencies, the survey found that nearly a third of Britons are giving less time and money to charity than a year ago. The survey found that the Northern Irish are the most charitable Britons – three-quarters of them gave either time or money to charity in the previous month.
Scotland came second, with 50 per cent, which was more than any English region. Just over one-third of Londoners had been charitable.
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Comments
I have observed people to have just as much money as before as well as being quite prepared to be generous, but there is a growing distaste and dislike for aggressive "Chugging", which for all intents and purposes is harrassment if not street robbery.
I agree with the finding on the Northern Irish, they often bring tears to my eyes with their generosity. I work in a charity shop when I am able, the haggling is quite unsettling as the people doing it are often well-off. Only Oxfam, with their high prices deserve such behaviour, but please, not your local Scout or Cat charity run by earnest volunteers.
Big Issue sellers who are shy or unobtrusive are usually the most genuine, a man with 50 magazines on his arm and a barrow-boy's patter should be viewed with suspicion. Why the other charities need to enviegle passers-by into handing over direct-debit, I do not know. It is a form of robbery unless you set up a stand which allows people to make up their own mind.. Iwll post a more considered view later, this a rough draft at best but the sentiments hold true....
"I work in a charity shop when I am able, the haggling is quite unsettling as the people doing it are often well-off. Only Oxfam, with their high prices deserve such behaviour,"
is a fair comment.
Oxfam are challenged to alleviate the hunger and suffering of poor people around the world. People who make donations to Oxfam probably do so because they feel that Oxfam are more likely to raise essential funds from their kind gifts to carry out their important work.
The focus to all charity work has to be helping those who are identified most in need - be it cats, local hospice or poor people around the world.
Chugging is abhorent but the purpose justifies the means.
There is a response you can use to the persistent clipboard wavers - charity gifts.
Personally I have begun to use online giving services to send charity gifts to those in most need - freinds etc merely get a card to let htem know I spent money but not on them.
Sending charity gifts is also a great way for couples to arragne an alternative wedding list - ask all guests to choose something from a charity wedding gift list.
You can help the happy couple celebrate their day by buying an unusual wedding gift such as "build a wc, seeds, fressh water and not forgeting the ever popular goat - or even a couple of goats.