To be peeved about this.

[A1980]

This may sound a bit silly, I'm not sure. Feel free to tell me I'm unreasonable, as I'm sure you will.

I've worked at my current office for 7 years. We do a fair amount of charity work and colleagues frequently take part in charity events. Anything from 5k runs, race for life, marathons, parachute jumps, ben nevis climbing, cycle challenges abroad, sponsored walks, etc.

I have always been happy to sponsor my colleauges. I've lost count of the people I've sponsored over the years, but a brief glance at Justgiving history tells me it's a heck of alot. I generally give £10-£20 each person. It isn't just colleagues, it's friends too. I'm always giving to friends who do this. With my colleagues, every year it's the same people doing things and every year I sponsor them.

I am not particularly fit but this year I decided it's my turn to get fit and do something. So I am taking part in a run very soon. I've trained well and I'm chuffed with my progress. Well, three people at work have sponsored me so far and 1 friend. I've made the grand total of £30. The people who sponsored me at work are people who never ever take part in charity events and I have thereofre never sponsored them. The very people who I sponsor year upon year have given me nothing and I'm a little upset. So it seems that the very people who constantly ask for sponsorship (in some cases taking part in two or more events a year) don't want to give it.

There is a minimum sponsorship level of £100 and it looks as though I'm going to have to stump up the missing £70 myself or it'll be majorly embarrassing. It's a major law firm FFS, the senior partners can well afford it and I sponsor them every year.

Obviously I would NEVER say anything to them but my way forward is going to be lesson learned, I will never sponsor anyone ever again. Is that unreasonable?

[itsabiggywhatdoidonow]

say something to them, I would.

wwave sponser form under thier noses and email them.

you need to be proactive in getting sponsers.

good luck.

[fishtankneedscleaning]

Yep. If they prefer not to sponsor you why would you want to sponsor them? Tell them to fuck off go away in future!

[Pancakeflipper]

Presuming you have set up your own Justgiving bit and emailed it round and stuck up notices in the the kitchen at work? Re-email it.

If so - do they not like you? We get emails asking us and I am not as sweet as you cos my average is £5.

You got FB? Stick it up there. Shout out the reason for doing the run.

And if no more dosh. Don't pay out anymore to anyone else until it adds up to £70.

But run. Run for you.

[lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs]

I would wave it under their noses, ask directly with a grin.

[masterblaster]

YADNBU and you should mention that you sponsored them before. Don't need to make a thing of it, just drop it in to the conversation.

P.S. IMHO a lot of the people doing these events are essentially getting people to pay for them to go on a jolly. If you want to give to a charity (which we do), do so, but it is often a very inefficient way for a charity to raise cash - if someone wants to go skydiving or climb mt Killamanjaro, they should do it with their own money.

[A1980]

I've sent one email explaining the run, I've created a please sponsor me signature with a link on it to my outlook so it's on every email I send. I don't use FB.

I may tape up sponsorship form in the kitchen and send out another email reminding people.

I don't get it. People ask me about the run, how the training's going etc and I am certainly well liked at work. I don't get it.

I'm certainly not gonig to sponsor anyone else again. Ever.

[ohmyfucksy]

I think you need to be quite pushy and guilt-trippy, tbh. People can be selfish sods. As you say, at a law firm most people could spare a fiver.

[masterblaster]

P.P.S. Obviously, this doesn't count if it is doing a run or something where you actually need to put in effort to do it, and the participation fees are low.

[masterblaster]

Don't use e-mail, go and ram the sponsorship form under their noses. The squeeky wheel gets the grease.

[A1980]

Masterblaster that's another thing that pisses me off, all these people at work going up mountains or cycling abroad are essentially getting a free holiday as HALF of all the money they raise goes to pay for their trip.

I'm only doing a run in my own kit. 100% of the moeny I raise goes to the charity.

[bellabelly]

Email the individuals concerned - it's far easier to ignore a group email than one which is written specifically to you.

[bleedingstill]

Go and ask them at their desks and best of luck with the training and the event

[AgentZigzag]

I think you can only be pissed off at them after they've turned down you asking them directly.

It might feel rude asking people for cash, but if you want it you're going to have to be blunt.

[masterblaster]

Why not just tell them that you already sponsor their charity in future. Then give a cheque for a little over half the amount to that charity. Everyone's a winner except the fuckheads getting a free trip at your expense who can't be bothered to reciprocate

[bleedingstill]

"right you tightwads it's time you supported me like I have supported you. Cough up. "

That'll do it

[ll31]

congratulations - I would go over and say something like "well after all those times I've sponsorred you I'n finally doing something so here's my card - how much are you sponsoring me?".. good luck