to vow never to collect for Christian Aid ever again.

[bogwobbit]

Nothing to do with the charity, which I think is an excellent one, but jeez people in this country are soooooooo miserable.
I can understand why people for various reasons can't or don't want to give to a specific charity and I can appreciate (especially after reading some other threads on this topic and by the way yes, all you people who complain about people daring to knock on your door collecting for charity, are unreasonable and imho quite selfish) that not everyone likes to be asked on their doorstep (very nicely in my case) if they would like to donate but why do people have to be so rude and smug and downright horrible about it. It's almost as though NOT giving to charity is some kind of positive personality trait. Funnily enough the nicest, most generous ones are the little old ladies who quite possibly can least afford it.

So after spending five hours of my time, trudging through the rain and the hail and the wind in freezing temperatures after a full day at work, never again!! Rant over but jeez, another nail in the coffin, for my faith in humanity :)

pinkappleby is right - there's a world of difference between the people who are paid to go door to door and get you to sign up to a direct debit and people who voluntarily give up their evenings to put envelopes through people's door and then yet another evening knocking on those doors asking people to return them. An envelope really isn't a big deal - you can put 20p in if you can't afford anything more.

I think people are being really unpleasant castigating the OP for her motives - does anyone think giving up your evenings to deliver envelopes and then go round knocking on people's doors to collect them actually fun? Not only does she not get paid, she gets insulted too.

I also agree with the point about older people. There was a time in this country when a lot of people had some fellow feeling and a sense of duty and responsibility to those less fortunate than them. That seems to be fading.

I think it has to be an area thing then. The Jehovah Witnesses around here are a nightmare, very very difficult to get rid of, and unless you complain directly to their church, they just keep on coming back.

And the CA collector was very pushy. I do not, under any circumstances, buy or donate to anyone who knocks at my door. I explained that to him politely first time. Not quite so politely after he countered that, and after he started arguing with me he was met with a few choice words and a door in his face.

And old people can be very vulnerable, my Grandmother was terrible for giving to anyone, when she had very little herself and my parents were subsidising her heavily already. She would always give whatever was in her purse, whether it was a pound or a £10 note.

Stand and collect with a tin. Then, if I want to, I can come up to you and donate without pressure. Just don't ring me, and more than anything don't knock on my door. And argue.

The elderly are just like anyone else, some feel pressurised, some politely decline and some are rude.
The simplest thing is to just explain that you have your set charities. You don't really need to explain anything, just politely say 'no thank you' and close the door.

Jehovah Witnesses are no trouble, just say 'I'm not interested' and close the door.

Sorry, Bunbaker, I didn't mean to imply that everyone is the same, but I did feel that a couple of the charity collectors were a little bit demeaning about some of the people they come across, and very quick to assume motives in a way that I think is overstepping the boundaries a bit.

I didn't say the elderly are a soft touch but that I think it is fairly dubious to take money from a group of people about whom you hold the belief "they can least afford it".

"There was a time in this country when a lot of people had some fellow feeling and a sense of duty and responsibility to those less fortunate than them"

That is exactly it. You have put it far better than I did.

Quite, Offred.

Offred - well put.

A lot of the elderly are actually very well off. They have the same range as any other members of society. If I get to being elderly I shall be very miffed to have people think that I am poor and can't stick up for myself.

Jehovah Witnesses are no trouble, just say 'I'm not interested' and close the door.

Consider yourself lucky that it is that easy where you live. It certainly isn't where I live.

Never mind the elderly. I feel pressured.

If I feel pressured, then I'm guessing most people do. The difference is whether I feel able to say no on that particular day or not. If I've had a shit day, I'm probably more likely to just give in even if I found it morally objectionable, just to get rid of someone. Not because I really want to give to them or believe in their cause.

Thats just not right.

I've had a foot stuck in my door. Only last week. That not only makes me feel pressured, it also scares me.

That wasn't a charity collector though, just to be clear. But it does emphasise how vulnerable some of us feel.

I copied a friend years ago and it works every time. The mistake is to let them engage you in conversation. You cut them short with 'are you a Jehovah Witness?' and then you say my sentence and close the door. Try it.
People seem to be missing the point that a lot of the elderly are collecting for Christian Aid.

I don't mind JW tryng to convert me - the best way to get rid of them is to tell them you are a staunch catholic/muslim/buddhist, and perhaps they would be interested in hearing about one the true religion, then start spouting any old nonsense about it. In, fact, thinkng about, it, think I will have a bit of sport wth the CA if they come back along the same lines...

It stands to reason that you will believe you can help those less fortunate by giving to/collecting for your charity if that is what you choose to do. It is not up to you to decide on behalf of other people how they help those less fortunate, that really is my problem with all the "stupid selfish people what is 20p to them, surely they could put some money in". People have different feelings about helping those less fortunate, within that they have different feelings about charitable giving and within that different feelings about which charities they may support.

I certainly would never donate even 1p to Christian Aid as I am vehemently opposed to religious charity. That's my belief. I'm entitled to it and although we don't believe in charity there are some things which are too important to leave adrift for point of principle and so we do support some charity. I give free legal advice and spend time helping people with legal problems while studying and am very active in the community in lots of ways. I spend a lot of time providing practical and support for people I can reach. I feel alienated by the people don't give to my charity therefore there is no hope for society approach as an envelope collector would if people started criticising them for just collecting envelopes and not flying out to provide the real and practical support on the ground.

Different strokes for different folks. Not putting money in Christian Aid's envelope/not being guilt tripped into a direct debit after a cold calling invasion of your home is not a sign that society is fragmenting. I think there are more important indicators like the destruction of the welfare state, constant resource plundering abroad and the increasing need for charity.

The woman who collected mt ChristianAid evvelope must have been well into her 80s.
Any collector would respect your views Offred and just politely wish you good day and go to the next house. It would be very unusual to have supporters in every house on the street.

I don't mind the Christian Aid people calling at all - they left the envelope the day before, then called back to collect, so it's not like they were demanding money there and then. If you don't want to give you don't have to answer the door. I don't think we've ever had any other type of collectors in our area and I do think it's a worthwhile charity so I did give something. I could tell by the look on the man's face when I answered the door that he was not used to positive responses though!! It was only a fiver but he practically skipped off down the path

exotic, with the greatest respect, not all of us have such respectful collectors. I'm afraid that most certainly isn't my experience, and it has changed the way I deal with them. Politeness doesn't seem to work round here, they are far more aggressive.

"I don't mind JW tryng to convert me - the best way to get rid of them is to tell them you are a staunch catholic/muslim/buddhist"

Or tell them you work for the blood transfusion service

We don't get aggressive callers round here - either trying to sell us stuff or to collect for charity. I am not in the least bit aggressive, but can stand my ground without being rude.

The thing is tho' that the man in the Times article had the cheel to complain about poeple not answering their doors 'and I knew they were in, sometime music was playing' Blardy cheek - just because someone is in does not mean they are obliged to answer their door! And after ringing once, waiting a moment if there is no reply then do not ring again or knock - just slither away...

We don't get them knocking at our house because it isn't really a residential area (town centre) and is poor so I imagine not rich pickings!

My experience of the ones who accost you in the street is mixed. I had a ding dong with the NSPCC man who would not leave me alone and would not accept my point of view that traumatising children with upsetting and intrusive adverts was not an acceptable means to an end to me.

However the shelter one was extremely knowledgable and respectful and although I wanted to talk to my husband (which I'm sure he thought was a line) we had a great chat.

They are not regulated/supervised enough and often exploit vulnerable people in order to do the collecting and after reading this thread I now see that actually the method of accosting people in the street/doorstep/on the phone may be one of the problems.

MrsGuy my cousin is a JW and she says she is very happy to be drawn into a discussion on other religions. That means you are connecting,she says,which is what she wants. She said the one thing she doesn't want is someone saying "No,thanks,not interested" and closing the door (which is what I do)........

The 'Government is matching donations' thing is the final straw for me I'm afraid.

I probably wouldn't choose to donate to CA & now I find out that, erm, actually, I already am.

So, in my head, they're now irretrievably 'the charity that already gets a bloody good whack from the taxpayer & recruits rude, arsey characters like the OP to do their chugging'.

It's not increased their likelihood of getting a donation from this household, I must say.

Raven I agree with you