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 :)

what I meant was that, in my opinion, a considerable number of people that I came across as lacking generosity, compassion or interest in helping anyone apart from themselves

See, you have this blindspot that one often notices in people who are religious or otherwise believe they're on the side of good, and anyone who questions them is bad. You're very pejoritive and you're assuming a lot about peoples' motives that you don't have the right to assume. All those thing you're saying about the people you come across and what you think of them? They sense it and it gets their backs up.

You've told us that your colleagues should sponsor you because you know what they earn. You feel this strongly enough to corner them and embarrass them in to making weak jokes. You think you're not sufficiently appreciated as a charity collector, so want to give up.

Surely that is exactly what it is? I mean, you are not begging for yourself, and you are doing it for altruistic reasons, but I believe the definition of "begging" is to ask for something as charity. So yes, it is begging.

I used to wave a tin for charity - not for altruistic reasons though, cos I got paid for it.... It was still begging.

Apocalypse - yes, OP seems to have got the "judgemental" side of Christianity quite well, doesn't she?

Boo hoo, you had your charity hat on for five minutes and some people were a bit rude. Get over it. We get a 3-5 charity bin bags and 2-3 envelopes/callers a week - does it make me a mean grumpy person because I don't give to them and I get fucked off with all the door knocking after for old clothes and cash despite a sign telling them 'not interested'?

You are intruding on peoples lives by shoving an envelope through the door then knocking on the door and expecting money to be in it. Does it ever occur to you that these people may have no spare cash/be knackered after a hard days work/have just put their children to be which you have just woken up/be going through a hard time and poor little worthy you is tad upset that you did not get the response you wanted? So judgemental to say by inferance that they probably could have afforded it and the little old ladies were poor but still paid up - what on earth do you know about these people?

Most adults in the UK are pretty sensible and can make their own minds up about how much and which charities to give too and any amount of door knocking won't change that. Every charoty thinks they are the most important and the planet and we should all give to them, but it is not the case.

The Christian Aid lady round here it really very pushy, barking off facts and figures last year about children dying as I said not to putting in any £ into the envelope. So rude I slammed the door in her face; way to go to promote the charity lady. I

Just because you choose to walk the streets for five hours in the rain fundraising don't expect us all to fawn over you with gratitude and praise and give you all our hardworked for £.

And before you ask I raise £ for the charities I choose to support with issues that have directly affected my family and I don't expect a medal for it or to be thanked because I spent some of my time or even may have got wet, I don't need acknowledgment from anyone else because I do it for me.

OP seems to have got the "judgemental" side of Christianity quite well, doesn't she?

Well that's definitely how it's coming across to me. And I get the impression that she feels hard done by for doing what she considers the right thing, and not getting the credit she feels she deserves.

I don't think you can make the assumption that people are lacking in generosity or out for themselves from a snap shot of them that you see at their front door. A huge percentage of the uk make charity donations every month by direct debit. So I think it's a bit rude of you to make that assumption based on the fact that you are knocking on someone's door, possibly when they are busy and harassed, and they refuse to give you money for your charity.

Most days, it's like Picadilly Ruddy Circus down our road - the doorbell goes several times throughout the day and evening and it makes my blood boil. I'm not rude to anyone but I'm so very sick of being disturbed by utility supply companies, double glazing reps, blokes after scrap metal, roofers, Tarmac layers, gardeners and very single bloody charity in the Western world!! I don't mind the 'fish man' as his smoked haddock is yummy

Like most people have said, I do have direct debits in place for the charities that I prefer and I'm struggling to live within my means anyway, so I do resent demands being made on me by folk who assume I'm loaded!

Interesting to read that the chuggers aren't allowed to call after 9pm - I had a girl from MacMillan knock at ten to nine the other night which I think is just rude. I told her it was late to be calling and that I was trying to put the kids to bed. The next evening, she called at 6pm as we were having dinner so we hid like ninjas and didn't answer the door. I think I might do that every time from now on...

I have no problem with the CA envelopes and always fill one BUT I dont like callers coming to my home. I am often on my own during the day trying to get things done or looking after my toddler. Its very inconvenient to drop things to answer the door to yet another charty person in a brightly coloured tabbard.

I give to charity, and like most people, I give to the charities that mean something to me personally...eg: an rspca collector would get very short shrift from me!

Bogwobbit, you are not allowed to "rattle" your tin in a street collection any more. You just have to sort of stand there and ask passers-by if they would like to give.

Street collection - OK. Can rattling - not OK.

"I find it interesting that people are so 'precious' about their 'own homes' and their 'privacy'. I guess Maggie Thatcher was right about there being no society, there really isn't."

Are you really going to judge the place where you live as having no society base on the collection on CA envelopes? So narrow minded and judgemental, you really need to broaded your horizons and look what charity I suspect happens on a daily basis where you live. EG: from the volunteers who told OAP's to a weekly luncheon club, to those who volunteer at their local school as lunchtime/schoolground helpers, WI findraisers for local projects.

And you judge your wealthy colleagues because they won't sponsor you? Why should they, childrens charity or not? It is not compulsory, I thought you said and simple no would do, apparently not, as it comes with a whole heap of judgement from you. Lovely.

Where I live you get 7 or 8 people on to you when you walk through town. It's really bloody annoying. I don't see anything whatsoever wrong in being pissed off at people knocking on your door in the evening. I would be, but my front door is well hidden so the buggers can't catch me. If I want to give to charity I'm quite capable of organising it myself.

If I want to give to charity I'm quite capable of organising it myself.

This.

Apocalypse - totally agree with you.

Yes, it is against the Code of Conduct to collect at weekends. If someone complains then CA will be in trouble and be fines. Same with the after 9pm thing, if someone complains, again, there will be a fine to pay. This is why my committee organises a street collection for the Saturday morning.

The bottom line is that they do door to door because it works, and they are not going to stop while it is getting money.

I would say that I had about 50% , or just under, success rate which was pretty good. The totals were always impressive.

Possibly getting a lot from those old ladies that haven't got much money and don't like to say no.

My old ladies were the miserable ones- they had no difficulty with 'no'!

I don't know where people get this idea that all old ladies are sweet and docile!!