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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

sponsorship for things that aren't difficult

69 replies

blameitonthecaffeine · 16/03/2013 14:33

I have a feeling I probably am being unreasonable here but, anyway ...

In the past 2 weeks I have been asked to sponsor adults for the following:
a 5km run
a 15 mile walk
a 10 mile walk
a 1 mile run

All these adults are healthy, able bodied and under 50. I just felt a bit about it. I admit I sponsored them anyway as I tried to focus on it being for the cause rather than for the event but really, I'm quite shocked that what is essentially just a morning jog or a weekend ramble can be considered worthy of sponsorship.

AIBU to think that, as an adult, if you are getting money for something, even if it's not for you, that it should be a real challenge, require preparation and be difficult to achieve.

OP posts:

BigGiantCowWithAKnockKnockTail · 16/03/2013 20:14

Oh and I didn't get a free skydive. I've made sure I've donated more than enough time and money to the organisation with that very reason in mind. I hated the idea that the money people pledged would be going towards the actual skydive rather than the people who needed it.

BigGiantCowWithAKnockKnockTail · 16/03/2013 20:15

x-post

Floweryhat · 18/03/2013 16:49

Yes, I have caffeine. Have you seen the nhs couch to 5k prog? It takes weeks for a non-runner to get to running 5k if they don't usually run.

I also have a weak pelvic floor after 4 dcs, so yes would be a challenge in many ways!

fallon8 · 18/03/2013 17:06

I stopped this stupid sponsorship thing years ago ,,,why go to China at my expense..now,if it is something I support,I give a one off donation,stressing it is just that

PollyIndia · 18/03/2013 19:33

To the pp who said just set up a direct debit and donate the money quietly, that assumes you either earn a lot or aren't raising much. I did the marathon for guide dogs as my dad is blind and his dog had died. I had never run before (well not farther than a bus) so it was a big challenge for me to go from 0-26.2 miles in 6 months, and I raised £10k. How could I transfer that amount quietly by direct debit?!

However I do agree that sponsoring someone to trek the Atlas Mountains or something is a bit ridiculous. Ditto the skydive. I would love to do a skydive but I'll save up. Besides, I have used up my sponsoring goodwill for one lifetime I think.

WMittens · 18/03/2013 20:42

Iteotwawki

"I'm able bodied, healthy and under 50. A 5k run would be an enormous challenge for me, I can't run more than 1-200m at the moment."

Obviously it's a sliding scale and all relative, but I would say you're not as healthy as you may think you are if you have trouble running/jogging 200m.

I have never, and would never sponsor someone for a skydive. ...He wanted to skydive for free...

Not everyone who does a charity skydive is trying to get a free ride - I did one and stumped up the £195 for the jump myself, all donations went to the charity.

lougle · 18/03/2013 21:04

My SIL runs for pleasure. She enjoys it, it keeps her fit. She's doing the Race for Life this year because her DD, who is just 5 years old, is having massive doses of chemo to combat the very aggressive cancer she has been diagnosed with.

My SIL is amazing. Not only is she spending most of her time in hospital (between chemotherapy, blood transfusions for dropped platelets, neutropenic fevers, so more hospital for IV antibiotics...the list goes on), but she is running the Race for Life to raise money for other people who have cancer, and for the ward which takes such good care of her DD.

I'm very glad to see that she has smashed her target fund-raising by 3 times already.

It's irrelevant whether it is 'easy' for her to run. She'll not only be running, but pushing her DD in a pushchair because she's too tired to walk the distance. She's standing up against Cancer and doing her bit to help with the research for better treatments, even a cure.

blondefriend · 18/03/2013 21:43

I see both sides of this. As a teacher I am constantly asked for sponsorship for this or that so made a decision early on in my teaching career to only sponsor students doing something quite substantial (eg a 12 year old cycling London to Brighton) but to sponsor them a reasonable amount.

However I also do quite a lot of fund raising for the team that saved my son's life and for GOSH. I will find it quite embarrassing to get people to sponsor me for the GOSH 5K fun run in June so will ask them to sponsor my 4 year old instead. I will find it embarrassing to ask for sponsorship for walking 5 miles with my family at Easter - they are walking 172 miles but I will have my 2.5 year old on my back and can't really manage much more than 5 miles without needing extensive physio afterwards. Can anyone think of an excuse for that one?

Generally I try to raise money by actually doing something - a quiz night, selling cakes, curry night etc. It causes a lot less bad feeling.

HollaAtMeBaby · 18/03/2013 21:46

YANBU, OP! And sorry Iteo, but I agree with WMittens. If you are healthy, able bodied and under 50,merunning a few hundred metres should be feasible for you.

Icelollycraving · 18/03/2013 22:25

Ds recently did his first sponsored relay. He is 20 months old. I asked people to sponsor him,some did & some didn't.
The money raised goes to comic relief.
If you don't want to sponsor people,don't. Not a problem surely?

Cherriesarelovely · 18/03/2013 22:45

I know just what you mean OP! My brother and I were talking about this the other day. We both run (not well but often!) and were saying that whenever we do a race people ask if we are doing it for charity. It just seems stupid to ask people to sponsor us for something we can already do. I did get a lot of sponsorship for my one and only marathon though.....I thought knowing I was heavily sponsored might be the only thing to drag me round and I was right! Ugh!

Cherriesarelovely · 18/03/2013 22:48

lougle so sorry to hear about your SILs illness. She truly does sound amazing.

lougle · 18/03/2013 22:49

Thanks, cherries - it's actually her 5 yo daughter who has cancer, who is also amazing

LandofTute · 18/03/2013 22:50

My grandpa used to say that he would prefer to sponsor people for doing something useful, such as picking up litter from the local park. Good point actually.

soontobeburns · 18/03/2013 22:55

And yet most of these posters who agree with the op would happily give to comic relief

At least they are doing something for charity and who cares if its fun. I volunteer in youth work because it's fun..but I also give a lot of my time and help a lot of people. Maybe I will stop because its fun for me.

ithasgonetotheopera · 18/03/2013 22:59

DH worked with someone who asked for sponsorship to cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats - except he was doing it on his exercise bike at home for an hour a night

cory · 18/03/2013 23:25

Personally I'd be very happy to give some money to your worthy cause if you came up to me and explained about why the money is needed. I have very rarely been known to refuse under those circumstances.

What I find less easy to understand is why my decision should be linked to your holiday in the Andes/jump off a tall building/run round the park.

Somehow people seem to find it less embarrassing to ask for money because they are going to walk 5 kilometres than because children are starving in Africa. Very strange.

olivertheoctopus · 18/03/2013 23:31

I don't care what they've done/are doing, it's the actual incentive to donate which is important. I did a trek on the Great Wall of China years ago and worked like an absolute fucker to raise £3k for CRUK. It was really really hard work. Some (ok one or two) of my colleagues refused to sponsor because they thought they were paying for me to have a holiday.

ripsishere · 19/03/2013 00:50

IMO, the ones where you must raise 25 thousand pounds (or however much) in order to walk the length of the Orinocco and the actual cost of the trip eats a lot of it away are pointless.
Luckily for me, I haven't been asked to sponsor anyone or anything for ages.
the last one was just putting money into a kidney shaped pot for DDs school.

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