To think this is unreasonable?

[user1471558723]

Neighbours of ours, who rarely acknowledge us, have sent us a letter requesting we give a donation of £250 to their son who is raising money to go on a school rugby tour of South Africa.

The parents are both professional people who earn good salaries in the public sector.

I must confess to feeling shocked and amazed at their cheek. I feel inclined to chuck their letter in the bin and forget all about it.
Would this be unreasonable?

I never, ever donate if the funds are going to pay for someone’s holiday. I always refuse requests like this with a clear explanation - “happy to make a donation to charity, not happy to donate to the cost of your son’s rugby tour”.

I think they’re barking.

The bin is a good place.

I’d send a similar request back for a £250 donation to help fund your new penchant for Faberge eggs.

Seriously?!
Do people really do this??

If i was feeling generous i would give them £2.50 and assume £250 was a typo

YANBU, bin it and forget about it. Although something tells me your neighbours wont be forgetting about it!

Extremely CFN

Crikey. I would send a letter back saying you wish their son well with his trip but you already have specific charitable commitments allocated this year.

I'd reply "What a coincidence! I was just about to ask for a donation for my son's new bagpipes" (do you share a party wall?)

I would be happy to donate directly to the charity, but not to what is essentially a holiday! Cf indeed. Have they asked your other neighbors?

I would reply...just to make sure this is the last you'll hear of it.

"I will not be contributing to your son's rugby trip. Best, User."

Wow.

How bloody rude I wouldn’t have the cheek to ask ... just bin it

How strange. Don’t respond and if they ask just say you’ve given to lots of charitable causes already this year so will pass

Ignore, they are chancing their arm but that’s how charity trips like this work. They will be expecting you and most of the other people they ask to say no but some will say yes so it’s worth the ask.
I wouldn’t be offended by it but I wouldn’t feel bad about not giving anything either.

£250!!!

Where on earth do you live user, Knightsbridge or Kensington?

Where I am from it is more usual to get a begging letter requesting sponsorship of £5 or £10 or whatever you can afford...
I am truly gobsmacked that a neighbour, whom you are not even all that friendly with or close to, would suggest a £250 donation to send their son on a Rugby tour.

Cheeky fuckers!

Don't schools do fundraising for their rugby tours? I'm sure I've been asked to buy a raffle ticket in the past.

Lots of reasons not to contribute.

1. You don’t really know them
2. It’s a preposterous amount
3. It’s for their son’s holiday

I’d just ignore it, but trot out the above if they ask, and say you thought they’d sent it to you in error, as who the fuck asks neighbours for £250 for that?

Fucking hell £250! What a damned cheek. Surely he should be out earning that money by whatever means possible - we have people bag packing in our local supermarket for things like this. He could also be offering his services ie raking leaves, washing cars to raise some money.

Honestly the World's gone mad.
In my day we used to ask the neighbours to sponsor use 50p to walk round the playground or fill up a matchbox with tat.

Us not use.

If the lad wants to do a rugby your, he can work for it like others, such as bag packing, etc.

Asking for such a donation, even if it were a typo, just smacks of entitlement in expecting others to fund it.

That's a lot of money. I'd say that sort of figure isn't in my budget, or anywhere near. Or just ignore it, until they bought it up.

I would reply; ‘I won’t be donating £250 but will give your DS £15 towards the rugby tour if he cleans my car inside and out. I’ll supply the cloths.’