To change channel when a charity appeal comes

[RunningFromInsanity]

It seems every third advert is a begging appeal from UNICEF/Water Aid etc

I know that what is happening in third world countries is awful but I don’t want to see starving/dying children on the tv all the time.
We raise so much money in big concerts etc Live Aid raised $200mill.
We donate so much to other countries when we can barely afford to feed and house our own citizens.
Covid has massively impacted incomes.
Is now really the time to be begging us for money?

Realistically, until the governments of those poorer countries sort themselves out, no amount of donations are going to end world poverty.

It's your TV, do what you like. Why do you think that's unreasonable?

You’re an independent grown up. You have to decide what you will give and stick to it.

My dm in her later years (80+) felt so guilty, watching those ads, that she was sending half her pension in cheques and leaving herself short on heating. When she became frail, thankfully she would ask me to post the envelopes and I’d rip them up.

I know the tv companies need advertising revenue, and the charities need to raise funds but the guilt tripping can go too far and is exploiting some vulnerable people.

It's your TV. Do as you please.

The more those huge corporate charities try to guilt-trip me with those crappy adverts, the more times their chuggers accost me in town, the more I hear about their dodgy fundraising practices and their executives’ six-figure salaries, the less likely I am to donate one single penny to them.

I donate to a few independent local charities which help people in my own community.

I object to them being shown during children's TV programmes...some are quite distressing imo and not really suitable for young children to watch

It’s your tv! Change the channel if you want. Charity fundraisers are just doing their job, it’s your right to ignore it.

And the government itself really don’t not spend much on foreign aid. Only .7% of the GDP in the U.K. goes to aid - that’s not even one whole percent.

@formerbabe totally agree. My son walked in when I was watching something at lunchtime and was heartbroken at the sight of the donkeys in poor health. I don't think they are suitable for young children. I donate to several charities, but not those who put out these guilt trip ads.

Unfortantely in poorer countries, all the aid goes to the people at the top and never people who truly need it. And it's not just about money, it's about education, contraception and good healthcare too. I know of a building school project in Somalia where the terrorists wrecked it as they didn't want girls been educated, so it's a problem far beyond money

Nope I do the same. I especially hate the donkey one and the rspca one showing the abuse.

Yanbu, I always do. I don't want to see images of suffering and abuse when I'm watching tv.

YANBU - I mute the TV.

I wish they'd spend all the money they use to make those adverts on actually helping whatever the cause is.

You do know that Live Aid was 35 years ago, don't you?

YANBU - ITV channels are the worst!
I am with you! Big charities pay a fortune to their senior management and for their upkeep. Used to see them meting monthly in our poshest hotel in the south east! And they didn’t get a charity discount. The cars they were driving...

Then all those donkey and water aid and children with eye infection... I mean I feel sorry for them but we have paid so much money and they still haven’t learned how to dig a well or built a water system! They prefer to beg rather than do something about it. And then their country leaders who has six star lifestyle...

We have enough problems down the street, we don’t need distraction from countries which have their own space program! 😱😱