To say please don’t give money to the Christmas market beggars

[Nutmuncher]

This will seem controversial to some but as someone living in a City centre the Christmas markets attract high numbers of beggars, addicts and alcoholics.

Please do not give them money because it simply encourages them to keep coming back every year in larger numbers. It is frustrating to say the least when you see the same faces sat in the same spots day after day and visitors take pity on them without realising they’re only perpetuating the never ending cycle.

My advice is to instead donate to your local children’s charity or food bank to give to those struggling to provide who aren’t begging or feeding an addiction.

I’ll give my money to who I like thanks.
When did punching down has become so acceptable in this country? Can you not think of any worse chancers in this country?

I’ll give my money to who I like thanks.
When did punching down has become so acceptable in this country? Can you not think of any worse chancers in this country?

and I'm very happy to occasionally give money to the homeless man I always see around because he won't be separated from his dog any time soon and also won't be any less of an alcoholic any time soon either.

Which is the point, we can all do what we like with our own money.

I work with people who don't have jobs or have jobs but in receipt of benefits. I've done this in the same town for the best part of 40 years so I'm well known as 'from the Social'. They don't ask me for money & either pretend to not be begging or greet me by name with a cheery 'Hello Pasta.' 😂

‘we can all do what we like with our own money.’

exactly this .

we can all do what we like and we have our own money
and on the whole we mostly have autonomy over that money and how we spend it as well as how we earn it.
many people for whatever reasons don’t have that autonomy or freedom.
It’s our right to choose who we share our money with . I hate how the media and the majority in this country have such issue with the idea that someone else might be getting ‘something for nothing’.

Or that they’re not deserving enough, because instead of feeling stigmatised standing in queues or running around trying to get referrals or handouts they sit being stigmatised asking for handouts outside a supermarket or a Christmas market .

It’s the case for all food banks. The referral must come from either a social worker, support worker, GP, for example. There’ll be food banks you’ve not personally come across, not just one for the whole area. They’re in dire straights atm and rely on donations now more than ever. Some are at risk of being completely depleted and at risk of closure. If the one you saw is actually the only one where you live then it’s likely this is what has happened, sadly.
In what way did you think the food bank was being abused? There’s quite a stigma attached to using them. I don’t think anyone would jump through all the hoops required to just resell(?) the contents of the shopping bags at a cut price(?)

@fatphalange thank you for your information， it has prompted me to do a bit of research. So I have found out what is in my area. There are more food banks you are right. The one that I mentioned earlier is by far the largest and most well known, it does not always require referrals people can just turn up and refer themselves. Established quite a long time ago it provides for large numbers. I suspect because I just grown so much and the fact that it is based on trust to some extent has meant that some people have abused that trust. As I said before I have donated to that food bank on a pretty regular basis and stopped because had an uneasy feeling and want my donations to be directed to those who truly need support. I would say that this particular food bank has volunteers and paid employees who all in their own way are trying to do the best. I do know of people who have volunteer there and you have stopped for a similar reason so I’m not alone.

https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/25617074.welshpool-tesco-big-issue-jailed-pensioner-watch-robbery/

This one was Romanian.

How do you know they’re “ seasoned beggars”
How about they could be homeless and in genuine need ?
How do you know they are not ?

Also, it’s not for you to suggest where I donate. I may prefer to donate to a homeless charity rather than a children’s charity.

You are not being unreasonable but you do come across as very patronising to think we don’t know all this already

Believe me, these are seasoned beggars who work the same patch day in day out on rotation, often swapping dogs amongst each other, sat by the same bins or doorways every. single. day. I doubt they are all rough sleepers because their shift patterns tend to be from 9am until 6pm and they head off out of the city by the trams. The market visitors have no clue.

One of the regular girls must have been doing it at least 10 years and I’ve seen her slowly decay from clearly a runaway teen to now where she has barely any teeth, a severe limp, skin covered in lesions and filthy hair, never without a can. It’s horrifying and heartbreaking when I think of the stories she could tell and it’s particularly tragic to think she’s wasted her life sat by bins asking for change every day. All that wasted goodwill from those who handed her money over the years to simply fuel her alcohol addiction.

If you have read the thread it’s obvious that many people still see no harm in giving money.

I’ve started to see the big issue sellers appearing outside the shops they’ll be here until Christmas and then they will disappear again until next year and it’s always the same ones who come back every year.

I understand why charities don't recommend to do it. I still do it in certain circumstances and I'm happy with that choice.

I was approached on our high street a couple of weeks ago by a man who said he wasn’t a “beggar” but was hard up and hungry. He actually asked me specifically for a Costa coffee and cheese and ham toastie, said he loved them.
Gobsmacked just about covers it. I told him I can’t afford Costa for myself. He clearly had the hump and said “well, whatever you’ve got”. I could honestly tell him I didn’t have anything. I was out for a walk and had no cash.
Absolutely true.

People are just saying they will decide for themselves.

If I was desperate for food and money where better to hang out than an overpriced Christmas tat market overrun with people who have more money than sense?

Customers willingly give money to miserable stall holders selling overpriced crap from Ali express, rebranded with artisanal tags and twelve pounds on a flexi plastic container spilling 3/4 pint of tepid mulled watery cider and a ten pound cold hot dog.
there’s likely to be rich pickings there for someone who needs a few quid to fill their tummy or towards something to help them sleep that night in their grim hostel or in a shop doorway and the customers might assuage their guilt for wasting money on said overpriced crap

I often wonder how one goes about deciding who is 'genuine'. I suppose, clothes and shoes are an indicator.

In the bad old days when I smoked, I used to get off the train, light up and share a cigarette with my mate Charlie before going on to work. He used to sit outside Victoria Station in Manchester and at 1st I used to just hand him a cigarette and walk on, but I was curious and in a terrible relationship at the time. He was always pleased to see his cigarette coming and it made me happy to help.

He did have a charity thing supporting him but he was an alcoholic, he said he'd worked on the ship yards in Glasgow and lost his way. He seemed to look forward to his cigarette and his butty I made him. I never know if he ate it or not and seemed delighted and disappointed when I gave up smoking because I was pregnant.

He said eventually that he'd been allocated a flat and I started to see him less. I ended up being too pregnant to use the train and started driving to a different office. It made me laugh as he must have seen me talking to a colleague one day and he stopped her in the week after I'd moved office and asked if he could have one of her cigarattes instead because I'd moved. Colleague was scandalised! 🤣

I often think of Charlie even though it was over 10 days ago. He used to talk about getting a flat and a job but at the same time, his eyes were yellow and sometimes he'd go missing and turn up saying he'd been in hospital. I don't think he could have functioned any other way than what he was managing then. Poor Charlie.

ETA - we had one cigarette each!

I visited my local Christmas market the other day, I noticed a heck of a lot of what looks like Eastern European beggars.

From what I have been told, it’s possibly gang related?

I’ve only given once and learned my lesson in less than 30 seconds.

Gave a tenner, he flagged down a Range Rover immediately and money exchanged hands.

I was funding that Range Rover.

I fully support giving money to charities, or if you must donate directly buy food or a hot drink.

Yes I’ve read the thread. Those people just disagree with you . That doesn’t mean you need to educate them.

No one is begging on the street because their life is in a particularly good place.

I do wonder if there is a bit of a geographical thing. Working in London, people have always said give to organised charities and not individuals. I think it’s really obvious when you walk past people in sleeping bags who are really sleeping rough. They tend to be looking pretty different to the people sat outside of stations with a generic sign and a sad looking dog.

I’m not sure if people become a bit more hardened to it in London. I could well believe the criminal gangs are taking people to Christmas markets.

Some of it is professionally run. Thirty years ago there was a little corner shop in the city centre thst was open 24hours and had a beggar outside. They did shifts so sleeping bag/ sign/ cup/ cardboard would stay and a car would pull up and they’d swap places. It’s amazing how quick you go from normal looking to beggar. Sleeping bag over legs/ blanket round shoulders hat on and voila instant beggar.

There was a programme a few years back about people who went on the train to Blackpool during the season so beg as they could make Upto £500 a day 😮