To think that I might give my token to the hedgehogs?

[Autumnalbride]

~ PLEASE SEE PIC FOR CONTEXT ~

Is it necessarily because people don't care? Or is there just less opportunity to support hedgehogs?

I have the foodbank app and when I do a big payday shop, I go through the app and put one of each of their must needed items in a bag, plus a treat like a packet of biscuits or something and maybe some baby food pouches, and then put it in the donation drop off thing on my way out. Costs me maybe £20-£30 a month.
But I don't get much opportunity to support hedgehogs and I really really love wildlife and I am concerned about hedgehogs declining.

So although this isn't where I live and I haven't had the choice, I can imagine looking at that with a token in my hand and thinking, hmm, I've literally just given to the foodbank, I could give this free token to the hedgehogs.

Is that bad?

Why on Earth would it be 'bad' to support a species who are vulnerable to extinction because of our actions?

Firstly, the FB idiot doesn't know when the boxes are emptied so it could be that they empty when full so it's no indication of support.

Secondly, do whatever you want. You don't need to justify it.

Well, because of the reasons Gary is stating in the image

To elaborate, he thinks that poor and needy humans should come first over hedgehogs and seems to be suggesting there's a lack of humanity to not helping families who are starving and giving a token to hedgehogs instead.

I absolutely love hedgehogs- the fact we don’t ever see them anymore when we used to regularly have them in the garden as children is really upsetting.

But I don’t think I could bring myself to pick a hedgehog charity over one feeding people who would otherwise go hungry, children who have no way to get food themselves- regardless of what other donating I did.

How many people give their tokens to their kids to chose?

Aaw that's a shame. We have a family of hedgehogs living in our garden and I have seen two crossing the road this year. One of them was absolutely massive!

All of the charities get some money , just differing amounts

He's entitled to his opinion and you're entitled to do what you want.

There's really no need to run it past Mumsnet. 🤷‍♂️

That's a good point. I rarely take my kids shopping but if I ever do, I give tokens to my 8 year old so she can go and put them wherever she chooses.
She's likely to just put them in whoever has less without reading though!

Beside the by but I once cheated when my DC’s school was an option by putting at least 30 in every time I shopped. They won and I don’t care!

Also in this case I’d definitely pick the hedgehogs too. You can donate to the food bank in store with actual food you’ve bought so the tokens seem unnecessary.

Yes, I know there's no need. I just thought it was an interesting discussion.

This isn't even where I live. I don't even have this choice.

You didn't need to participate, but here you are

Was going to say this! It's not that deep!

They do a hell of a lot less damage to the planet than we do. We're like the grey squirrels of the universe.

I'd say they're no less deserving of the help.

But you're the one asking if you're being unreasonable?

Why would you be?

You're entitled to do your own thing and Gary's entitled to his opinion.

This is completely not the point, but I have never seen one of these with so many tokens in it!

I'd pick the hedgehogs every time.

Because as I said, I thought it might be an interesting discussion. This is a discussion board, is it not? For opinions and debate?

If you disagree that its interesting, you have just as much of an option to not participate as I did to post or not post.

I think some people feel hesitant to donate to 'the poor' (as an abstract group rather than a specific individual) because they've seen too many examples of people who are in a position of needing help only due to their own pattern of poor choices, people who could support themselves but can't be bothered, etc, not to mention the waste and distasteful profiting of the higher-ups that happens at many charity organisations. (As unpopular as all of that is to say on here.)

Humans are often annoying, lazy, and disappointing in a number of other ways. It can be easier to feel sympathy for an innocent animal. That said, when one box is nearly full, I'd probably prioritise a different one.

According to the Facebook comments, it's already been emptied once because it was full.

he thinks that poor and needy humans should come first over hedgehogs

I've worked and volunteered with, and donated to homeless people for decades, dedicated my life to it. I bet Gary hasn't. I don't begrudge hedgehogs getting theirs!

Families who are starving can go to the food bank themselves. Hedgehogs cant.
Go for it 😊

Yes, I donate food items to the good bank, it easy enough to do. I wouldn't be likely to give a token to one because there's lots of ways to support food banks easily and they are well known and visible. I always give to a charity I've not heard much about.

Food bank is regular donation important, hedgehogs are more of a 'hadn't thought of that but what a great idea and I can help with this token right here right now' sort of cause (sorry hedgehogs).

It seems quite shitty of you to post this persons name on here. I get that he’s already posted it on the internet so it’s out there with no control, but it still seems wrong to put it on another website without consent.

Anyway, I’d rather give to hedgehogs. They struggled a lot during the summer drought and humans already get free money if they need it.

And we need the hedgehogs. They are part of the complex ecological system that allows us to have food at all. His poor and needy humans will only become poorer and hungrier if we don’t support these ecological systems, as will he.