anyone else considering ending child sponsorship due to cost of living

[anewbook]

Hi everyone,

Just that really. Have been sponsoring a child for over 6 years at £28 per month. Am currently looking at our household budget and trying to find ways to free up more money. Am very worried that very soon, expenditure will be more than income as it could be for millions.
Also looking at cancelling union membership too (£17 per month).

Already cut way back on fuel consumption and other costs.

Any advice welcome as not an easy decision to make. It would have to be from next year as I would want to give as much notice as possible for them (Compassion) to find an alternative sponsor.

Thanks

just giving this a little bump

You mustn't feel guilty about it, you have to look after yourself first before you can look after others. It's nice to give to charity but nit at the expense of your iwn wellbeing.

I am thinking of stopping my DD to the couple of charities I support each month. Am sad to be in this boat but like you I need to make savings wherever possible.

Also looking at charity subs unfortunately: though am keeping union subs going,as think it's a tiny bit of potentially effecting some sort of improvement to this situation. But I think I everyone will need to just do their budget to best cope with this. No guilt,op.

I’m sorry but you have an obligation to the sponsored child. Their family is probably also facing higher food prices as it’s a global problem. I would cut my own food budget to afford this and even skip a meal or two if need be.

I sponsor a child. It's one of the very last things I would cut personally, but if you really can't afford to keep it going, then there is no need to feel guilty. Circumstances change, and you're clearly not stopping the support lightly, or without thinking through what it might mean for the child.

Our child will be 18 next year. We've sponsored her since she was 18, and it has been hard to keep it going at times, particularly when I was made redundant as a consequence of Brexit. We've made it a priority to continue but I have to say, I'll be glad to stop it next year when she hits 18.

OP, I just found this below on the Compassion website. Do what you need x

Our hope is that each child will have the same sponsor throughout, but we do understand that our sponsors’ situations change too. If you wish to end your child sponsorship, your sponsored child will continue to benefit from the Compassion programme and we’ll look to find a new sponsor as quickly as possible.

And just to say, I have previously worked alongside World Vision’s child sponsorship programme, which sounds similar. They group the children into a programme area so they can help them collectively. In reality, you withdrawing won’t affect the level of support that is provided for your sponsored child. That would be very unethical and would go against the charity’s responsibility to ‘do no harm’. It would also damage the trust between the charity and the local community, which they wouldn’t want especially as it’s a faith community. So they will keep the investment going regardless of your changing circumstances, rest assured. Of course, you would need to say goodbye which may be hard for you, but sometimes needs must.

I’m sorry but you have an obligation to the sponsored child. Their family is probably also facing higher food prices as it’s a global problem. I would cut my own food budget to afford this and even skip a meal or two if need be.

I'm guessing you'd also help someone else with their oxygen mask on a plane before putting your own mask on?

OP has no obligation to the sponsored child.

Don’t cancel the union membership

We've sponsored a child for 10 years, in that time my son developed a kind of pen pal relationship - writing letters sending pictures etc (through the charity) and often giving some birthday/Christmas money to help further. the child's mother had a further 2 children in those 10 years. Last year a letter came from a different child - our sponsorship had been allocated to help someone else. It might sound ridiculous we felt a responsibility to our original sponsor- but we will be keeping it going as long as we can.

Thank you all for your messages.

It is an incredibly hard decision to make and I have read all your thoughtful comments with care.

Yes, I do feel somewhat responsible as one poster mentioned... but the line has to be drawn somewhere. I am all for tithing when you have disposable income , but getting yourself into debt in order to give to charity does not seem wise.

@cowskeepingmeupatnight thanks for sharing your experience into the behind the scenes of World Vision. I didn't know that.

@ImSoMagical that must have been tough for your son. Did you/he have a chance to write a final farewell letter? Good for you for keeping it going.