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Original poster

Asked to sponsor my preschool child for red nose day - is this the beginning of years of charity blackmail via school?

35 replies

EldonAve · 10/02/2009 17:34

Preschool do a local charity collection at harvest festival, then the christmas shoe boxes (managed to avoid that one) now it's red nose day and I'm supposed to sponsor my child

Is this the beginning of years of charity blackmail via school?

OP posts:
NoBiggyValentineItsBollox · 10/02/2009 17:34

Yes.

It's continual hand in pocket.

mankyscotslass · 10/02/2009 17:34

YES! lol

hidingfromreality · 10/02/2009 17:35

yup. have a special money box and save 20ps just for this very thing.

sarah293 · 10/02/2009 17:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

myredcardigan · 10/02/2009 17:36

One the one hand, yes. On the other you could look at it as your child getting a valuable lesson in the importance of helping those less fortunate than themself.

Original poster
EldonAve · 10/02/2009 17:56

my child isn't even 4

OP posts:
wideratthehips · 10/02/2009 18:14

its always the parents who put hand in pocket....who else would?

you'll be baking cakes to raise funds....so other parents can pay for it

fill a smarties tube with 20ps...........thats £5!!!!

sponsored walks etc etc

bring your teddy to school and pay (children in need)

voluntary contributions etc etc..........

Original poster
EldonAve · 10/02/2009 18:16

so is it socially unacceptable to ignore the ones for charities you don't want to support??

OP posts:
sarahken · 10/02/2009 19:28

My ds started nursery a few weeks ago, and within his first week he came home with an envelope asking for gold ands silver jewerelly donations to be recycled for school funds, thought this was totally unappropriate, hence I threw it in the bin!!

pointydog · 10/02/2009 19:37

It's not blackmail. Just don't do it.

Original poster
EldonAve · 10/02/2009 20:13

It's tricky when your child is too young to understand the reasons for non-participation though

OP posts:
cory · 11/02/2009 12:01

EldonAve on Tue 10-Feb-09 18:16:44
"so is it socially unacceptable to ignore the ones for charities you don't want to support??"

No. I never gave my children any money for poppy day: always told them they can tell their friends we are giving to charities who support civilian war victims instead.

SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore · 11/02/2009 12:06

My five year old is doing a sponsored penalty shoot out when she goes back to school.

For the local footy club's under 16's and there training programme.

I hate football but DH doesn't and thinks this is worthwhile.

DD1 has no idea what it's for but is happy that she gets to score goals.

She has already done 'dress up as your favourite TV character' and christmas box thing and they baked cakes for children in need it cost 50p per child and they got to decorate a cookie.

Most of the time her school just asks for money.

pointydog · 11/02/2009 19:30

What are your reasons for non-participation?

I think a small child could understand at least some of these:

a) only enough money to support one or two charity appeals (choose them together)
b) only support cancer charities (or whichever favourite ones) because...
c) don't have spare money this week
d) ok, you can take part but it costs £1 so you wouldn't be able to have a comic/sweetie/paid trip at the weekend

Katiestar · 11/02/2009 20:42

I decide how much I can afford to give and which charities I want to support and make them a regular direct debit donation each month.I find it really annoying that the school would assume you want to support the charity they happen to choose.

piscesmoon · 12/02/2009 07:07

You don't have to support it Katiestar but the school has to choose one, and it won't necessarily be your choice! It is good for children to get used to the idea of charity and helping the less fortunate. In answer to the OP -yes it is the start of years of giving to charity.

ABetaDad · 12/02/2009 07:25

My kids schol was on a constant round of charity fund raising a few years ago and it got so bad that there was a sort of spontaneous uprising by parents - they stopped doing it except for a few selected charities the school had a long term relationship with.

The problem in the private school sector is even worse than the state sector on this as they under a lot of pressue from the Govt via the charity commission to prove they are worthy of their own charitable status and a lot of private schools thnk they can do ths by supporing other charities.

Frankly, private schools are targeted by charity fund raisers because they think the parents are well off. The people that go into the schools are often on a bonus system.

Me and my wife support several charities ourselves (e.g RNLI as I used to be in shipping and SPAB as I am interested in architecture) and am tired of charities using our kids as a marketing channel.

cheesescone · 12/02/2009 15:14

yes

MadamDeathstare · 12/02/2009 15:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pointydog · 12/02/2009 17:27

I love the word gimcrack

Itsjustafleshwound · 12/02/2009 17:32

Why don't you raise your concerns with the Parents association or those responsible for the schemes ..

Perhaps it is just laziness on their part - and charity could be a lot more local and pupils can see some positives from raising the funds...

pointydog · 12/02/2009 18:06

Why don't you just not take part?

Harvest festival - a small gift for a local elferly person

Christmas show box - opted out, fair enough

Red Nose day - £1 to ease a little suffering.

Big deal.

piscesmoon · 12/02/2009 22:23

I don't think it is worth getting upset about-just accept that it is going to happen. It always has and it always will. Children should be taught to help the less fortunate.

myfunnynametaken · 12/02/2009 22:36

Can't you just sponsor your child for a small amount of money, £1 or thereabouts.

Yes, it is just the beginning.

seeker · 13/02/2009 00:00

No. It's the beginning of your child being part of a community that looks outward and encourages its members to think about the needs of others. Your child will learn that there are lots of children not as lucky as him, and that there are things he can do to help.

Unless, of course, he belongs to a family that prides itself on managing to avoid the shoe box appeal.