Charity should begin at home

I was being critical of nobody other than BHF who felt the need to pay out money, donated in good faith, to commercial enterprises.

Could not the £3,000 plus bill from G4S have been waived on this occasion?

Could not BHF have sought a greater number of volunteers by calling upon the Lions and Rotary to get non-members to volunteer? Perhaps the local newspapers could offer free advertising for such organisations?

I hope Di will forgive me for not being aware of Gamesmakers, and I applaud their efforts to continue the good work undertaken in 2012, but I was not aware that such an organisation still existed.

But it is, of course, possible I am sugaring from charity fatigue, having seen that working for a charity is now seen as a ‘career’, so donations given freely by others only goes to pay the salaries of office staff. After all the key word here is ‘charity’. I would be happy to volunteer at other such events if I can be assured that the bulk of the money goes to the people the charity are said to be supporting!

I don’t really feel that I need to justify myself to Di or to anyone else, but to let her know I support a number of people charities directly and indirectly.

I sing in a local mixed voice choir of 60+ people, where we pay for the privilege to sing and then perform concerts where most, if not all, money raised goes to charities.

I perform in a local folk band, Three Men In a Boat, where we frequently perform at charitable events, and though often given a fee, immediately donate that back to the charity.

I could spout on for much longer and complete a book on the subject of charities, but my point is that it begins at home! And if companies which to participate and advertise at these events they should pay for that privilege, just like the runners did.

Colin Sullivan, The Paddocks, Warwick