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Giving to charities, anyone else?

Alice-nice-Alice

With my house sale completing on Monday I will be able to start donating regularly to charities again. Initially I wiil set up a decent direct debit to the National Youth Orchestra. My exposure to classical music opportunities in my school teenage years gave me a joy which lasts for ever (even though my jobs have had nothing to do with music). There was a school orchestra and choir, then the Leicestershire county schools music service bused kids from all over the area to a central a large central campus every Saturday to push their skills further and maje friends. I am aware that these services have been decimated in recent years so supporting NYO makes sense for me, my contribution helping other young people experience what I did. 

As well as learning a phenomenal amount about western music history, the two highlights of those years were singing in Verdi’s Requiem under Lazlo Heltay, and being in the audience for a performance of Mahler’s 8th symphony, both memories full of light and which I can still access in dark times. 

I appreciate that many cannot afford to give regularly to charity but are there others here who do, and if so why?

Thanks

Alice

  • in reply to Roy
    Roy said:
    I do get very annoyed with charity collectors being forceful in the street.

    Yes, also outside supermarkets, where you feel pressured to 'give' because of their close proximity and no way of getting past them.

  • in reply to Roy

    Yeah I encounter them sometimes and it does get annoying. I usually say no thanks I'm in a rush got a bus to catch and walk off. 

  • I give a set amount to Cancer Research every month, I do get very annoyed with charity collectors being forceful in the street.
    Our local supermarket seems to have a different charity in the foyer every day. They don’t want a pound in the pot, they try to sign me up for a direct debit. It causes great anxiety, sometimes I won’t actually go in. I’ve noticed they are often the same people with just a different tabard on.

    I just like to choose my charities and not be pressured.

  • Yes I play the Lotteries for Alzhiemers, Our Local Hospice, MacMillan, British Legion, Help the Hero's, and Diabetes UK. I have connections with them all through my own and my families health problems. I once did a work placement at the British Heart Foundation which I enjoyed and I also did voluntary work at the Food Bank while out of work. Charities are a damned good thing. Macmillan supported my mother in her final days after she had been diagnosed with cancer. Diabetes I have type 2 which is managed by Diet alone. British Legion I always buy a Poppy and occasionally some merchandise. Our local hospice were a rock to me after my wife had passed away they were the only ones that offered me Counselling. 

  • When I was working I gave on a monthly basis to the Red Cross, Deaf Children's and Cancer Research charities. Since retirement, I now only give monthly to my old university to support students in financial difficulty and women students in science subjects.

  • My parents immigrated  and my dad travels there once a year and I buy an item for children in schools that they cannot get. They deserve to have the basic things and things to help them develop.

    I have adopted a goose with the wildlife trust for a year-I liked the idea of a bird representing me flying out there and I wanted to do something ecological.

    I have donated a gift of books to children abroad directly from buying it overseas and getting it courier to them. 

    I have donated to NAS this charity as they  are putting on a service and I am using it. 

    I have donated money for food in countries abroad where there was conflict.

    I have donated for sick and retired priests at Christmas.

    I bought a self pouring water toy for a local nursery as a gift when I had a special event. It is perfect for playing in the summer.

    I want to plant an olive tree in a country abroad-something for the memory and helping for produce.

    I have elderly parents and I donate a sum each year towards supporting them to go overseas to avoid the winter..

    There is more and stuff that I have done in the past but I won't list them all.

  • in reply to Marianne72

    We are clearing out now as combining two lives and homes we have duplicates of lots and lots  Our local hospice shop has already had some of the furniture and various bags of this and that, we will see if they will come and collect the rest

  • in reply to pinkchocoholic

    This is what I do, too. I have a clear out every so often, including books I've read many times and decided to pass on.

  • we donate unwanted items / clothes etc to charity shops - in the town next to where we live there's about 5 charity shops so we alternate each time where we take things!