Generally speaking (and certainly compared to others) British people are decent and giving at heart. Yes there is selfishness and waste. But there are also many people who want to do the right thing be that through direct involvement or donations. While I am pleased to know that there are many British people who have good intentions it displeases me greatly that this good intent is exploited over and over. Those that exploit them know what they are doing. They exploit the good nature of these people mercilessly and many are never made aware they are being exploited. It becomes big business.
Have a think about this the next time you see mass marketing for ‘Comic Relief’.
*
Millions of pounds donated to Comic Relief have been invested in funds with shares in tobacco, alcohol and arms firms, BBC Panorama has learned.
The BBC has also seen evidence which suggests Save the Children censored criticism of energy firms, to avoid upsetting corporate partners.
Panorama has learnt that between 2007 and 2009, some of these investments, amounting to millions of pounds, appear to contradict several of its core aims.
Despite its mission statement claiming it is committed to helping “people affected by conflict”, in 2009 the charity had £630,000 invested in shares in weapons firm BAE Systems.
Comic Relief also had more than £300,000 invested in shares in the alcohol industry despite its mission statement saying it is “working to reduce alcohol misuse and minimise alcohol related harm”.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25273024
Completely surreal. I fail to see how they can have any credibility when set against that alone. Good people are being exploited and parting with money believing it to do good – look how they use it.
How about the often lauded Bob Geldof and his Live Aid entity? Does that pass the test of scrutiny? Not sure that it does;
*
The truth is shocking in its clarity. “People are dying because of their government,” says Jason Clay, an anthropologist studying famine in Ethiopia. “And what groups like Live Aid are doing is helping the government set up a system that is going to cause people to die for decades to come.”
Going back to Comic Relief/Red Nose Day – just look at the greed.
‘Accounts for the year to July 31, 2012, showed the total income, including Red Nose Day and Sports Relief, was £89million compared with £121million in 2011. However, chief executive Kevin Cahill’s salary rose to £130,823 from £122,212 in 2011.
Last year five executives earned between £90,000 and £100,000, compared with none the previous year. Staff numbers also rose by 40 to 286, sending total salary and pension costs up to £12.1million from £10.4million.’
In all truth it is not looking to good for the RSPCA either;
*
The RSPCA was plunged deeper into chaos last night as a third trustee quit in frustration amid claims that the charity is being badly run.
Accountant Karen Harley resigned from the ruling council of Britain’s biggest animal charity as an internal review demanded by the Charity Commission gets under way.
Her decision to quit follows the resignations of fellow trustees Chris Laurence and Sally Phillips. Mr Laurence, a former chief vet, left over the way the charity was run, and Ms Phillips quit over its animal welfare policy and cuts to frontline services.
http://tinyurl.com/gtxc5ps
This is not to say that none of the above have ever achieved anything decent at all ever. However, you cannot have credibility if you are a supposed children’s charity that invests money in weapons systems and alcohol. You do not merit respect if you are paying people six figure salaries. And you deserve only contempt if your efforts are really designed at aiding an ailing singing career.
Intent is all. No organisation or movement should require six figure ‘executives’. This is a nonsense and just a gravy train. No organisation or movement should be investing in the weapons trade while their public face is very different. No organisation should need or want ‘celebs’ to be a part of it. For me their very appearance contaminates a cause as I am deeply cynical as to their motives.
Besides. We don’t need celebs. It is actually embarrassing that we live in a culture who hang on their every single word.
What we DO need are leaders from the grass roots level. What we do need are people not in the fight for fame or fortune but who are in the fight to win the fight and get the job done.
Operation Frankish 
Absolutely. I will never donate to these ‘charities’ especially as ‘celebrities’ (who mean nothing at all to me) have the nerve to ask for contributions when their personal wealth alone would easily cover the necessities. Shame on them! The only charitable contributions I ever make are to local animal charities existing only by the skin of their teeth, and movements such as OF who advocate change to society’s illnesses!
LikeLike