Is this a con - charity fund raising

[PAULJ5555]

We just had this e-mail in work and I'm thinking what are you actually doing different to raise this money. Nothing.

They have a justgivingpage let me know if anyone wants to donate, i'll give it a miss.



The e-mail

The team are getting ready to embark on a 500 mile trek with a difference…its virtual! To cover the distance, we will be using our Fitbits and pedometers to track the steps we do to and from work and around the House!

[Benmac]

LOL, that's the best yet.

Aren't we currently in Stoptober or something where the challenge is to give up booze for a month? I think similar happens in January to capitalise on the post Christmas health kicks.

As I pointed out to someone who asked me to sponsor them last year; if you think not drinking for a month is worthy of being sponsored you need to seek help for alcohol addiction.

[Gary29]

So getting sponsored to go about your daily life as normal?

So glad I don't have to put up with things like this working for a small business where 95% are male....and miserable!

[Shakermaker]

Not a con if the money goes to charity, but certainly not really worthy of a specific donation for the person/team having gone through any particular hardship is it? Which is usually the point of a charity event I would have thought.

[BoRED S2upid]

In how many hours? Sounds a bit rubbish to me.

[Chunkymonkey_71]

Whoever has the highest reading on their Pedometer... they are the biggest paedo!

[Shakermaker]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Depends on the challenge

my brother did the marathon this year, and I sponsored him and he raised lots of money for a charity that has helped our family out a lot. Good for him etc. Clearly I know how much time and dedication he put into doing the marathon and training for it - if he failed to finish I would know that its because he was injured or something, but not through lack of ambition

But if Bob from accounts said "sponsor me for wearing a chicken costume all day" and then didn't wear said chicken costume, I wouldn't donate.

Much like I'm not going to donate to people who are "walking 500 miles... around the house" etc

[PAULJ5555]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The con is the Marathon they have to train for or the jumping out of a plane actually uses some effort and is putting the person in maybe pain/fear. I don't see how this is that same a walking about in your daily life its like sponsoring a Muslim not to eat pork for for a month.

[mackay45]

If you like the person and/or charity, stick a few quid in the pot, if you don't then don't bother. The 'challenge' itself is fairly irrelevant.

I've done 2 marathons, the primary reason for running both was for myself. I raised money for charity for both of them though. 1 I raised money for voluntarily for a mate who was diagnosed with MS a couple of years ago, 1 was to meet donation requirements for a charity place for the London marathon.

I've done a couple of halfs this year, as well as Ride London. Thinking about it now I should have done a sponsorship page for at least 1 of those as my employer matches donations up to £500 (per year). Whether the challenges are challenging or not wouldn't have any bearing on whether a charity would appreciate an extra few quid or not surely?

[PAULJ5555]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The pain/fear does help that charity as more people will offer to pay money and maybe pay a bigger amount. The charity will receive more money. As proved in the above people saying no way - set up a pole if you want to I'm happy to be proved wrong.

I don't wish pain on anyone but the person willing to put themselves through pain is more of an insentive for people to give.


Person A does 365 iron mans in 365 days, and asks for a £50 donation.
Person B sits in front of the TV for an hour and wants £50 donation
I am 100% sure person A would raise more money for the charity and the charity benefits from the effort given.


Also I an not a victim here as giving is optional not compulsory. I never said I was.

Would you like to donate £10 to this, I can send you the link??????????????????????

[Hoofy]

I can't figure out why someone has to suffer to raise money for charity. Why should I have to run a marathon for you to donate to BHF? I'm going to sit on my arse and tell you that BHF does good things. Now donate to them!

[Cold]

Where did read or hear that overall the charity parachute jumps cost the NHS more than they actually raise? (Broken bones etc)