Charidee begins at home, not on the high street

I watched BBC Comic Relief last night. And I do mean watched. I was up until 4am, compulsively absorbing all they had to offer like some kind of comedy sponge. It struck me that this is the way to make people take notice of the world, and the awful torment many people go through in Africa, and the UK. Interspersing the comic genius of godlike titan, Simon Pegg, with genuinely moving films that brought me to the verge of tears, and still do now just thinking about it. This will make people actually want to give, not because of some guilt trip, but out of genuine compassion.

Thinking about this not only made me give, but also made me think about the approaches of other charities. Generally they do good work, with the exception of course of Cancer Research UK, who are a shower of bastards (but that's a rant for another day), but their methods of raising funds strike me as a bit wrong.

Everyone has been accosted in the street by someone in a bib with a clipboard trying to persuade you with your hard earned, or borrowed if you're a student, cash. But it's not a one off payment of couple of quid like it used to be, it's £10 a month or more. While most of us will happily pop a pound in a collection box, we generally don't want to be emotionally blackmailed into giving away our bank details. And for what? We've just given them over £100 a year (which is about the same amount I spend on Christmas presents) out of a feeling of guilt. Comic Relief make us laugh for a one-off payment of however much we can afford, street charities make us feel guilty for a constant stream of cash, straight from our bank accounts.

That can't feel good. It's true that money's money, and when it's being given to those less fortunate that's great. But it must be like being payed off by the Mafia to not testify against them. It's emotional blood money. It's going to a good cause, true, but with so many guilt trip merchants shamelessly preying on those who don't have money anyway (like us students) how long will it be before they have to set up a charity to support the givers?