Thanks for responding, Anne.
Yes I am a sceptic – cynic – you name it. I just feel saddened by the original post where someone has invested their money (not to mention time and ’training’) pursuing their participation in an event to find the sponsorship doesn’t materialise as they might hope. In these instances, surely, someone who can afford to fund themselves to get to the trip/event would be better off, in those circumstances, if their money went directly to their charity (talking generically here, not necessarily AS) assuming fund-raising is the key issue. I can also understand the experience of undertaking such challenges with like-minded folk must be an incredible experience in itself, not least if it is an ‘in memory of’ experience.
It strikes me the only people ‘profiting’ from the exercise in these circumstances are the tour/flight operators??????? (Unless they offer their services for free in such organised events?) and so more money is channelled into private enterprise and/or shareholders’ pockets and not the not-for-profit/charity sector? (Please someone correct me if this is a wrong assumption and all associated expenses are funded by corporate sponsorship).
I am afraid, in these tough times, I personally would not support someone who can afford themselves to undertake such challenges, whatever the cause they were fund-raising for. My view. My choice.
‘Glamorous’ does not sit easily for me with the recession. A very personal view, and I should be – and am - grateful people can afford themselves to do the more ‘exotic’ and find sponsors who can equally afford to give and raise money by their efforts. But if I have a spare ‘fiver’ to donate to a cause, or a fund-raising event to support a cause, it is more likely these days to go to some less ‘glam’ endeavours – and probably at local level.
As the cutbacks, job losses etc start to bite deeper, I fear more and more people will, like me, look harder and harder at what they can afford to give (other than their time and effort), if anything. When redundancy hits and you worry about putting food on the table, or paying a fuel bill, someone being able to ‘trek’ in China or Peru (I personally would opt for the wonderful Lake District!) has a bit of a sting in its tail
however much you might support the cause. I personally believe ‘glam’ fund-raising will become unfashionable – and even non-PC - at some point in the future unless we move out of recession quickly.
I really feel we should not negate the efforts of the magnificent sums raised by ‘ordinary’ (by that I suppose I mean lower-paid) people who raise £1000s and £1000s year in, year out for their chosen charities or 'causes' through proverbial blood, sweat and tears and great-heartedness in different ways and are often relatively unrecognised even at local level but for the people their efforts make a difference to.
At that point I sound like I am advocating the ‘Big Society’ idea so will move on while the moment passes! (Or perhaps it shouldn’t?)
Karen, x