It’s become somewhat de rigueur to rant about the so-called “charity muggers” who blight our towns and cities, ready to pounce and save the world for just eight pounds a month with their clipboards and umbrellas. There must be tens of thousands of charities in the United Kingdom, some of whom do very specialised and most of whom do very good work, and I imagine it must be just as difficult to get the word out about the work of your own particular organisation as it is in any other crowded marketplace. But I’m not sure I can see how hiring a bunch of photogenic teens to harvest names, addresses and bank details in the street is a sustainable business plan considering that we live in a society where government ministers leave laptops on trains, and we’re constantly being warned to shred our mail because people are ready to raid our bins and steal our identities for nefarious and potentially terrorist purposes.
I imagine that it must be particularly thankless work, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to make your way through Glasgow’s main shopping arteries without being approached by at least one individual only looking for “five minutes of your time”. I suppose my fondness for making eye contact with and smiling at strangers is ultimately my downfall, but if I’m walking down a main street quickly with my headphones in it probably means I’m going somewhere and don’t have time to talk to you. While I’d rather be stopped by a representative from a charity than the greasy bloodhounds outside Phones4U, there are times I’m simply not in the mood and I’d appreciate if my firm “no” was taken at face value a little more often.
And then there was yesterday, when the usual faces were wearing new purple sweaters in honour of some mental health awareness charity. It was my lunchbreak, and I was making a beeline for Sainsburys with my earphones on, when I was waved down by a smiley seventeen-year-old. “I want to talk to you about mental illness. Are you aware of some of the statistics in this area?” he began, not leaving a beat for me to say that yes, I’m pretty aware of them actually before launching into the killer:
“Did you know that every ninety minutes in this country, somebody kills themselves? I think that’s shocking. There’s such-and-such length of waiting list, nobody to talk to, nowhere for these people to turn…”
I didn’t make it much further. I made my excuses and fled for the orange safety of the supermarket, where I burst into tears.
I know that I was oversensitive, and it wouldn’t have been fair to a kid who was only doing his job to turn around and snap that yes, it is shocking and I don’t need the reminder. Which is why I didn’t do it. But if those are the suicide statistics in this country then that’s a lot of people left behind, a lot of people who have probably asked themselves every day since if there was something that they could have done to prevent the death of somebody that they cared about. I lost a friend a couple of months ago, which I worry is skewing my usual unflappability, but I can’t help feeling that this isn’t the best way to raise awareness of mental health problems.
I want to write to the charity to put this point to them, but I need to hope that the same representatives are there today so that I can find out who they actually were as I never caught the name before I ran. I’m sure I can predict the response though: they’ll apologise for my discomfort, but remind me that it’s people like my friend who their charity aims to help. Because somebody, somewhere, sat in on a marketing meeting and decided that training up one of those third-party agencies was a good idea. Am I the only person who doesn’t see it?
ETA: Apparently some girl with a clipboard just tried to stop my boyfriend in Buchanan Street by calling him “sexy” and chasing him down the street when he wouldn’t stop. Right, Mental Health Foundation. I think this means WAR.
My personal opinion is that suicide rates can be lowered about talking about it and bringing awareness – not scaring people half to death (bad wording) while on their way to buy milk.
What charity is it? I think they’d be very unhappy to hear that this guy is telling people that there’s no one for people to turn to when they’re in need.
I know you think I’m too harsh, but I think it would have been perfectly fair to say that to the kid, who may only be doing his job, but who is doing it badly and tactlessly. But yeah, you know me!
I hate charity muggers. There must be a better way of raising awareness of issues than irritating and bothering people, and upsetting you. xx
@Ms Smith: I didn’t catch the name of the charity, so I’m hoping it’s the same people there tonight.
@Kate: I don’t think you’re too harsh at all! Thanks guys. I’m glad that you don’t think I’m being silly about this.
If I see them in town I’ll be having a bloody chat with them.
i did my best to kill them, one munchkin at a time. Each time you take down one of them, seven leap up in their place.
I tell you, if we stop sending in our army to fight wars, and send sixe of these idiots = job done.
I’m sorry that you lost a friend.
My perspective of these charity people is a little different.
I HATE that they make you feel guilty for not stopping. It was getting to the point in London where i wanted so scream at them “I work for a charity, get paid less than other people for it. I also give monthly to four charities and I’ve raised well over £3,000 doing fun runs. So why do you think you have the right to make me feel guilty, because I do my bit already”.
They have no right to make people feel like that, and although i know these poeople do raise a hell of a lot of money this way, I think they also put a great big chunk of people off giving to charity x
My flatmate used to work for a charity (a mental health charity, at that – but I think Mind‘s chuggers wear turquoise), and from what he’s told me, I think there’s a fair bit of separation between the fundraising people at head office and the actual people on the street – generally agency staff. While I’m sure whoever wrote that campaign was well-meaning, it sounds totally inappropriate, and if you can work out which charity it is, they ought to hear about it.
Thanks for the comments, guys. I’ve now ascertained that it was the Mental Health Foundation, and I will be writing to them this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes!
oh god how awful. the suicide statistics are bit much really i agree. i was once kidnapped by a disabled children charity with my mother in otw – she is a special needs teacher handily – she gave the charity mugger hell and a long lecture about how the real issues are about exclusion and segregatin and all sorts – thats the only time i have seen a CM actually stop talking and try to get away!
@sungirltan: fair play to your mum! Fantastic. Thanks for stopping by!
A friend of mine used to do this work, they all annoy me & get backhanded bonus “interestingly” called travel expenses, only if he got so many details a day! As its illegal for charity’s to give a sales bonus.
Which is why they get paid such a great hourly rate of course! Thanks for stopping by, Matt.