NPR

Just watched the BBC Rickshaw Challenge with Matt Baker. Regardless of what you think of the charity, etc hats off to Matt Baker and the kids who year after year display real guts and determination to overcome their problems and show everyone how physically and mentally strong they are. It highlights the fantastic work of many small charities that quietly get on with making kids lives better. Baker is just brilliant with the kids and it shows how much he cares.

I have no doubt that the British public will once again put their hands in their pockets on Friday and show their generosity despite raging inflation and many struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile on Thursday we will see real term cuts and slashing of public spending on Thursday and more kids pushed into poverty and hunger, schools struggling to cope, foodbanks over whelmed, NHS falling apart and social care and child protection chronically underfunded and unable to fulfil their roles. There is something gone seriously wrong when the 6th richest country in the world is in the state we are in and can't look after vulnerable children - 12+ years of Tory economic mismanagement, crooked PPE contracts, the most expensive TT&T system in the world and austerity has an awful lot to answer for.

If you can, give a few bob.

My issue with CIN is the need for it in a so called "1st world country" is a disgrace. It's effectively another tax which is subsidising lack of Govt spending.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:27 pm My issue with CIN is the need for it in a so called "1st world country" is a disgrace. It's effectively another tax which is subsidising lack of Govt spending.

Indeed. It’s struck me there’s a devil’s advocate argument that if we didn’t give to charities and food banks, the ensuing unrest would would force government to do something about it. Or maybe not.

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 1:51 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:27 pm My issue with CIN is the need for it in a so called "1st world country" is a disgrace. It's effectively another tax which is subsidising lack of Govt spending.

Indeed. It’s struck me there’s a devil’s advocate argument that if we didn’t give to charities and food banks, the ensuing unrest would would force government to do something about it. Or maybe not.

Probably the latter.

It won't happen, but the Beeb should point out each year that the total raised is money the Govt hasn't spent where it should.

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:01 pm

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 1:51 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 12:27 pm My issue with CIN is the need for it in a so called "1st world country" is a disgrace. It's effectively another tax which is subsidising lack of Govt spending.

Indeed. It’s struck me there’s a devil’s advocate argument that if we didn’t give to charities and food banks, the ensuing unrest would would force government to do something about it. Or maybe not.

Probably the latter.

It won't happen, but the Beeb should point out each year that the total raised is money the Govt hasn't spent where it should.

Yeah, I willing give to food banks but more and more I think I shouldn’t need to be doing it.

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:25 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:01 pm

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 1:51 pm

Indeed. It’s struck me there’s a devil’s advocate argument that if we didn’t give to charities and food banks, the ensuing unrest would would force government to do something about it. Or maybe not.

Probably the latter.

It won't happen, but the Beeb should point out each year that the total raised is money the Govt hasn't spent where it should.

Yeah, I willing give to food banks but more and more I think I shouldn’t need to be doing it.

True but they need those that can afford it to give even more at the moment. Visited my local foodbank to donate yesterday and they are really struggling to keep up with the increase in demand and fall off in donations.
The government have just sent me £500 as my winter fuel allowance and and a "pensioner cost of living allowance" which to be honest I just don't need so I've split it between the foodbank and the local homeless hostel.
I wonder just how many people there are out there that the government are supporting who are comfortably off not to need it?

SaintK wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 4:17 pm

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:25 pm

Torquemada 1420 wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:01 pm

Probably the latter.

It won't happen, but the Beeb should point out each year that the total raised is money the Govt hasn't spent where it should.

Yeah, I willing give to food banks but more and more I think I shouldn’t need to be doing it.

True but they need those that can afford it to give even more at the moment. Visited my local foodbank to donate yesterday and they are really struggling to keep up with the increase in demand and fall off in donations.
The government have just sent me £500 as my winter fuel allowance and and a "pensioner cost of living allowance" which to be honest I just don't need so I've split it between the foodbank and the local homeless hostel.
I wonder just how many people there are out there that the government are supporting who are comfortably off not to need it?

It’s not a question of affordability tbh, just the principle, I’ll carry on giving. Really there should be means testing for this sort of thing but no politician dares say it. You could have it without going back to some 1930s thing where you have to be totally destitute before getting anything.
Again tbh I don’t need the £500 but I lack the moral fibre to give it all away, I’m afraid I need to government to do it for me.

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 4:59 pm

SaintK wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 4:17 pm

GogLais wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 2:25 pm
Yeah, I willing give to food banks but more and more I think I shouldn’t need to be doing it.

True but they need those that can afford it to give even more at the moment. Visited my local foodbank to donate yesterday and they are really struggling to keep up with the increase in demand and fall off in donations.
The government have just sent me £500 as my winter fuel allowance and and a "pensioner cost of living allowance" which to be honest I just don't need so I've split it between the foodbank and the local homeless hostel.
I wonder just how many people there are out there that the government are supporting who are comfortably off not to need it?

It’s not a question of affordability tbh, just the principle, I’ll carry on giving. Really there should be means testing for this sort of thing but no politician dares say it. You could have it without going back to some 1930s thing where you have to be totally destitute before getting anything.
Again tbh I don’t need the £500 but I lack the moral fibre to give it all away, I’m afraid I need to government to do it for me.

Quite!

When I was in music school, we used to have to stick a performance together of 4 or 5 songs for children in need.

I f'king loved it. We would all be crammed into the angel in Neath with our barely rehearsed shit and have to perform it 3 times from 10 in the morning till 10 at night. Buckets at the door.

The music teacher would arrive at 3 pm an tell us off for just jamming and being pissed. Lol.

Imagine the best time a human being can have and multiply it by 40.

God it was great..
Anarchy, music flirting and fun,

This was before all the real misery and tory cruelty and shit, directed in large part at our children in the UK.

1991 when it didn't seem so urgent, real and "here".