Sunday, 11 March 2007

Chugger*


A contrast to yesterday's photo of Marie Curie Volunteers, Chuggers (professional street fundraisers) are a daily sight on the streets of Belfast city centre. Most work through an agency on a salary/commission basis to try to get passers-by to sign up to pay monthly direct debits to various charities. Public opinion on this type of collection is divided - their approach is undoubtedly very successful for the charities they work for, but a lot of people find their approach very 'hard-sell'.

*Charity-mugger

9 comments:

forthmedia said...

Well I don't like them! I'm uncomformtable about a lot of charities anyway, and to industrialise it seems a step in the wrong direction. Woops - getting too political. But I like your blog
(NB blogger insists that I am a blogger user, although I'm not so I don't know how it's going to format links/emails)

Anonymous said...

We have not - yet anyway - this kind of activity in the streets. I don`t know. I perhaps could feel very angst -ridden myself :)
Thank you for your visit on my pages !

Anonymous said...

Well the "charity" thing begins at home and when people go on the streets to make up for the lack of volunteer giving, it tells me there is something wrong with the charity they work for. Who would want to donate money to a charity and have some of it go to pay the guy on the street. I would be against it. In fact, there are online places in this country we go to and check on charities to see what percentage of the money collected acutally goes to the charity. You might be surprised that as liitle as 10% in some cases.

I like your photo and the story it tells. And I needed to thank you for your visit to see my honey bee. Thank you.

Ming the Merciless said...

I'm starting to see "chuggers" in NYC recently - in the last year or so. They are mostly young adults working for different organizations ranging from human rights to environmental protection groups.

I usually participate in walkathons or volunteer my time for different organizations only.

Gerald (SK14) said...

We've had these too but at present the prevailing ones are the "ambulance-chasers" who ask if you [or anyone in your family] has had an accident in the last three years [that was not your fault]. I feel like saying "no but you will have if you keep pestering us" but I restrain myself.

blueboat said...

Good answer Gerald - I must remember that!

Ming the Merciless said...

I would pay to see Gerald open a can of whoop ass. :-)

Perpetual Procrastinator said...

Apparently I have an 'approachable' face, because they're forever jumping right in front of me (even ones that I've seen before and refused). I've told a few of them that on principle, no matter how wonderful their charity may be, I'd never give to one that a)accosted me on the street wanting my banking details and/or b)paid someone to accost me on the street and demand my banking details...

Anonymous said...

I wonder if you got permission from the person in the photograph to post them on this page - and then allow people to insult his profession?
I doubt it.
Hmmmm... Charity workers upsetting people. Some people are easily upset. Take a break. Relax. Wise up.