Comic Relief
Posted on 2003-03-14
All over the UK, people are doing weird and wacky things in aid of Comic Relief, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. I've bought my red nose, and that's all.
Don't get me wrong, I am all in favour of doing my bit and raising money for the poor, the starving children in Africa, the women in the UK that are subjected to domestic violence etc etc, but I simply cannot afford to keep giving my state benefits away to every charity that asks for help, no matter how badly I wish I could.
Only yesterday I received a letter from The National Trust asking me to complete a direct debit for �5.00 per month, and last week I received another from another charity that rescues abused animals. I'm sorry to say this, but it really angers me when people resort to writing begging letters out of the blue like this. If I want to give money away then I will, but to organisations of my choice - charities that have helped me. I simply can't give to everyone, and it makes me mad that so many good causes are struggling to survive.
I know that the red noses only cost a pound, but in a way there is so much hype over 'red nose day' that you almost feel obliged to go out and buy the record, buy a red nose and buy a t-shirt, and it's this kind of 'intimidation', (if you can call it that), that I don't appreciate. I remember one year when I was still at school everyone had gone out and bought a red nose for Comic Relief except for a handful of children and they were bullied over it for weeks. Shouldn't it be up to the individual whether they wish to support this cause???
I realise that this is beginning to sound like I'm a mean person who doesn't give a damn about other people, and that is totally untrue. I am doing voluntary work for AYME - a charity that has helped me a great deal over the last year, and I also get involved in the charity PHAB, which my Mum works for.
I just think it's a shame that there are so many smaller charities out there that don't get as much recognition for the hard work that they do, and have to resort to sending 'junk mail' in order to keep running. Sometimes it would be nice to hear more about them, not just Children In Need and Comic Relief that everyone supports.
I'm going to go and finish watching Graham Norton do his stuff, and try and get my red nose to actually stay on my nose.