Please chugg off

I think I am a reasonably tolerant person. But surely I can't be the only one who really hates chuggers? If you're lucky enough not to know what I'm talking about, let me fill you in. These are the usually young people who approach you whenever you're walking down a shopping street. You can identify them because they've got a clipboard and are wearing a usually bright coloured vest with a name of a famous charity on them. The aim of the chugger (a charity mugger) is to make you hand over your bank details so you can give said charity a monthly payment.

Obviously giving to charity is a good thing - especially if you give it through Gift Aid so the good cause gets the tax back on your contribution - but really, these chuggers aren't encouraging me to think well of their cause by jumping out at me waiving a clipboard and being super friendly. They just remind me of those weirdos who used to hang round the dodgier parts of the West End trying to get you involved in whatever cult was offering lentils, love and personality tests that week.

Anyway, the message is if you want to give to charity, you can do it without succumbing to the chuggers. Payroll giving, Gift Aid and indeed writing your favourites charity into your will are good ideas and are tax efficient. Chuggers surely are as much a scar on the nation's high streets as boring chain stores and coffee shops pushing out the proper shopkeepers.

- Charlotte Beugge

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Comments

[Michael]

I agree, it gets on my nerves when they are sarcastic if you don't agree to talk to them. Half of them don't even care about what they are trying to get you to sign up to anyway.

[georgethe23rd]

I'm a professional fundraiser for a charity. If it's any comfort, the charity world is divided about whether chugging is a good thing or not (I agree with your perspective and the charity I'm involved with doesn't do it). But the only reason charities do is because it works for them.

Over time, "face to face" fundraising (chugging) typically raises about £5 for every £1 spent (statistic from www.charityfacts.org). When the public stops responding so well to chugging (despite the criticism it receives), charities will stop doing it.