Tag: donate

charity, ethics, questions

Should you re-sell a charity item?

ramblingmads

Every year for Comic Relief (a huge charitable initiative) various different people pitch in to ‘Do Something Funny for Money’.

So we’ve had celebrities baking cakes on Comic Relief Bake Off, members of the public showing off their foxtrot for Comic Relief does Strictly and that’s all before you get to the telethon (known as Red Nose Day, google it, you’ll see why) itself.

You can also donate by buying a whole range of Comic Relief goods (mostly through Sainsbury’s supermarkets but I’ve seen red noses in WH Smiths, comedy specs in my opticians and posters in plenty of high street shop windows.

Most of it is aimed at children, especially the famous red noses and lots of schools get in on the act with sponsored events, bake sales and mufti days.

Designers have got involved over the last few years with limited edition t-shirts in TK Maxx and Lulu Guinness shoppers in the supermarket.

Two years ago I got a Lulu Guinness shopper, it wasn’t the one I wanted, they had sold out, and this year I got another one.

I have been after a Lulu Guinness bag for ages, I think they’re fun and quirky, so every now and then I search ebay to see if anyone has one for sale at a not too insane price. Imagine my shock to see dozens of the Comic Relief bags for sale.

Personally I think it’s pretty distasteful to be selling anything that raises money for charity and making a profit. Yes, you made your donation when you originally bought it, but then to flog it online and make money is rather nasty.

The bags cost £5, which isn’t a lot considering and the money helps people in need in the UK and overseas.

image

I might even buy another bag, they’re good quality and strong. I’ve also bought the Crafternoon magazine and the GBBO book, mostly because the money helps people in need.

But I won’t be selling them on, that just lacks class in my opinion. What do you think?

ramblingmads

beauty, charity, give and make up, refuge

Give and Make Up

ramblingmads

Every week in the UK 2 women are murdered by their current or ex-partner. A woman will experience 35 incidents of domestic abuse before she calls the police.

Fleeing violence and abuse is a really difficult thing to do, even more so when children are involved. Refuge is a UK based charity that helps women to find a safe place for their children and themselves.

Every Christmas I donate to their present drive, you follow a link on their website to a John Lewis (department store) gift list and select which gifts you want to buy. I usually buy two presents for women and two presents for children.

Most women fleeing abusive relationships leave with little or nothing. Often just the clothes on their backs.

Which brings me to Give and Make Up. Set up by blogger Caroline Hirons in partnership with Refuge, this is a scheme that encourages us to donate unused make up and cosmetics (all those lotions and potions) to women who had to leave everything behind and have nothing.

http://www.carolinehirons.com/p/give-and-makeup.html?m=1

This is currently only in the UK but it is worth seeing if a similar scheme exists where you are. I have loads of sample size and full size creams I’ve never used and several unused make up palettes cluttering up the place that I will be sending along to Refuge.

Put a smile back on the faces of women who desperately need something to smile about.

ramblingmads