I write concerning the apparent suicide of the 92-year-old woman who donated a large proportion of her income to charities. I too, have been in a similar situation regarding charity donations, indeed, it got so bad that, as the cost of living increased more and more, I was becoming overdrawn every month and incurring bank charges as the bank refused to pay direct debits due to insufficient funds, yet still I was bombarded by phone calls to increase my direct debits.
I was eventually forced to cancel several donations for my own protection, as my total donations were over £125 per month, all coming out of my pension, yet, I still received calls from people representing those charities I still donated to. Indeed, after I had explained to one woman that I was encountering difficulties with my bank, and how I was being chased for more and more money by fundraisers for charities, she sympathised and said how wrong it was – then asked me to increase my donation. I cancelled my direct debit.
There does need to be some curb on these fundraising companies. I asked one person if she worked for the charity she was asking donations for, and she affirmed this.
Then later in the conversation she let slip that she was in fact working for a fundraising company, not the charity itself. I hung up.
Keith Herriott
Thorndean Road
Bates Estate
Brighton
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