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Piers Morgan solves energy crisis

I was driving to a meeting today (Oh, the irony. However, I did stop off at Ledbury to check out how to get to Brum or London in a more eco and possibly cheaper way... IF the train runs) and listening to the Jeremy Vine show.

It was about charity reverting to home.

Usual wind up. In the stir-up corner was Kelvin McKenzie saying 'sod the rest; Brit is best'.

Against him were lined up at least three fragrant ladies who obviously lunch, but also do good works for 'those less fortunate'. They were very much of the view that more aid rather than less was the order of the day. Folk were starving (true), it wasn't their fault (true. Well, at least the starving ones. I keep seeing nice limos when the Pres lobs up) and 'it's all down to global warming'.

Now, on that last one I am still in a jury that is out. However that all of them opened their pitch with 'I have just got back from flying around...', irony-free, to my mind did not help what else they uttered.

Some are just more equally allowed to 'study the situation' than others, I guess.

Charitable Aims

A slightly 'easier' day newswise, as the BBC seems to have ditched all in favour of the London Marathon.

I think I might give it a miss. Barely started, and the 24/7 news-gathering machine is already struggling to find things to talk about.

But I just watched one piece of some interest, which was a noble group of Masai warriors here to run and raise money for their village. I recall these fine chaps from news several days ago.

However one thing did strike me. They are hoping to raise £600, a more than modest aim, and amazing what it will achieve back home. I am also pretty sure that, with such coverage, they will get a wee bit more than that... if they can find a use.

Thing is, bearing in mind there were a good few of them, I couldn't help but wonder how that amount equates to the flying and accommodation costs.

This does crop up quite a lot. I have been invited to sponsor charity runs/rides, etc in all sorts of exotic places, and the funding seems to kick in only after the participant's costs are covered. Many times that seems like me paying for someone to have a fairly nice holiday with a bit of exercise on top.

I am sure these guys were/are sponsored, but one does have to wonder what the chaROI is in many cases. It is not so satisfying and community bonding 'n all, not to mention no coverage means no PR means no support in the first place, but in terms of getting the maximum amount to where it will do most good you have to wonder whether the aims are being best met for those one presumes it's all intended for.

I'd like to see what the numbers are. Maybe it's all better than nothing as without an event there would be no contributions at all, but it would be interesting to see who the beneficiaries are for each pound generous souls contribute.

Times - The ego marathon - only to show I am not alone on the chugger deal when a sunny clime is involved.

Times - e-mail chuggers, take a hike

Serving interests

Grinch time.

I have no real problem with a lot in the business that is charity, but all too often I stumble on 'efficiencies'... perhaps it could be termed 'chaROI', namely what is involved in getting a pound from the public to 'how much?' and in what useful form to the most worthy beneficiaries.

Without naming names, and without knowing the back-story, this was prompted by a fairly hefty news item about a not small group who went to South America to paraglide off a mountain, and raised... £3k. About the cost of the flight of one, plus gear, I'd hazard.

Now if they paid for all and this was just a nice little donation via sponsorship on top, then fine. But having been asked more than a few times to chip in on such things these can often be 'after expenses', meaning the charity goes a long way to paying for a lot of other stuff that doesn't really help those most in need.

So before I donate, or put these up on the site to encourage others, forgive me if I tend delve a bit more into the the provenance chain a bit more.