As part of my charitable activities, I am pleased to contribute towards the cost of deprived city children having a holiday in the country. But I draw the line at my charitable giving subsidising the holidays of well-to-do friends.

Adventure holidays, to raise sponsored funds for particular charities, have grown in popularity.  And so I get a request from a friend to ’sponsor’ her on a bicycle tour – on the other side of the Atlantic – to raise funds for what I agree is a very worthy cause.

To attract her, and others, to take part, the ‘cost’ which they have to meet from their own pockets is comparatively modest. The actual cost, of course, is higher, and the difference will be met from part of the funds which she raises. That, no doubt, is why a charity specifies the minimum amount which each participant must raise.

I have no quibble with the cause, but am not happy that part of any contribution which I might make, plus Gift Aid, would go towards meeting part of the cost of my friend’s holiday.

Now, I appreciate that a charity has to spnd money to be able to make money. And it can be argued that this form of fundraising involves much less risk for the charity than, say, paid-for advertising. Nevertheless, the fact remains that it would be most unusual for me to contribute towards the cost of a friend’s holiday of their choice. That it should come from my charitable giving with tax relief is going too far!

I have no argument with somebody who pays the full cost of the holiday from their own resources. And I hope I would encourage anybody to use their holiday-time to do useful work (especially if it was not very pleasant!) for the community in their home area. That would help all round, no extra costs need be incurred, and the environment would not suffer from their trans-Atlantic flights.

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