Most of my regular giving is long established and goes back years.

In most cases I am not sure if I can recall why I started giving to that particular charity and not others working in the same area, for example I have no clear explanation why I make an annual donation to Christian Aid rather than say Oxfam. I do know however that once I get in the habit of giving to a particular charity then it becomes very difficult for me to shift. I suppose it amounts to a form of guilt; if I stop my donation however modest, then it will be letting that organisation down and may inhibit their  work.

 I have probably been supporting Mencap longer than any other charity. This goes back to receiving a money box from them years ago, I filled it with my loose change and sent them a cheque to the value of contents when it was full. The box has long since disintegrated but every September I receive a reminder and this jolts me into sending  a donation.

Their timing this year was impeccable. Writing this blog had got me thinking about reorganising my giving and Mencap were top of the list to be dropped. No good reason, it’s not that I don’t care about their work, more that there are just too many charities and not enough money to go around. Along with a nudge that I hadn’t given for a year they enclosed some sample case notes. Enclosed in an unnecessary but professional looking plastic cover, these gave examples of  the broad range of people that they support and showing how my money would be used. It was an excellent reminder of the work they do for people with whom I have almost no contact or real understanding of the difficulties they face leading independent lives.  Mencap remain on my list of regular giving.

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