Sadly it would seem that many people are becoming dis-allusioned with some of the bigger charities as they seemingly drift away from their original vision. Many have become too large and have drifted far from their founding principles. They are more business-like and seem far removed from their supporters who are constantly hounded for regular donations. Many of the larger charities seem to spend more time asking for money than they do talking about what it is they actually do.
There is a huge overlap in the charity sector – how many breast cancer or animal charities do we need for example? This only dilutes the available money that comes from donations – people only have so much to give and it’s well know that the poorer end of the population give a higher percentage of their income to charities and good causes.
It is also a sad fact that many charities won’t work together for a common cause. Their own brand seems more important than working together for the greater good. This could be one of the reasons why smaller more focussed charities exist as they feel that the larger ones are ignoring their issue.
I had considered turning WCSUK into a charity but after taking advice from several people who are involved with the charity sector I was advised that I really didn’t need to be a charity in order to do what we do.
Our focus has always been supporting women across the UK via social media and along with the awareness raising we do, I was advised that these activities could be done without the need to become a registered charity. Whilst I acknowledge the need for more womb cancer research, it is not something that WCSUK is set up to deal with. There are other organisations focussing on that.
Apart from the fact that all the work needed to set one up would have meant less time for me to focus on what we actually do, my own health issues have to be taken into account aswell as the fact that I run the organisation myself.
There are many smaller organisations such as WCSUK across the UK who are all doing great work and filling the gaps that the larger charities either overlook or ignore, but if they continue to ignore us then they will ultimately loose the very people who support them.
As our pockets are being squeezed in this time of austerity, people are becoming more savvy about where they donate – they are looking more for action rather than glossy advertising and big brands,
Here’s to all the small charities and organisations, many of whom are run by volunteers. They do what they do because they are passionate and totally committed to the cause.
xx Kaz xx.