Wristbands: silly fashion accessory or symbol of support? Charity wristbands of every colour are everywhere you look these days - there's our beloved white Make Poverty History band, of course, but there are dozens of others promoting every cause from Anti-Bullying to Water Aid, and from Jesus Loves You to Support Our Troops (!). To help you make sense of it all, we've put together the definitive guide to the wristband and we've got a poll to gauge your thoughts. Are they a must-have fashion item, or just a naff bit of plastic? Everything you need to know about charity wristbands >> Oh, and while you're here - tell us what wristbands mean to you. How many have you got on your arm today? Enter your comments to the Blog below... posted at 4:46 PM | Permalink 8 comments   Comments: GenerationWhy and Oxfam accept no responsibility for the content of comments in the Blog. I think they've got a bit out of control - what's all the fuss about? Who cares about a bit of plastic on your arm? Is that really making a statement? The impact has probably been diluted a bit by how many different bands there are now too... People are getting cynical already By  Dude Boy, March 23, 2005 5:29 PM   I agree with Dude Boy. What started out as a clever charity marketing idea has become increasingly meaningless: just about every charity has a band or is making one, and there are too many Del Boys out there flogging them off for personal profit. Plus, from my experience, people tend to say "I'm going to get a blue band next" rather than "I'm going to buy a band to support WaterAid", or whatever. I reckon a lot of people, if you asked them, aren't too bothered about what their band stands for. By  Anonymous, March 24, 2005 9:38 AM   I don't know - I think the fact that the charity wristband is cool is a positive thing. I remember when the blue anti-bullying band was introduced thinking that it sounded really naff - but people went for it (though admittedly I don't know if it actally changed people's attitudes). A charity wristband is gonna raise awareness about the issues involved - it will get people thinking about it. People will ask 'what's that thing on your wrist?' so you've got to have some kind of explanation, haven't you? By  rrrachel, March 24, 2005 12:28 PM   It's true that a lot of kids just buy the nest /colour' to come out, and often don't know what they're for, but it's a way of getting teenagers to donate to charities, so why not? Liz By  Anonymous, April 16, 2005 10:34 AM   People are getting far too worked up and self righteous about wristbands. If people choose to support charities in this way then fine, if they just want to wear a coloured band where's the harm? Are people suggesting we only wear badges/t-shirts which support charities? By  Anonymous, June 14, 2005 7:20 PM   I agree Anon! It doesn't really matter either way, does it? By  The Chief, June 15, 2005 8:44 AM   thanks for info, By  designer accessories, July 25, 2005 10:37 PM   I have 5 bands (Livestrong, beyond blue, Randwicks childrens hospital, breast cancer, make poverty history) and am always on the lookout for another to buy. I'm not looking for the next colour but the next charity. i brought poverty bands and gave them to ten friends. Ppl ask them wat they are and my friends give them the email address. Does it really matter if its just a fashion accessory because if the moneys going to a good cause thats all that should matter. Keep em coming i say. By  Anonymous, February 12, 2006 7:55 AM   Post a Comment

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