What does charity mean to you?

Charitable chap, Mathew Hulbert, tells us what he thinks.

Gordon Gekko, the uber-yuppy played by Michael Douglas in the film Wall Street who famously said “Greed is good” At the height of Thatcherism, in the 1980s - a decade summed up by Harry Enfield’s ‘Loadsa Money’ - there was a widespread feeling that charity did indeed begin at home and that if people hit tough times then tough luck. This decade has seen a real upsurge in support for very important causes, like Make Poverty History.

A few New Year’s Eves ago my mum and I were round at the house of a friend of hers and, for some reason, we started talking about charity. I, being my usual liberal, charity-loving self, was championing the cause and talking about some of those I support. Well, to say it was like a red-rag to a bull would be an understatement. One of the blokes at this gathering said, in true right-wing style, “Charity begins at home”. You know the sort; the kind of fella who wouldn’t give his last penny to a beggar on the street and would probably tell him to go and “get a job”.

In the end I gave up trying to defend my position, not because I lost the argument, but because, with some people, you really are wasting your breath. Thankfully my mates are much more open-minded, fair and tolerant (they must be - they’ve been friends with me for all these years!). So, for the purposes of this article, I asked them what they thought about charity. Thankfully, they didn’t disappoint. They all said they were a good thing and set out, at some length, the ones they support, not only with money, but with their time as well.

There were, of course, some concerns. Particularly worries that all the money given wasn’t getting to the right places and that there was, from time to time, too much paperwork involved. But on the key point, as to whether charity in itself is a good thing, the answer was a resounding yes.

For me, our belief in helping others less fortunate than ourselves (which is, at its heart, what ‘charity’ is all about) says something important about our society. At the height of Thatcherism, in the 1980s - a decade summed up by two fictional characters; Harry Enfield’s ‘Loadsa Money’ and Gordon Gekko, the uber-yuppy played by Michael Douglas in the film Wall Street who famously said “Greed is good”- there was a widespread feeling that charity did indeed begin at home and that if people hit tough times then tough luck.

Thankfully the 90s saw public attitudes begin to change; we became, seemingly, more compassionate, more giving. And, of course, this decade has seen a real upsurge in support for very important causes, like Make Poverty History, Make Trade Fair and Stop Climate Chaos. It is the simplest of human needs to be loved and to love. That love is shown in many ways, mainly in our personal relationships, and with our friends and families. But, just as importantly, in the love we show to those who we will never meet.