Greetings charity sector folk.
Diary regrets to start its light-hearted Friday column in an aggressive tone but this week it must address a cheap attempt to drag its good name through the muck.
Not naming any actual names (Diary’s better than that), but a formerly well-respected colleague embarrassed himself this week by accusing Diary of being a “kangaroo court” spouting “fake news”. Diary has never even been to Australia for one and while this treasured column may include the odd tall tail it has never before been accused of breaking any actual “news”. Anyway, Charity Finance subscribers can read Ian’s offensive column here if you missed it. See you in (human) court, Allsop.
Another institution whose public image may have suffered even more damage than Diary this week is the Captain Tom Foundation, which stopped accepting donations after the late war veteran’s daughter was accused of using the charity’s funding to build a home spa complex. To add insult to injury, the council has ordered the “incongruous urbanising addition” to be knocked down.
A running telephone
It’s not just the Captain Tom Foundation’s phones that have been running off the hook this week, though.
A running telephone has been revealed as Samaritan’s team captain of the 2024 London Marathon.
The man beneath the giant green telephone costume (Dave Lock) has raised almost £50,000 for Samaritans and been a volunteer for the charity.
Having run 34 marathons before, running with a giant telephone on him will, presumably, be a piece of cake. This insults Diary, as someone who struggles to walk upstairs while holding a smartphone without panting.
Dave’s daughter, Isabella (not a telephone) will be running the marathon with him for the first time next year.
Orphaned baby hedgehogs need nursing back to health
In what is the most Diary story to ever be diaried, BBC News reported that six orphaned baby hedgehogs are being nursed back to health this week.
The hoglets are being hand-fed milk at Charlie’s Place Animal Sanctuary in Pilsley, a grassroots animal sanctuary that, though not a registered charity, does accept donations.
Fear not, for lack of charitable status will not stop this columnist from delivering sweet little animals to your inbox, sector folk, especially baby animals. They are this columnist's Achille's heel (see also: crisps, chocolate and free booze).
Veterans ride in style
If you were in Worthing on 4 July, you may have been wondering where on earth all the taxis were, and not without reason.
Over 50 black cab drivers volunteered to take war veterans to Worthing in the vehicles to celebrate the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans 75th birthday this week.
The veterans, alongside other invited guests, were then treated to fish and chips and ice cream, while presumably people in want of a taxi had to get the bus.
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