Villa shirts to poor kids in India

[thick_mike]

I'm not saying its not a good deed, but it doesn't seem a very good way to do it. How many shirts could they have sent with say £1000 without flying?
Perhaps I'm too old and cynical.

I guess the thing is, until you see the poverty/determination/creativity/spirit of the people for yourself, you are unlikely to make the effort. Those blokes saw what was happening first hand and wanted to make a gesture. They wanted to experience the kids excitement for themselves...to make a connection.

I am very charitable and knit my own muesli, but I wouldn't send £1000 abroad to someone I had never met...would you?

I guess not, although they must have had some idea that the kids in question needed clothing.
Having lived in South America for a number of years, I've probably seen poverty as bad, but a football shirt wouldn't have been my first choice of help.

I imagine I'm coming across as a bit of a tool questioning charity, so I'll stop here!

I also think you are not a tool. If we were to apply Maslow's hierarchy of needs to those children, then a clean water supply, nutritious food, safe warm housing etc. would come way above a football shirt (regardless of the quality of the team). The money for the flights would indeed have been better spent on those things...but in the real world the gesture has brought happiness to the children and the people giving. It has also sparked us to talk about it and the children at the school in Acocks Green are now more aware of the inequalities in the world.

Just to be clear...Malandro is not a tool!

[James]

It's not about giving money though is it? Who has £50 that they no longer want? (Only the government borrows to give away, right?) However, who has an out of date football shirt that they paid £50 for that they won't wear again? So take something that is not being used and isn't wanted, and put it somewhere where it will be used and appreciated rather than in the bin. I think the modern word is 'recycling' isn't it? And if it puts smiles on faces that weren't there before, the job's a good 'n'!