Pegram compares UK with Gaza as NSPCC launches crisis appeal 2

Fundraising | 26 Feb 2009

The NSPCC’s fundraising chief has said the UK financial crisis is as desperate as the Gaza situation, as the charity launches a new ‘emergency appeal’ aimed at raising £2m.

All NSPCC’s direct debit donors have received an emergency appeal mailing asking them for additional donations of various amounts based on their previous contributions in order to prevent further cuts to services.

The charity is estimating it will make around 150 job cuts, some frontline services and many internal structures as reported in the February issue of PF.

The new disaster-style campaign has cost £250,000.

Director of fundraising Giles Pegram (pictured) told Charity News Alert: “The financial crisis we have got is an emergency. It is in the same category as people giving to Gaza or other third world emergencies.”

He added: “We should not be making cuts without asking our donors for help first.

“We feel that to cut services to children and to have to turn children away who we are in the middle of helping is a major step for the NSPCC and we don’t want to be closing too many services before we have given our donors the chance to help with extra money.”

The letter to donors is from Wes Cuell, director of services for children and young people, who writes: “This is an emergency appeal because if we do not get more funds urgently we face having to close more services and it’s children who will suffer. I can’t put it more simply.

“I appreciate that there will be other pressures on your household budget right now, but I truly hope you can find a little extra to help us keep our vital services for children open.”

The NSPCC relies on donations for 87 per cent of its funding.

Directory: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

Place a comment

Vic Weekes
13 Feb 2009

Same category as Gaza? NSPCC in a financial emergency? I quote from Andrew Flanagan CEO, NSPCC speaking to Third Sector just last November: "We have a lot of reserves, and that can smooth the impact in the short term. But if we go into several years of recession, we will have to look at some of the decisions we have made for the organisation...but the NSPCC is in a strong financial position at the moment."

Have they lost all those reserves in 2 months? Maybe the NSPCC supporters should be told.

[Reply]

R Benson
11 Feb 2009

Interstingly (or do I mean 'suspiciously'?) Mr Pegram doesn't specify what 'frontline services' the NSPCC has had to cut.

If we look back at the article in the February issue, we see that cuts are to their fundraising team and the NSPCC training scheme for (their) junior managers.
I don't think this qualifies with having your house/life bombed, do you?

[Reply]

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