Radio 2 silent auction for children in need

[magsmay]

Ok I must live on another planet .....all this week while mucking out my horses and listening to Chris gingerminger on radio 2 I have been wondering how anyone could contemplate bidding over £80,000 for 4 days in a hotel and a round or two of golf -one woman said it was an Xmas present for her husband. Where do these people get their money from? and how do they justify bidding so much , even for charity? Businesses are struggling and laying people off and yet this past week over £800,000 has been bid on various 'treats' for charity. Again -where do they get the money from??????

[sandyRoe]

A while back there was an Irish businessman who paid Tiger Woods more than a million to come to Ireland and play a round of golf. More money than sense.

[Traci66]

I'm puzzled, silent auction on the radio, so how does that work?

[magsmay]

It actually sickens me -I'm not jealous -its just the fact that some people are in a situation where they can 'waste' all that money when if they were really that rich they could give it directly to a local charity and make a real difference. Is it perhaps more 'look at me I'm considerably more richer than wot you are' sort of thing.

[magsmay]

Tracie -don't ask me -thats what Chrissy minger called it this morning - people phone in and outbid one another for these treats and the proceeds go to children in need

[EvianBaby]

I get bored hearing it because I just can't relate to it but I think it's a good thing that there are people in a position to give that much money to a childrens charity.

[jackthehat]

How people (who have gained their wealth by legitimate means) choose to spend their money it precisely nothing whatsoever to do with anyone but themselves.

Just how much of their wealth would you suggest that they gave away to make you feel better?

[tenrec]

Surely the money is not wasted if it is going to charity.

[chelle7272]

//how do they justify bidding so much //

it's their money, wuld you rpefer they gave less to charity?

[chelle7272]

*would *prefer

[pastafreak]

What difference does it make how they donate their money to charity?
Whether an auction for Children in Need,or to a specific local or national charity...it is still going to good works.
This has no impact on any businesses that may be struggling-I don't see where that is relevant.

[magsmay]

The original question was not why they should be allowed to bid that much on a charity item but where do they get that vast wealth from to allow them to flippantly bid such high amounts - there were a lot of people bidding on these items.I then suggested it may be more worth while to support a local charity if they were going to be that generous and perhaps set up an ongoing charity to support in years to come. I then made the suggestion it was perhaps a little bit of 'look at me and what I can afford' syndrome and stand by this.

[chelle7272]

How do you know that the people bidding don't also support local charities?

Your suggestion is that if people can afford to give generously they are just showing off?

That sounds ridiculous to me.

[tenrec]

There are plenty of people with "vast wealth". They may have earned it, or inherited it, or won it on the gee gees.

[Mamyalynne]

There are millions who give their last few coppers to charity - there are the wealthy who donate millions both privately and some in a more flamboyant way. Then there are those in the middle ground like the case you quote.

One sentence sums them all up - Their money their choice how they spend it.

[Svejk]

I can see where the OP is coming from. I've always found it distaste- ful, 'business' men bidding ridiculous sums for a dinner, a round of golf etc. Why not pay the people working for them a bit extra or quietly donate their money rather than indulge in this self aggrandisement.
A lot of the 'celebrities' who get involved in these schemes charge horrendous expenses & fees.
Duchess of York- £100,000 to attend charity gala.
Alex Ferguson- £80,000 charity dinner.
Just 2 that spring to mind. Nice work if you can get it.

[bednobs]

i also wonder why anyone thinks we, the plebs would be interested in an auction where things are going for so much money. I realise that the object is to raise as much money as poss, but it would be nice if "ordinary" people could bid on these nice things

[gingejbee]

If this annoys you so much, why are you listening? It bores me, so I don't switch it on.

[magsmay]

gingejbee -I have radio 2 on for the horses -it calms them down -well sends them to sleep usually lol!

[gingejbee]

Chris Evans CALMS the horses down? HE does the exact opposite to me!!

[magsmay]

lol! -no they are out in the field when he's on -that's when I'm mucking out -they come back in to Steve Wright and it gets turned off for sleepy times at about 10 o clock