On the subject of charities and their request letters, it's the only time I enjoy having an oft-mistaken surname because then I can see which charity has sold my details on to the various junk mail providers which keep my shredder in fodder (actually I've just purchased a brazier type thing so that I can indulge my lust for fire while doing something useful).
Letters to David McCraig are traced back to cancer research UK, those to David McCabe are from Oxfam and the ones to Derek McGarfy - well who knows.....
Anyway, I expect they make money from selling such details, so I dont feel quite as bad about not contributing. I personally feel better giving to only one charity because my meagre contributions are then not spread so thin across many. Perhaps each person should be assigned a charity when they are sent their national insurance card. Then on a 2 yearly basis or something, everybody moves round. That way there is less junk mail and begging letters. Mind you, all the graphic designers and printers etc that make their money from junk mail would then be out of a job
Does the guilt ever end....?