Sunday 4 December 2011

Vicar's Relief


Mary Ann has just posted this mouse picture, and I said she should make one as a 'bag-lady', then I thought that it has been years since I have seen a bag lady. Do they still exist? I hope not, for their sakes.

They were around long enough to start a complete fashion trend in the same way that drug addiction started the trend for heroin chic. The above picture is taken from a women's blog who calls herself 'Bag-Lady'. Some fashion is just so flippant. At least Armani showed some respect by starting with suits from the Sicilian working classes.

This speculation about bag-ladies coincides with the very day that this year's St Martin in the Fields Christmas appeal began on the media here in Britain. H.I. and me rarely give to big charities, but we usually send a donation to St. Martins, because they are just so damned useful and humane. St Martin's in the Fields is situated right next to the National Gallery near Trafalgar Square in London, so you would think it to be London-centric, but - in fact - it helps homeless and desperate people from all over the UK - some of whom just ended up in London, and others who genuinely need help in the rest of Britain.

As well as running a day-centre, night-centre and canteen from the crypt, they have a separate branch of their charity called 'The Vicar's Relief Fund' (stop sniggering, you boys), which sends comparatively small amounts of money to people in need of a rent-deposit or whatever, who might lose their flats (and their whole civilized way of life that we take for granted) without it, and they send this money in super-quick time, unlike government departments which usually wait until it's too late, thereby helping to put more homeless on the streets. Last year, they raised £1.5 million for this purpose - that's a lot of help.

Most of the people sleeping rough in big cities are there through no fault of their own, other than being basically inept, divorced, sacked from their job, mentally ill or simply ill-equipped to face life as an adult, and drink and drugs are another way of easing the pain - I have to remind myself of this when a junkie pisses me off in town. Many of them don't drink or do drugs either, but they are not so high-profile and have to be searched for by the St Martin's team, who go about on freezing winter nights, looking for them in doorways.

The Salvation Army also does very good work with the destitute like this, but I think you have to sing for your supper.

I reckon that if you are going to donate to a homeless charity this Christmas, The Vicar's Relief Fund (I said stop sniggering!) might well be the best one.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like a worthy cause Tom...thanks for shining a light on them. I've always liked the Salvation Army (in spite of the singing) and used to be a fan of The Red Cross until all the corruption news broke.

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  2. I rather like one here in France called 'Orbus'. They have a 'plane equipped with a surgery, where they do eye operations on foreign needies. Well worth my few annual Euros.

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  3. I do agree that Christmas is definitely the time of year when we should all find a bit of spare cash to give to a charity of our choice Tom - a few pounds is surely not missed. This sounds a worthy cause.

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  4. I support the Salvation Army as they helped me when I was a kid. They did it without me asking and there were no strings attached.

    And, as to bag ladies.....I haven't seen one around in ages which is a good thing.

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  5. How strange, I've not noticed any bag ladies around lately either. However we do have a major homeless charity in my town with its own very modern large hostel. From my own experience of St Martins when I lived in London for most of my adult life, it was terrific in supporting the helpless, the homeless and etc. So I urge everyone who can to support the BBC appeal to do so.

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  6. I forgot to thank you for putting the link to my blog...I had lots of traffic:)

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