Charities Need To Move Out Of London

Why are so many charities based in London?

Charities simply do not need to be in the capital because they can easily do business in another city. And let’s face it, there are many places in the UK that are massively cheaper to set up shop in.

Do we find these charities in Middlesborough or Blackpool? No

Do we find them in Rochdale or Nottingham? No

Are they in Stoke-on-Trent, Barnsley, Birkenhead, Sunderland, Great Yarmouth, Burnley, Blackburn, Doncaster, Wakefield or Mansfield?

Of course not silly and that’s because of London snobbery and the ridiculous badge of honour that comes with ‘being’ in one of the most expensive places on the planet with sky-high costs.

Charities are completely out of order here. They want your money and my money but they base themselves where a huge chunk of that will go on paying London prices rather than to the people they are designed to support. Landlords get the lion’s share along and with many of the employees getting some nice salaries too. London accounts for 47% of the income of all UK charities and holds 68% of charitable assets.

So moving out of London would save thousands….millions in fact and the charities would actually operate in the best interests of their causes.

In a digital age there is absolutely no justification for a charity rooting itself in London because the money donated is not reaching the right people. Fundraising and all the administration can be done from anywhere.

We all know that London is up itself. The arrogance and self-importance has always been there but charities don’t need to be there. It’s funny how deprived northern towns and cities don’t get a look-in yet these are the very places where charities need to be to see the real-world beyond metro-land and the London bubble.

Charities need to reach out to other communities and re-define themselves as economically accountable not irresponsible.

Rents would be reduced, staffing costs would be reduced, travel times would be reduced. And guess what? More money would go to where it is supposed to go.

And let us remember this from Paul Routledge writing for The Mirror in 2015,

These days, charities are big business, and they ape the worst excesses of big business. They boast highly-paid bosses, ­celebrity champions, royal patronage, fancy offices, large staffs and shops on every high street. They spend millions on emotive TV advertising to rake in the money.

London is the capital but that does not mean charities have to their offices there. If charities realised this then they might find more of us would be willing to donate. It’s time for @tinastowell ‏ and @stephensonhm at @ChtyCommission to act.

Asking for money and pleading poverty doesn’t wash when your HQ is in London.