YouthNet blog
An insight into youth issues, volunteering trends, charity life and more from the UK charity YouthNet
All | Events | Youth | Technology | Volunteering | YouthNet | Charity World
Monday Apr 24, 2006
Should charities ever pay celebs?
In the aftermath of the gargantuan fundraising effort that is The London Marathon it seems strange to suggest that charities would ever consider paying celebrities for their time. After all, if Steve Redgrave, Gordon Ramsay and Zoe Salmon can run 26 miles to raise cash, why should anyone else expect to be actually given money for charity work?
Apparently former basketball star Denis Rodman sees things differently, with reports saying that he requested payment to pose for Cosmopolitan magazine as part of a series where the fee normally goes to the Everyman campaign.
"We approached him about posing for us as part of the Everyman Campaign and he said he would be happy to do so," a spokesman explained. "But there was a snag - he was demanding $13,500 for his trouble.
"So he was told in no uncertain terms he would not be required. Some celebrities just do not understand the meaning of charity."
It's hard to have much sympathy with the rich and famous, but we do need to be beware of double standards. Millions of people earn their living working for charities - why shouldn't celebs be entitled to do the same?
It's one thing if they're pretending to be doing good, but it's not unheard of for charities to pay famous people to give speeches or chair events and while it's obviously better if they can be persuaded to volunteer, fame shouldn't automatically bar them from the right to work.
Posted by Tom Green ( 9:37 AM ) Link to this post Comments[0]