Chuggers. We all know what they are - 'charity muggers' - or that's what many a stand-up-comedian-on-a-panel-show would have us believe. Of course, that's not it at all - they are fundraisers, whether for Greenpeace or any other organisation. Yes, many people get stopped/approached in the street, but frankly, so what? We may be busy - I know I am, and I've been approached by fundraisers for all sorts of charities many, many times, but I can't honestly think of any situation when those few seconds made even the slightest bit of difference. And of course, they exist for a reason - Greenpeace takes no money from political organisations (nope, not even the Green Party) or companies (nope, not Lush, the Body Shop or Ecotricity, none of them). It is solely funded by individual donations, one-offs or better still, ongoing 'membership' - we call such fine people 'finiancial supporters' as that is what they are.
We campaign against enormous corporations, political groups and vested interests with billions of pounds/euros/dollars behind them, and we can't do it without at least some resources. So we fundraise. That, among other approaches, means stopping people in the street and asking them for money - we have no choice if we want to continue campaigning. Is it annoying? Well, maybe, but as annoying as uncontrolled climate change, the plundering of the oceans and the destruction of ancient forests? Somehow, I don't think so... (and there's the little orange 'donate button' on this page too :)
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