This or that Day or something-or-other Month

[Shaker]

I've just learnt, via a charity appeal commercial on the tellybox, that September is Child Cancer Awareness Month.

After a moment's introspection I find that I'm aware of child cancer every month of every year.

Do these things serve a real and practical purpose in increasing knowledge of (and therefore funding for) that particular cause, or are they cosmetic exercises in slacktivism?

[Rhiannon]

I think it depends on what 'awareness months' are actually for.

I might be aware of childhood cancer, but perhaps an awareness moth might alert me to how difficult it is for families - how it is for children to have a sick sibling for example, or how parents often have to give up work, and lose their financial safety net. When it comes to asylum seekers I might not be aware of how many of the are children separated from parents, or the fact that many want to work and can't. For strokes, I might not be aware of the warning signs.

'Awareness months' are pretty pointless if they are just about raising more money - as you say, so easy to text AWARE and then forget about it. But if they educate, and get people to think about what they prioritise, how they vote, perhaps even remind them to hug their loved ones a little tighter, then maybe that's no bad thing.

[Roses]

Awareness months are a good idea if the persuade people to part with their money for a good cause like childhood cancer.

[Gordon]

Someone involved with a charity did tell me once that awareness days and events were when they concentrated their advertising and donation efforts - no idea whether this is correct and, if so, whether it is an effective strategy.

The issue is, I think, that appeals of one form or another are now ubiquitous: there are some cable channels where certain fundraising adverts are so regular that they just become background noise, which presumably makes it difficult for more time-focused 'day/month' campaigns to actually get noticed.

[Aruntraveller]

Awareness months are a good idea if the persuade people to part with their money for a good cause like childhood cancer.

I agree it is important that they raise money, but as Rhi says that should not be the sole purpose, other wise you are just on a monthly merry go round. Its August so it must be MS month. Its November, Jesus H Christ I've got to grow a moustache, etc.

Part of the answer is more government spending (stop with the derisive laughter) in all these areas, but as I sit typing this I am joining in with that laughter.

[SteveH]

Awareness months are a good idea if the persuade people to part with their money for a good cause like childhood cancer.

It's a big if.

[jeremyp]

Part of the answer is more government spending (stop with the derisive laughter) in all these areas, but as I sit typing this I am joining in with that laughter.

I'm not laughing derisively. The NHS needs more money but governments (of all stripes) seem unwilling to raise taxes to pay for it. Of course, the reason why they are so unwilling is because they think people won't vote for them if they do. If they are right, then it's basically our own fault that the situation is as it is.

[Rhiannon]

I'm not laughing derisively. The NHS needs more money but governments (of all stripes) seem unwilling to raise taxes to pay for it. Of course, the reason why they are so unwilling is because they think people won't vote for them if they do. If they are right, then it's basically our own fault that the situation is as it is.

So much needs to change. Social care for a start. It's ludicrous for it to be left to local authorities to decide what part of their budget goes on social care and what on fixing potholes, and all while the government cap their tax take and cream off money for their own coffers. We need a nationalised social care in the same way that we have the NHS. The burden that would shift off the NHS would be huge.

And I could weep at the waste of the Blair years. Did I need baby massage classes and weaning demonstrations, on the NHS,  - in my own home - over several weeks? No I fucking didn't.