Dear Mary | 22 August 2009

Q. I am in the middle of a second gap year some 33 years after the first (which was marred by menial work). The ‘Dear Mary’ item (8 August) about Justgiving charity requests prompted some thoughts since I have just been on the soliciting rather than receiving end of a fundraising drive. I fully share the exasperation of your correspondent who wants to know how to deal with a stream of sponsorship requests, but he should learn to distinguish between requests for funds which go directly to the nominated charity and those cheekily diverted to finance the cash-strapped adolescent gap year. My own was linked to a six-week Pyrenean walk from the Basque Atlantic to the Catalan Mediterranean coast. So far the walk has raised about £7,000 for Merlin, a medical relief charity. In any case may I reassure your correspondent that while we ‘solicitors’ are hugely grateful to those who cough up, we do not bear grudges towards those who choose not to.