IMAGES confront us daily as charities vie for our diminishing returns (at least for some of us!).
Images sweep across our TV screens, computers and newspapers with pictures carefully contrived to pluck at our emotions and put us off guard, whether it is refugees, starved beasts with ribs protruding, to suffering African babies, an emotional tug at the heart strings.
Thousands of new charities register each year in order to join the new Gravy Train. 
Many charity bosses are no longer the low paid idealists of yesteryear but people who end up with salary amounts many donators would find obscene.
One charity boss pockets £751,000 a year (Mr Sugarman). Another (the Wellcome Trust boss), pockets an annual £405,000 a year.
As Head of the International Rescue Committee, David Milliband pockets £407,000 per year. 
Do the majority of charity donators want their money ending up lining these fat cats’ wallets? 
Is it morally right for these people to earn such massive amounts when they are trying to raise money for the poor and destitute in many cases?
What happened to idealism?
Too many charities now regard themselves as a business but claim privileged charity status. 
Their early passion to help others morphs into pure greed. No hardship for them! No cut backs, recession.
Some have sunk so low they deliberately target dementia sufferers.
In 2014 private donors gave a staggering £10.6 billion to charities. Little wonder new charities with would-be fat cats rub hands together in anticipation.
One exception it appears is the hitherto uncorrupted Salvation Army which is still motivated by a sense of Christian duty.
Let’s hope it stays that way: a moral beacon that other charities shun in their scramble for Eldorado.
JEFF ADAMS
Bloomsbury
Swindon