Another frail war widow hounded
A WAR widow with dementia has been hounded by charities begging the 87-year-old to donate her pension money.
Her family say they face a daily battle to stop charities trying to ‘manipulate’ her into giving cash.
Churchgoer Beryl, who lives alone, is flooded with appeal letters and calls. She is even sent gifts, such as a rosary instructing her to pray and donate.
At its worst, there have been more than 50 letters from charities covering the floor beneath Beryl’s letter box.
Last night daughter Fran said: ‘I am incensed about this. It drives me nuts and they are getting away with it. She only has her war widow’s pension and her state pension.
‘She receives a massive amount of post from charities asking for donations. I put them in a drawer, then it overflowed in the drawer, so I put it in a big carrier bag.
‘Dozens and dozens and dozens – all the names you would expect.
‘Marie Curie, British Red Cross, Age UK, it’s all of them. They’re picking on a generation of elderly, lonely people with memory loss.’
Beryl, of Solihull, West Midlands, has an ex-directory phone number and is on the Telephone Preference Service, to bar unwanted calls. But the charities still continue to get in touch.
‘I realised what was happening when I intercepted a call,’ Fran, 61, said. The caller told her that Beryl may have given her phone number when entering a charity raffle.
One letter from Mother Teresa Children’s Foundation came with a rosary asking that it is used ‘to pray for hungry children’. It added: ‘Please also send your best gift to help feed, clothe and shelter them.’
Fran said: ‘My mum is protected. I worry about other elderly people who don’t have anyone.’
British Red Cross denied selling on details but said that ‘on occasion’ charities share contacts for ‘mutual benefit’. Age UK said it buys charitygivers’ details from data firms but added: ‘We ensure that all legal and data guidelines are adhered to.’
Marie Curie and Mother Teresa Children’s Foundation did not comment.