Sir, – When reading of whining indifference to the generous gift of €1.1 million to the Late Late Toy Show Appeal (Letters, December 2nd), I am reminded that our national sport of begrudgery is alive and well.
Just because an individual has wealth, it does not mean they have to part with it. It is detestable when we look to see the worst in acts of kindness; we should be celebrating the difference this generosity will make to so many.
It’s a good thing!
– Yours, etc,
NEVILLE SCARGILL,
Bray, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – It is difficult to understand why the donation of €1.1 million by Vlad Yatsenko, co-founder of Revolut, to the Late Late Toy Show Appeal is being so maligned by your letter writer.
Sure, it is a relatively small amount of his net wealth (he is in fact, donating 0.1%, not 0.01%; and his wealth is estimated in dollars, not euros – still a comparatively small donation, but at least an order of magnitude greater than asserted), but it is obviously the absolute size of the donation that makes a relatively bigger difference than most other individual donations. It is therefore noteworthy.
Like any donor, he didn’t have to make this donation, so like any donation, it is therefore also most welcome and to be commended. Where I agree with the letter writer is that it is indeed shocking that our national children’s hospitals must resort to charity to keep their services operational.
– Yours, etc,
CONOR MOONEY,
Paris.