I know of some who think that when society is "sustainable", there will be no need for charities to exist as every need (and want, presumably) will be provided – though by whom is never really clear. These folk often also talk in terms of "harmony" between peoples, species, etc., and what this means is equally hazy.
I mused on all this as I stood on the Embankment on Sunday afternoon with my grandchildren, lost in admiration at the thousands of people who ran past en route to the finish of the London marathon. We were at the 40 km mark where the pain of running begins to be overcome by the growing euphoria of the expectation of getting to the end. Those passing, as we spectators watched, cheered and shouted, waved banners and blew whistles (that was my grandchildren, not me) were taking between 3.5 & 4.5 hours to complete it, and so thousands had already past, with thousands more to come. It was all quite humbling.
The money raised for charities great and small is staggering. In 2015, Cancer Research UK had around 2,500 people running for it, raising around £2.5m for the Francis Crick Institute, and in 2011 the Reverend Steve Chalke himself raised more than £2.3m for charity. We were on the Embankment because my son was running for the Prince's Trust: 3 hours 57 minutes, for the record.
I suspect charities will need to be fund-raising for some time yet.
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