LCSH Charities ‐ Great Britain ‐ directories
This, the 10th edition of Charity Choice, is the first to be published by Waterlow Information Services. (It was formerly published by Abercorn Mill Associates.) Unusually, the publishers enclose an order form for both this edition, published in March 1998, and the next edition, due in December 1998! This, and the fact that almost half the book consists of advertisements, suggests that Charity Choice is more about charities seeking charity themselves ‐ donors and givers ‐ than charities offering their services. Indeed, the adverts actively seek your generosity, although charities themselves can purchase the book at half price. The publishers, Waterlow Information Services, have also taken over the Charities Digest (ex‐Family Welfare Association), so some rationalisation was doubtless in mind. Although the adverts relate to the broad subject sections, they do not, necessarily, correspond to the directory entry for the same organisation. There is a separate advertisers’ index, but a browsing mode is more in order here; more mail order catalogue than Yellow Pages.
We are told that there are some 184,000 registered charities. The cover blurb tells us that the book has “More than 7,000 entries”. How these were selected is not revealed, though “[we] aim to make Charity Choice the most comprehensive book of its kind.” One assumes that the information is that given by the charities themselves though, again, we are not told.
Now for the focus mode: “Begin at the contents page, overleaf, where there is a list of the 22 categories into which this book is divided. Once a category has been chosen, its index page will indicate the range of the organisations listed.” That is to say that on referring to the page on which the subject chosen starts, you will find a list of all the organisations featured. For “index” read “contents list”. The 22 categories are the usual mix of social, welfare, medical and education subjects. Within each category the organisations are arranged alphabetically by name. (So why have a contents list as well? Answer: maybe because the entries are swamped by the adverts!) Some of the entries give just the most basic directory type of info, others give scope notes.
“To find a particular charity which may perhaps fall into more than one category, go to the master index at the back of the book where the answer should be found.” The Master Index is easy enough to use provided you take care of the usual computer‐generated traps such as “UK Federation ...” filing before “UK Association …”; names starting with numbers coming before “A”; that sort of thing. There are no references to the advertisements in the Master Index, which is a missed opportunity, and the index only covers the names of the organisations; there is no subject index. Back to the browsing mode! “If the charity you want to support does not appear there, please call our London office …”continues the unusually helpful and concise introductory instruction. The contents page also lists 24 “articles”, so‐called. In fact these are no more than page‐length prose adverts, apart from a few pieces on charity topics.
Coverage is wide, no doubt about that. Page 686 is in the Social Welfare category, and its entries include minnows such as Tower Hamlets Mission, Trafford Rent Guarantee Scheme, and Tring Community Association; and bigger fish such as Townswomen’s Guilds (200 local groups), Toynbee Hall, and Victim Support.
Most of our users seek charity, for which the Charities Digest and the Directory of Grant Making Trusts will remain essential stock, but for those wishing to give to charity, this book will serve well.
