Helping Hands controversy: publisher says €640,000 donated to charities

Over €640,000 have been raised and donated to charities by the magazine Helping Hands, the person responsible for it, Reuben Vella said today.

He made his comment in a statement issued by Inspire, one of the beneficiaries of the funds, ahead of distribution of a new edition of the family magazine.

The Times reported earlier this month that out of every €3.50 which readers pay for the magazine, sold to raise funds for charity, only €1.05 goes to the charities, with the rest going for printing, company expenses and sales. The magzine is issued by Helping Hands Foundation, a trading name for 03 Ltd, which is not a charity.

Mr Vella said that every issue of the magazine included two pages dedicated to informing the public of its campaigns, and the money given.

Inspire said it was urging the public to buy the magazine with peace of mind that the money would be put to very good use, helping hundreds of individuals of all abilities.

Inspire said that Helping Hands sells for €3.50 and all the profits go to the charity.

"The profit on each book amounts to €1.50 for this edition, after design and print costs are deducted and the sales team are paid. No advertising revenues are made from this booklet.

"Helping Hands has also ensured that Inspire gets a full 11 pages of information on its programmes and services in order to spread the word about Inspire's work in the community. The information explains how one can be of further help by volunteering or giving regularly. The rest of the booklet contains useful information, puzzles and educational material."

Nathan Farrugia, CEO of Inspire, said the magazine had taken on board a number of suggestions through the years, including finding ways to increasing the income for the charities, softening the sales technique and using ID tags to ensure more transparency.

"We have always been given a detailed account of how many books have been printed and sold, so we can plan our campaigns accordingly. We depend on such earned income, as voluntary giving and donations have suffered tremendously with the economic downturn. Yet the Helping Hands Family magazine continues to bring in solid fundraising income. Charities like Inspire that employ hundreds of people, need to generate ‘earned income' and cannot depend entirely on donations. In fact, the membership at our fitness centre, the use of our Animal Park for parties, and our regular events are similar examples of how we ‘sell' services in return for income that sustains our charitable activities."