A LAD who set up a GoFundMe page asking people to pay for his holiday to Tenerife has been slammed as a “scrounger” – but he insists it isn’t begging.
Aiden Dugdale, from Burnley, appeared on This Morning today to defend the £300 he was given in handouts by internet users.
He launched the fundraising campaign after writing on Facebook that he was “sick of people on benefits being able to go abroad and I can’t”.
The ITV show was hosting a debate on whether or not crowdfunding is a modern form of begging after a dad from Hull was given £2,000 in donations so he could purchase his kids presents.
Defending his GoFundMe venture, Aiden said: “I put a status on Facebook to say ‘why can people on benefits afford to go on holiday and I can’t afford a night out in my local town?’.
“People commented getting their back up about it, and someone commented again why don’t you get a crowdfunding going so that’s what I did and I raised about £300.
“I went to Tenerife. It was great.”
While he says it is just a bit of fun, some friends did not see it that way.
One said: “You scrounger, save up like other people and if a holiday is that important to you fund it yourself.”
A supporter who donated £5 wrote: “Proper made me smile this, good on ya. I hope you raise your target.”
However he managed to reach the sum of £300 and today he told how he enjoyed his trip.
After appearing on the show, social media users hit out at crowdfunding and have insisted it is begging.
One wrote: “For treatments/illnesses/to help desperate times yes. For luxury items/surgery/holidays absolutely not! If you haven’t got it, earn it!”
Another posted: “I’ve crowdfunded to raise money for a 34 year old women with breast cancer and five kids and that money was to be used to give those kids memories with their mother.
“But for Christmas presents? No way!”
Others said it was “embarrassing”.
Speaking to The Sun Online at the time he launched the GoFundMe, Mr Dugdale said: “It started off as a joke.
“I thought I’d set up the fundraising page, and ended up with a grand total of £10, but if a free holiday comes up.. I’m ready.
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“My mates all laugh about it, it’s the first thing that gets said to me when I see them.
“I’ve never actually been abroad, so if I raise enough money I’d go Spain.”
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