I am an affiliate marketing manager who spends most of his working day in and out of websites and just general web surfing. I must admit that it is not a common thing to see a truly charitable something on the Internet these days, its usually just sell, sell, sell, and me, me, me, and to be honest, my job kind of encourages that sort of commercialism.

One thing that I did see recently that made me smile was this site The London Charity Shop Guide. It¡¯s a very basic little site and it could do with a lot more content, but sometimes it¡¯s not where you are that matters, it¡¯s where you are coming from.

Firstly the site is a tidy little site provided and hosted free to charities, and good causes by Buy.at, (the affiliate network) in order to give these charities, and good causes an opportunity to raise funds, and secondly someone has taken time out to write some content and get this little site live in order to raise a few pennies for some of London¡¯s little Charity shops. Good stuff all round I¡¯d say.

If I may change the subject from the world of clicks to the world of bricks, I really can¡¯t think of a better idea than that of Charity shops. Where else could old clothes and unwanted possessions become recycled and treasured by someone again? Where else can you find something priceless that cannot be found in any floor of Harrods, or any of the posh stores for that matter?

To purchase something exclusive usually means spending big money, but in a charity shop it just takes a few pound and a little luck. Shopping in a totally exclusive store while at the same time knowing any profit from your purchase finds its way directly to a good cause allow us to be selfish and benevolent at the same time, and that can¡¯t be a bad thing, I think that those Charity shop managers are modern day alchemists.

Aldo Ciarrocchi.\remail. aldoc@summitmedia.co.uk