The Taverners will conduct their third Top Sports Camp for disadvantaged children on September 20-23, at the Sport and Recreation Camp at Lennox Head. The camp will be primarily for children, aged between 12 and 15 years-of-age, although that age group is very flexible for any deserving child and can be negotiated with the captain. Children travelling to the camp will be provided with meals, accommodation and, while the Taverners have their roots in cricket, the camp program includes surf skills, sailing, high rope and climbing wall.

The cost of the camp will be $50, but that too is negotiable with the captain and depends on disadvantage levels.

Sounds good to On the Pulse and, Ashes thrashings aside, congratulations on the initiative.

During the first six months of this year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) received 1739 reports from people who weren’t fooled by inheritance scams. The scams ask people to pay money or provide personal details to receive an inheritance.  

Inheritance scams managed to get $3.6 million out of Australians and scams overall took (wait for it) $45 million. On the Pulse was absolutely flabbergasted by this jaw dropping amount. It didn’t know Australians had that much money, but the figures came from Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin.

On the Pulse’s relatives usually appear out-of-the-blue, looking for money, so it tends to keep a wary eye on them all. In a family that tends to produce specialist horse thieves, cattle duffers, poddy dodgers and sly-grog merchants, there’s definitely no relative who’s ever likely to leave On the Pulse anything faintly resembling a fortune. 

However, a quick search of the On the Pulse email spam folder revealed a complete stranger, a ‘Dr Paul Owen’, supposedly the auditor general for the African Development Bank Republic Du Benin had offered On the Pulse US$9.6 million. Another email from Sally’s address had someone called Peter wanting to reveal how to make $2300 extra a week, and then On the Pulse was offered 750,000 Euros from someone claiming to be ‘Samsung Europe’. A detailed list of personal details (including bank account numbers) was all that was required.

That was online, but On the Pulse readers should be aware that some of these scams begin on the telephone too, and (as with the above) a good rule of thumb is that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is, so delete it or hang up. ACCC investigators offer confidential advice if you think you may have been scammed on 1300 302 502, or alternatively call their Scamwatch line on 1300 795 995.

It’s Op Shop Week, and while On the Pulse can count 90 per cent of their wardrobe as an op shop exclusive, how many of us are dedicated to those second hand treasures?

It turns out that your income bracket does not necessarily determine whether you make a choice to ‘shop op-ily’. Twenty-eight percent of op-shoppers take home less than $35,000 a year, while 30 per cent earn more than $75,000 annually. The final 31 percent make up income earners in-between. Clothing is the top seller at 63 per cent, and 30 per cent of second-hand browsers are looking for that rare find that might land them on Antiques Roadshow someday. 

In 2012, 300,000 tonnes of clothing and other items were donated to charities such as Vinnies, Legancy, Salvos and the Australian Red Cross.

Keep in mind that many items dropped off at the end of the day or first thing when you come to town in those large bins is given free to our local families in need.

St Vincent de Paul reminds future donors not to donate anything you wouldn’t be happy to give to a friend.

Avoid items such as broken appliances and crockery, single shoes, socks or gloves and stained or torn clothing. If you’re not sure, stop in to your op shop of choice to ask before you donate.