Not sure if London is such a great example, lot's of organized groups just begging for money as income in those "developed" urban city centers.
The same also exist in Germany and can lead to quite weird situations.
One time a bigger man, with a cane and a somewhat shabby suit, approached me asking for money so he could buy food for his children.
I offered him to buy food, went with him to a nearby bakery, let them pack up a whole bag of breads and other stuff, ask him how many children he has got as I wanted to buy them pastries.
He didn't reply at all, he just kept insisting he needs money, now for... milk.
I gave him a bag worth 20€ of bakery stuff and just went my way, as he kept insisting he needs money on-top of that.
On the opposite end of that: I'm on the subway platform and see a obviously homeless man going trough the trashcans for bottles with deposit on them, pulling a small cart behind him with all his belongings.
I had a bag with 2 chocolate donuts on me, after eating most of them, I gave him those two donuts and he lightened up like the sun and was super thankful, over donuts worth 2€..
The same also exist in Germany and can lead to quite weird situations.
One time a bigger man, with a cane and a somewhat shabby suit, approached me asking for money so he could buy food for his children.
I offered him to buy food, went with him to a nearby bakery, let them pack up a whole bag of breads and other stuff, ask him how many children he has got as I wanted to buy them pastries.
He didn't reply at all, he just kept insisting he needs money, now for... milk.
I gave him a bag worth 20€ of bakery stuff and just went my way, as he kept insisting he needs money on-top of that.
On the opposite end of that: I'm on the subway platform and see a obviously homeless man going trough the trashcans for bottles with deposit on them, pulling a small cart behind him with all his belongings.
I had a bag with 2 chocolate donuts on me, after eating most of them, I gave him those two donuts and he lightened up like the sun and was super thankful, over donuts worth 2€..