SIR - I am concerned about the apparent sheep mentality that has gripped the nation with regards to the Ice Bucket Challenge.

As a non-member of Facebook or indeed Twitter (I know this rare, but there are some of us who are able to live our lives without social media) I have not been nominated for this dubious challenge.

However I have become aware of it (I don't go around with my eyes and ears totally closed!) and am concerned that the mass hysteria is not so much about the charity donation but more about the fact that people do not want to be left out. In fact, some of the people who have spoken to me are not even sure what charity they are donating to!

While I applaud the charities in question as they are clearly raising a great deal of money for their worthy causes, if not necessarily awareness, I do question the mentality of a nation who appear to be mostly sheep-like in their tendencies to follow the rest of the herd.

I was actually asked if I would consider taking part and my answer was that I had no intention of paying to get soaked in cold water just because everyone else thought it was a good idea.

I donate to those charities which I believe in, as unfortunately I do not have unlimited funds!

It is indeed a sad sign of the times that so many people are given to doing exactly as they are directed by the social media sites, and I have to ask what happened to everybody being individual and having their own thought patterns.

I am glad that I am still a black sheep with no intention of following the herd!

JULIE A REYNOLDS Worcester