Wheels for All - a plea for help
Liz
I would appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes to read our plea for
help.
The Watchtree Wheelers Club is a new group for elderly, disadvantaged &
disabled cycle users. We are establishing a new and unique cycle exercise
area and wide cycle track network for use by Special cycles (hand operated
tricycles, quads, , wheelchair Veloplus, tandem etc) The special bikes will
be kept and maintained on site at Watchtree.
Individuals & groups can not only exercise in the open air with views of the
Lake District hills and Solway Firth but also enjoy the pleasure and
amenities of Europe's largest man made nature reserve.
Watchtree Wheelers cycle facility will have:
access to traffic free roads (former airfield runways)
two mile cycle trail (subject to funding) around the whole nature reserve
access for all to bird hides, bird viewing screens, viewing areas and
woodlands
Watchtree is hoping to secure funding to enable us to improve access for
persons using specially adapted cycles. With your help we can hopefully gain
enough votes and secure the funding.
To Vote, please call 0871 6268822 and pass on to as many contacts as you
know. Vote up to ten times (10p from landlines) up until midnight tonight!
Please consider voting for us. We have already had a few "taster" sessions
in a limited area and with borrowed bicycles, and the looks of total delight
on the faces of the adults and children has been incredible. These are
people who have few opportunities to get out and about in the countryside
and anything we can do to help them is greatly appreciated by them and their
families/carers. More about the project can be found at
http://www.watchtree.co.uk by clicking the WheelsforAll logo on the Home
page
I'm sorry if this is too OT but we are desperate for all votes as we are up
against a school - lots of pupils and lots of relatives of those pupils
means potentially a lot more guaranteed votes than we may have. We are only
small but feel our project will benefit a lot of people, not only locally,
but for the whole region.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this and, if you do vote, our
grateful thanks.
Many thanks
Liz
Tom Crispin
wrote:
I nearly fell for this guff - until I saw how they wanted to raise
cash.
mart...@hotmail.com
> page
>
> I'm sorry if this is too OT but we are desperate for all votes as we are up
> against a school - lots of pupils and lots of relatives of those pupils
> means potentially a lot more guaranteed votes than we may have. We are only
> small but feel our project will benefit a lot of people, not only locally,
> but for the whole region.
>
> Many thanks for taking the time to read this and, if you do vote, our
> grateful thanks.
>
> Many thanks
>
> Liz
Rather than competing against a school, have you thought of other ways
of raising the necessary funds?
Using the bid material to go for corporate sponsorship, the odd
charitable trust (and not being a charity, would be an odd trust) and
local people.
Hope you win, don't think its likely but I hope you win.
Martin <><
Liz
"Tom Crispin" <kije....@this.bit.freeuk.com.munge> wrote in message
news:ha5mi4p56ffkk8vlc...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:14:19 -0000, "Liz" <liz@.invalid.invalid>
> wrote:
<snip>
> I nearly fell for this guff - until I saw how they wanted to raise
> cash.
"Tom Crispin" <kije....@this.bit.freeuk.com.munge> wrote in message
news:ha5mi4p56ffkk8vlc...@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:14:19 -0000, "Liz" <liz@.invalid.invalid>
> wrote:
<snip>
> I nearly fell for this guff - until I saw how they wanted to raise
> cash.
Hi Tom
I'm not sure what you mean about raising the cash?
We get nothing from the 10p per vote. That has nothing to do with us.
We're not trying to raise the cash, it's already there and allocated through
People's Millions to either our project of another project.
All we want to do is provide some facilities for disabled people to cycle
round the nature reserve - people with few opportunities and less fortunate
than ourselves.
I'm sorry if you feel this is guff.
Liz
Liz
<mart...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3169dc8d-09db-4c10...@w34g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
Hi Martin
To be honest, I can't see why we shouldn't compete against anyone else. The
money is there to be awarded and our project is of at least equal merit. It
will benefit a wider range of people, from a wide area. We don't have a
large support base as a school would with pupils' families to garner support
from parents.
Other sources of funding are also being looked at, and we have a lot of
projects we would like to fund, and have gained funding for, some of which
are for schoolchildren too :-) There's a limit to how much we can milk
corporate sources around here, especially given the current financial
climate.
Sadly we do not have a large catchment of "local people" being a rural
location, and to be honest, this project will reach a lot more than the
local people - it will be a facility for the whole of the north-west and
even the south of Scotland.
Thank you for your support however.
Liz
Tom Crispin
wrote:
>We get nothing from the 10p per vote.
Exactly! What a desperate and inefficient way to raise money.
Martin
Surely this is the same way that sustrans were using to raise money from
the Big Lottery fund about a year ago, which was much discussed on URC,
and I am sure you were in favour of it.
Martin.
goactivemobility
I really dont see why we always have to knock people on here who ask
fior
help. Or indeed do it ina sneering fashion.
Can we not lighten up and encourage people please
Nick Kew
"Liz" <liz@.invalid.invalid> wrote:
> Hi
> I would appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes to read our
> plea for help.
>
> The Watchtree Wheelers Club is a new group for elderly, disadvantaged
> & disabled cycle users.
I've known a few of those. But not one who would be interested in
your project.
> The special bikes will be kept and maintained on site at Watchtree.
What, one-size-fits-all-(dis)abilities? That's toys, not bikes.
Now if you'd asked about sponsoring bikes adapted to an individual's
special needs, that would be a different story.
> pleasure and amenities of Europe's largest man made nature reserve.
"man made nature reserve" ????
> We are only small but feel our project will benefit a lot
> of people, not only locally, but for the whole region.
Well, that settles it. They'll have to be mobile to get to your
leisure facility. Put in a plea for bikes to help them get there
from around the region instead.
Not realistic? Then you should be campaigning for everyone to have
pleasant open spaces *locally* to where they live. Not funelling them
into some scheme designed by committee and approved by politburo to
tick some "provide for the disabled" box.
--
not me guv
Tom Crispin
wrote:
I voted online, it cost me nothing extra. If I recall correctly you
could only vote once per phone number or IP address, not ten times.
Liz
"Nick Kew" <ni...@grimnir.webthing.com> wrote in message
news:sthtv5-...@grimnir.webthing.com...
> On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:14:19 -0000
> "Liz" <liz@.invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Hi
>> I would appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes to read our
>> plea for help.
>>
>> The Watchtree Wheelers Club is a new group for elderly, disadvantaged
>> & disabled cycle users.
>
> I've known a few of those. But not one who would be interested in
> your project.
Well, maybe you haven't met the right people! We did some "taster" days and
the groups who came had a fantastic time.
>> The special bikes will be kept and maintained on site at Watchtree.
>
> What, one-size-fits-all-(dis)abilities? That's toys, not bikes.
> Now if you'd asked about sponsoring bikes adapted to an individual's
> special needs, that would be a different story.
You seem to think you know what we've been doing, either that or you are
particularly cynical.
We borrowed a range of different types of cycle - some hand-powered, some
tandem where the disabled person doesn't have to "cycle", some sid-by-side,
some tandem etc etc.
I am well aware that we may not be able to cater for everyone - some are too
disabled to cycle themselves but can still enjoy being taken round the
nature reserve on a bike.
>> pleasure and amenities of Europe's largest man made nature reserve.
>
> "man made nature reserve" ????
What's your problem with that?
The site was originally a farm, then a WW2 airfield, then a foot and mouth
burial site and is now turned into a nature reserve. The local community
wanted the site turned into a nature reserve. Approx 100,000 trees planted,
miles of hedgerows, lake, hectares of species-rich hat meadows reedbeds,
wetlands, mature woodland already on-site. Large populations of breeding
Skylark, Brown Hare, two BAP priority species butterflies. Where would you
like me to stop? I hope you are more enlightened now.
>
>> We are only small but feel our project will benefit a lot
>> of people, not only locally, but for the whole region.
>
> Well, that settles it. They'll have to be mobile to get to your
> leisure facility. Put in a plea for bikes to help them get there
> from around the region instead.
Most will come in groups from various organisations.
I would like to think that it is better to provide for as many as we can,
than not to bother trying at all.
>
> Not realistic? Then you should be campaigning for everyone to have
> pleasant open spaces *locally* to where they live. Not funelling them
> into some scheme designed by committee and approved by politburo to
> tick some "provide for the disabled" box.
The site wasn't designed "by committee", neither was the scheme. The site
was designed by professional ecologists, specialists in ground-water,
landfill etc etc as part of the NOPD for the site. I you don't know what
NOPD stands for, I suggest you go look it up.
I am sorry you have such a jaded outlook on things - at least we're trying
to do something positive
Liz
PS Just to let you know that we got the money. If anyone reading this felt
inclined to vote for us, many thanks.
mart...@hotmail.com
> "Nick Kew" <n...@grimnir.webthing.com> wrote in message
Thats great news Liz.
As for man-made nature reserves, most of them these days are man made.
Its one way of turning brownfield sites back into greenbelt.
Its good to hear people will be able to enjoy the outdoors.
Martin <><
Liz
<mart...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c77e7465-49ec-4bc7...@e12g2000yqm.googlegroups.com...
Martin <><
Martin, thank you.
You're right, there is no such thing as totally wild land in the UK any
more - all of it has had the hand of man on it in some way.
Strangely, some brownfield sites are now excellent for wildlife and in the
recent past there has been a call to make people aware of this. In fact,
rather than planting them up with trees etc, they are often better left as
brownfield sites! OK, so I'm getting off-topic now!
Liz
Colin Reed
"Liz" <liz@.invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:gghijg$q3m$1...@news.motzarella.org...
I was late catching this thread, so didn't vote - but I'm glad you got the
funding. Of course many nature reserves are man made. I have one virtually
on my doorstep that was formerly a gypsum mine and then landfill site. It's
now been replanted as a wild flower/grass meadow, and in the last couple of
years there has been a programme of tree planting around the outer parts
with a mixture of native hardwoods (no regimented columns of fast growing
pines here!)
It seems that you're finding out that Usenet is the first refuge of the
crusty old cynic!
Colin
Liz
"Colin Reed" <colin...@no-spam.lineone.net> wrote in message
news:6p4ppiF...@mid.individual.net...
Hi Colin
Sadly some people are ignorant and blinkered, but it doesn't seem to stop
them spouting off about things they obviously know very little or nothing
about.
I've been around Usenet for long enough, probably 10 yrs or so, to know that
there are some sad types out there. He is a pussycat relative to some of
the characters out there, and very easily dealt with :-)
Liz