'Go fund me' page for the three who lost their homes at Whitchurch

[dogless]

https://gofund.me/1cda8d607

 

In case anyone wishes to donate, thanks.

 

Rog

 

ETA   nothing to do with me, just spreading the word

Edited December 23, 2025 by dogless

[robtheplod]

Whilst i agree with the sentiment, i have given in the past to causes using gofund.me where the money vanishes.... never again.

[dogless]

I wanted to publicise the link for those wishing to donate ... I don't need personal responses on why anyone did or didn't.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

Edited December 23, 2025 by dogless

[robtheplod]

1 minute ago, dogless said:

I wanted to publicise the link for those wishing to donate ... I don't need personal responses on why anyone did or didn't.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

its not personal, sorry i just thought its good to be aware before handing over money that its not guaranteed - so if this turns out to be as i have seen before (hopefully its not), would you simply say 'not my problem' having brought it to peoples attention? ... is there another way to donate do you know as that might be better...?

[dogless]

I sought out a link to do the only thing I could think of to help.

 

As I said , I don't require personal messages explaining why anyone did or didn't donate ... I'm not involved.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

[GUMPY]

Who is the organiser, are they trustworthy?

Anyone can set up something like this, tug on the heart strings,  then scraper with the money.

For that reason I wouldn't recommend a GFM unless I knew the organiser personally.

This one has no profile set up so is completely anonymous 😱

 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2025 by GUMPY

[dogless]

It was created by Paul Smith-Storey who is a high profile boat vlogger (Narrow boat life unlocked).

 

Donations are covered by the year long security  guarantee if you care to read the page details.

 

Donate ... don't donate ... I don't care.

 

Just bringing the page to folks attention.

 

Merry Christmas.

 

Rog

[GUMPY]

Never heard of him 🫣

But then to preserve my sanity I don't ever watch vlogs.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2025 by GUMPY

[dogless]

Don't worry ... he's never heard of you either.

 

He's moored about 100 yards from the breach near the staircase locks and felt moved to try and do something to help the three liveaboards who've lost their home and contents 3 days before Christmas.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

[jonathanA]

Just seen Paul on BBC news at lunch time and the BBC reporter mentioned a go fund me page.   Paul came over as a very decent sort of bloke, explained in what seemed to me an honest and simple way that he had lost everything as his boat was his home and also it turned out his workplace.  

 

He also said he had no phone so might explain the vagueness of the go fund me page - just saying. 

 

 

 

 

[dogless]

Yes his boat and his neighbours boats are on the bottom at a horrible tilt with contents strewn and damaged and making them almost impossible to live aboard for the moment.

 

However he saw the three who have lost their homes as being in a much worse state so did what he could and set up the page.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

 

 

[Jon57]

While I agree with the posting of crowd funding to help the affected people. I'm not sure how it will be distributed and who controls it. (out of my pay grade I'm afraid) but I know some are more in help than others. How do they differentiate who gets the most help. Can someone please enlighten me. Thanks 

[agg221]

1 hour ago, dogless said:

However he saw the three who have lost their homes as being in a much worse state so did what he could and set up the page.

 

Not wishing to distract too much from the point of this thread, but all the photos show two boats down the hole rather than three? There is another one on the edge, and a further boat which is between the hole and the bridge that I would guess is within the cordoned off area too, but that would be four boats or two, so I wondered whether anyone knows where the figure of three boats lost comes from?

 

On a related point, the boat which was filmed going over the edge did so in very shallow water, so it looks likely that it did not internally flood. Did the other one? The ones still at the top clearly didn't. I am wondering whether the situation is more likely to be that the owners are displaced until the boats can be recovered but the boats and their contents are largely undamaged, or whether the boats are severely damaged in some way which is not immediately obvious from the photographs? This has quite a significant bearing on what the gofundme page might need to achieve.

 

Alec

[alias]

17 minutes ago, agg221 said:

Not wishing to distract too much from the point of this thread, but all the photos show two boats down the hole rather than three? There is another one on the edge, and a further boat which is between the hole and the bridge that I would guess is within the cordoned off area too, but that would be four boats or two, so I wondered whether anyone knows where the figure of three boats lost comes from?

 

 

The gofundme says: "help the three boats caught up in the breach", presumably including the one on the brink. From memory of the videos I think the cordon started allowing access to the rear but not front entrance of another boat.

 

Edited December 23, 2025 by alias

[b00ke23]

I guess none of them have comprehensive insurance. 

[TunnelTiger]

3 hours ago, dogless said:

I sought out a link to do the only thing I could think of to help.

 

As I said , I don't require personal messages explaining why anyone did or didn't donate ... I'm not involved.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

 

It was a perfectly valid and timely warning about possible fraud, which does happen on GFM. Perhaps you weren't aware of that problem?

[Jon57]

14 minutes ago, b00ke23 said:

I guess none of them have comprehensive insurance. 

Wrong 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I didn’t really think too much into it,

and gave a donation

 

 

[Graham Davis]

25 minutes ago, b00ke23 said:

I guess none of them have comprehensive insurance. 

That is the one thing that bothers me about these sorts of appeals. Has the appellant found out whether the owners have claimed anything, if they are covered or even if they want to be involved?

[dogless]

Just to clarify , I put the link up for those who may be interested.

 

For those that aren't why not open a new thread to discuss the iniquitous nature of the world.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

[Russ T]

Surely whatever interests people have in this thread,the comments made are keeping the thread, and hence the link at the top of the page. A good thing, I would think,whether people want to donate or not.

 

Happy New year

 

Russ

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

10 minutes ago, dogless said:

Just to clarify , I put the link up for those who may be interested.

 

For those that aren't why not open a new thread to discuss the iniquitous nature of the world.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Rog

 

or more particularly the iniquitous nature of some miserables on the forum 😃

 

 

Beery Christmas,

Ho ho ho

[dogless]

2 minutes ago, Russ T said:

Surely whatever interests people have in this thread,the comments made are keeping the thread, and hence the link at the top of the page. A good thing, I would think,whether people want to donate or not.

 

Happy New year

 

Russ

But trying to persuade me and others that it's a bad idea and why they'll not donate  ... I don't think that helps do you ?

 

Rog

 

PS   posted to bump this so maybe a few others may 😊

[Russ T]

6 minutes ago, dogless said:

But trying to persuade me and others that it's a bad idea and why they'll not donate  ... I don't think that helps do you ?

 

Rog

 

PS   posted to bump this so maybe a few others may 😊

Yes, I do. I think by keeping your link near the  top, those people that believe it to be genuine and want to help the boaters in need can do so, whilst those that believe it might be a scam are forewarned.

 

Bumpety bump.

 

Happy Easter

 

Russ

 

 

BTW, I thought when I looked this morning the target was 1K. Now at nearly 18K. The power of social media in action

Edited December 23, 2025 by Russ T

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Everyone needs Christmas Beer Cheer,

 

Burperty Burp Burp,

 

Happy New Year

🍺