Another begging email from CaRT

[carlt]

Phil Spencer has just emailed me asking if I would like to buy some CRT Viagra...all profits going towards keeping bridges erect.

[Janet S]

Just had an email from Vince Moran asking for a £25.00 donation to their National Canal Flood Appeal.

 

I don't mind them asking for donations...after all, a charity has to raise funds somehow, but £25? Seems a bit much to me. Much better to ask for a smaller donation and hope people will contribute more...

 

Janet

[Jerra]

I don't mind them asking for donations...after all, a charity has to raise funds somehow, but £25? Seems a bit much to me. Much better to ask for a smaller donation and hope people will contribute more...

For me they could probably get a reasonable extra yearly income by having membership like NT rather than the daft idea (IMO) oof friends.

[mango]

I have just found it "National Canal Flood appeal" which is accessed via a link, except that it opened up automaticly without the Boaters update when i first received the email.

 

I am still not sure that it is apopropriate for CaRT to coninuously ask me as a boater to make donations toward maintenace, repairs etc, this is the third one I have received this week.

 

And yes I know they are a Charity, i also belong to the National Trust, and am on thier emailing list, but they do not continuously ask me for more money than i am alrady paying them,.

If you don't fancy making donations to CRT, it is not difficult to work out ways of supporting our waterways.

 

Unless more money is forthcoming, boaters are the ones who will suffer most.

[DustyDave]

The part I found amusing was asking for money to fix things they can't see at the moment because they are under water. I've got no problems with them asking for money but when they don't even know it is broken shows a level of incompetence. Oh, that reminds me of their incompetence last year with taking my mooring payment and their incompetence with reporting my boat had been broken into. Respect where it us due but some of them are plain old halfwits. Isn't now a good time to sell mooring space at Upton to a trip boat company?

 

Dave

[Jerra]

Asking for money for things they can't see yet isn't IMO wrong. It doesn't take a genius to weigh up that damage will be done and that they are very unlikely (judging by the way everyone finds reasons why CRT shouldn't raise money in any particular way) to raise anywhere near the total sum.

 

Start early and hope to raise as much as they can.

[ditchcrawler]

Just had an email from Vince Moran asking for a £25.00 donation to their National Canal Flood Appeal.

 

I don't mind them asking for donations...after all, a charity has to raise funds somehow, but £25? Seems a bit much to me. Much better to ask for a smaller donation and hope people will contribute more...

 

Janet

Mine was from Vince as well.

 

Brian --

I'm writing with some difficult news: Our ongoing battle with this extreme weather has had a devastating impact on our canals and rivers. In response, we're launching our first-ever national emergency appeal.

Our staff are working around the clock, clearing debris, keeping water moving away from the worst affected areas, and giving advice to boaters and householders -- but the situation is deteriorating day by day.

Can you help us act now to save our damaged waterways? Please give £25 to our National Canal Flood Appeal:

http://action.canalrivertrust.org.uk/emergency-appeal

As a nation, we've lost 500 miles of canals over the past century.

There has never been a more important time to take action to protect our inland waterways. Please donate £25 to our emergency appeal now:

http://action.canalrivertrust.org.uk/emergency-appeal

I will keep you fully up-to-date with this ever-changing situation. In the meantime, thank you and please take care in this dangerous weather.

Vince

Vincent Moran

Operations Director

Canal & River Trust

[carlt]

 

.....In response, we're launching our first-ever national emergency appeal....

 

Err...Wasn't the "T&M Breach Appeal" their first ever national emergency appeal or has that been erased from history because it was so unsuccessful? (Less than 1% of the repair cost if I recall Allan Richards' report correctly).

Edited February 15, 2014 by carlt

[Mick and Maggie]

As a nation, we've lost 500 miles of canals over the past century.

Vince

It seems to me that Vince and his predecessors have been a bit careless with the canals.

[Emerald Fox]

Hasn't CRT just had a load of free water from the skies? What a bunch of ingrates!

"...after all, a charity has to raise funds somehow, but £25? Seems a bit much to me." - he's been walking the towpaths and has seen your luxury boats

[cotswoldsman]

 

Err...Wasn't the "T&M Breach Appeal" their first ever national emergency appeal or has that been erased from history because it was so unsuccessful? (Less than 1% of the repair cost if I recall Allan Richards' report correctly).

 

Err I don't think so. CRT responded to a number of people who wanted to know how they could donate towards the cost of repairing the T&M. CRT then set up a number of methods so people could donate

[David Schweizer]

I appear to be in a minority of almost one on this issue. Can I assume from the responses that those people, who clearly disagree with me, are already dipping into their pockets to donate additional cash for CaRT?

[Allan(nb Albert)]

 

Err...Wasn't the "T&M Breach Appeal" their first ever national emergency appeal or has that been erased from history because it was so unsuccessful? (Less than 1% of the repair cost if I recall Allan Richards' report correctly).

 

The T&M appeal was billed as an 'emergency appeal' and was promoted nationally.

 

The eventual cost of repair was £2.3m (initial estimate £1.5m) and the amount raised by the appeal just over £23,000.

 

So about 1%.

[cotswoldsman]

I appear to be in a minority of almost one on this issue. Can I assume from the responses that those people, who clearly disagree with me, are already dipping into their pockets to donate additional cash for CaRT?

I certainly do both in terms of cash and time

For me they could probably get a reasonable extra yearly income by having membership like NT rather than the daft idea (IMO) oof friends.

How would membership work? What would a member get that they don't now as a Friend?

[Tuscan]

I donated to T&M and will to this as I can see that there is likely to be a fair bit of damage areas like dredging will suffer as funds are diverted. I have no problem in being involved in targetted campaigns when I can afford it.

 

However I am concerned about the money are loosing in chugging and worse employing people with titles like "individual giving manager" . Then there is the money being lost in funding partnerships that were originally set up as a source of funding to the canals. When I queried the cost of this likely to be several hundred thousand I was told that in the overall scheme of funding it was insignificant. So insignificant that a national campaign has been launched which will probably raise less. This is why I can u detest and why many people will think twice.

[Guest]

I appear to be in a minority of almost one on this issue. Can I assume from the responses that those people, who clearly disagree with me, are already dipping into their pockets to donate additional cash for CaRT?

Yes.

 

ed. to add -

 

I do not believe you are on your own on this issue BTW, thinking back to the time of the T&M breach appeal there were quite a few who posted on here at the time that they were unhappy to donate because -

 

'they were licence payers and that was quite enough thank you very much.'

Edited February 15, 2014 by The Dog House

[jelunga]

 

What repeatedly? The only donation I can recall them asking for was contributions to enable them to purchase Tintsfield near Bristol, Not to repair damaged footpaths or to clear fallen trees.

They must have changed their policy. We got a little letter from the NT yesterday begging fir more. If they keep it up then I will be un renewing membership, which I feel is quite high.

 

CRT have as much need ti ask for money as any other charity. I would rather they did raise more money from those that can or want to give than increase my license fee.

 

What repeatedly? The only donation I can recall them asking for was contributions to enable them to purchase Tintsfield near Bristol, Not to repair damaged footpaths or to clear fallen trees.

They must have changed their policy. We got a little letter from the NT yesterday begging fir more. If they keep it up then I will be un renewing membership, which I feel is quite high.

 

CRT have as much need ti ask for money as any other charity. I would rather they did raise more money from those that can or want to give than increase my license fee.

[Leo No2]

It does strike me that CRT have managed to get their targeting of e-Mails very wrong.

 

The Daniel Charles e-Mails should, IMHO, not be directed at those of us that already do pay a fairly considerable sum to CRT annually - they should be directed at prospective friends.

 

To have a 'begging' request from CRT Press Office (the one I posted), one from the Boating Communications Manager (albeit it did give a link to the website) and one also from Vince Moran does strike me that the e-Mail distribution lists that CRT have (may be inherited from BW) are not quite fit for purpose. Targeted communications are, from experience, very useful but a blanket approach which means some people receive all, some receive none, some receive two (of varying flavours) is not an efficient way of raising funds and awareness and do, has been shown on this thread, turn some people off - all our reactions will be different I suspect.

[Jo_]

I appear to be in a minority of almost one on this issue. Can I assume from the responses that those people, who clearly disagree with me, are already dipping into their pockets to donate additional cash for CaRT?

 

I gave yesterday when the email arrived. I'm glad to do a bit to help given all the current damage being done - especially since I am well out of the way of all of it. And like farmers giving to farmers, I'm also happy (as a boater) to give to the canals.

[jelunga]

I appear to be in a minority of almost one on this issue. Can I assume from the responses that those people, who clearly disagree with me, are already dipping into their pockets to donate additional cash for CaRT?

I do not have the cash to donate. But I give my time as a volunteer. Apparently, over the last 18 months or so, my time has been worth over £1600 ti CRT. SWMBO does the same so I do not feel the need to give cash.

[cotswoldsman]

 

The Daniel Charles e-Mails should, IMHO, not be directed at those of us that already do pay a fairly considerable sum to CRT annually - they should be directed at prospective friends.

 

 

I presume you mean the licence. Surely that is what it says on the tin? A licence to use the waterways and from memory (cant be bothered to check the figures) that raises less than £25 million against a budget of about £75 million for maintenance.

[jelunga]

I do not have the cash to donate. But I give my time as a volunteer. Apparently, over the last 18 months or so, my time has been worth over £1600 ti CRT. SWMBO does the same so I do not feel the need to give cash.

But due to start soon as a paid seasonal lock keeper, so they need all the money they can get !

[cotswoldsman]

I do not have the cash to donate. But I give my time as a volunteer. Apparently, over the last 18 months or so, my time has been worth over £1600 ti CRT. SWMBO does the same so I do not feel the need to give cash.

I don't think anyone would expect you to give cash. Well done on all that volunteering has certainly put me to shame on the amount I have done

[Jerra]

How would membership work? What would a member get that they don't now as a Friend?

To be honest John I haven't really thought it through, perhaps nothing more than changing the name from friend to member,

 

I realise the next point is a bit daft to those who don't live in the Lake District, but for years we have had friends of the Lake District. This has put me totally off the concept of friends. They seem to want to have a say far greater than their importance and totally ignore the views/ knowledge of the residents. To try to illustrate what I fear for the canals with "friends" lots of people who have never been on a boat in their life wanting to tell CRT how to run the system.

 

For me with membership the organisation exists (like the NT) and you join a known set of aims and objectives. I personally am not of the opinion that there have to be benefits from being a member other than the pleasure of helping a cause you support. I am a member of the RSPB and yes I know there are some benefits such as free access to reserves, however the majority of members get no benefit other than feeling they are contributing to a cause.

 

I would happily be a member of CRT but will never be a friend.

[cotswoldsman]

To be honest John I haven't really thought it through, perhaps nothing more than changing the name from friend to member,

 

I realise the next point is a bit daft to those who don't live in the Lake District, but for years we have had friends of the Lake District. This has put me totally off the concept of friends. They seem to want to have a say far greater than their importance and totally ignore the views/ knowledge of the residents. To try to illustrate what I fear for the canals with "friends" lots of people who have never been on a boat in their life wanting to tell CRT how to run the system.

 

For me with membership the organisation exists (like the NT) and you join a known set of aims and objectives. I personally am not of the opinion that there have to be benefits from being a member other than the pleasure of helping a cause you support. I am a member of the RSPB and yes I know there are some benefits such as free access to reserves, however the majority of members get no benefit other than feeling they are contributing to a cause.

 

I would happily be a member of CRT but will never be a friend.

I see your point. I think the problem with "membership" is that it implies some sort of ownership I personally think "supporter" would be better than "Friends"