A Message from Richard Parry to Boaters

[LadyG]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Well I think selling the big issue illustrates quite a good work ethic. They could just sit about doing nothing, complaining about the benefits system. 

They make more money this way, think about it.

Standing in the street whenever it suits them asking for money and producing nothing is not a good work ethic. As proved by the fact they don't move from the begging bowl to work for a living. Remember they are already on benefits, housing etc etc first thing they learn is to get all the benefits they are entitled to. Its not easy to get from that situation to proper employment.

Edited June 5, 2018 by LadyG

[LadyG]

29 minutes ago, LadyG said:

They make more money this way, think about it.

Standing in the street whenever it suits them asking for money and producing nothing is not a good work ethic. As proved by the fact they don't move from the begging bowl to work for a living. Remember they are already on benefits, housing etc etc First thing they learn is to get all the benefits they are entitled to. Its not easy to get from that situation to proper employment.

sry duplicate

Edited June 5, 2018 by LadyG

[LadyG]

31 minutes ago, Athy said:

Surely this isn't true? The magazine was set up (by a fellow called R. John Bird, I think) for that very purpose - to draw attention to homelessness and to provide homeless people with a way of earning an income.

That is what I am trying to say, the Big Issue family here,  live in a house in Toytown, they have done for over ten or more years.  The wife, son and daughter appeared in the last five years, selling the Big Issue.They are not actually homeless, they may have been, but they are not the guys who sleep in doorways.

Sometimes there are guys  who are obviously struggling, but they don't progress. I chatted to a lad of about twenty and asked him if he was going  to get a proper job, he told me he had one ....... perfectly content to take money out of the economy, the complete antithesis to what I want, and what the politicians told us to expect..

Edited June 5, 2018 by LadyG

[Rob-M]

Selling Big Issue is now open to the homeless, the vulnerably housed and the poor. Vendors purchase copies of the Big Issue at a discounted price and have an authorised point to sell the magazine at a profit giving them a small income. We now have a seller in Bristol that has a card machine so he can take card payments as there are more people now who don't carry cash so his sells were dropping off.

[Captain Pegg]

2 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Selling Big Issue is now open to the homeless, the vulnerably housed and the poor. Vendors purchase copies of the Big Issue at a discounted price and have an authorised point to sell the magazine at a profit giving them a small income. We now have a seller in Bristol that has a card machine so he can take card payments as there are more people now who don't carry cash so his sells were dropping off.

So it requires some enterprise and risk on behalf of the vendor. The lady who sells the Big Issue outside Waitrose in Droitwich entirely fits the description of long skirt and head scarf. She has been doing it for years for hours on end almost every day. Rained on, frozen and scorched. And that's just last month. I can't believe anyone who isn't genuinely living in poverty would put themselves in that position.

 

They sell magazines inside the shop too. Of course that's done by people with 'proper' jobs. 

 

JP

[Tanglewood]

3 hours ago, LadyG said:

perfectly content to take money out of the economy, t

What money is he taking out of the economy? He buys a product and sells it from an agreed site, at an agreed retail price which he may not reduce.  He makes £1.25 on each magazine he sells - this money he then uses to buy goods with.  The Big Issue Company is a limited company registered at Companies House.  A quick check shows that the company returned a profit of a little over £250,000 in2016/2017.  The Directors received no dividends.  The Big issue buys articles from journalists, it pays printers and distributors.  Being a vendor is as proper a job as a self employed market trader who goes to a fruit and veg wholesaler, buys carrots and sells them from the same stall outside Poundland every week of the year. 

 

 

[Jenno]

On 01/06/2018 at 19:24, Alan de Enfield said:

1/6/18

 

Boating and our new brand – a message from chief exec Richard Parry

Ten days ago we launched the Trust’s new branding, as we highlight the Trust’s role in providing greater wellbeing for the millions of people whose lives could be improved by coming to the waterways, right on their doorstep.  The reasons for the changes are explained elsewhere in this Update, but I know from conversations I’ve had, and commentary that I’ve seen, that some boaters felt our message last week ignored the core purpose of the canal and river navigations – that is, for boats to use. 

The assurance I want to give you is that boats and boaters will always be at the heart of what the Trust is for, and central to what we do – the majority of our annual expenditure (well over £100m per annum) goes into keeping the waterways operational and safe for boats to use and boaters to enjoy.  I am committed to active ongoing communication with you at all levels to hear your feedback about where we need to target our efforts, to deal with any issues you encounter and deliver the boating experience you expect.  

So my plea would be not to take offence – as I know most of you don’t – when our message isn’t specifically about boating; it really is in everyone’s interest that we seek to address and engage a wider and different audience – including critically those who are younger, more diverse, and digitally-active   But I don’t discount the importance of ensuring that we continue to garner your support as well. To be fit for the future, the Trust needs to change, but boats and boaters need to be with us on that journey, and we will keep working to achieve that.

Richard Parry

Chief Executive, Canal & River Trust

Heard my first rado ad for the CRT today.

Lots of waffle about "wellbeing" and the sound of running water (if the water's running then hasn't the canal got a leak?).

 

Didn't make me think about "wellbeing".

Made me want a tinkle.

[matty40s]

Richard and CRT hoping to cement our trust with this statement and new logo....

 

[Captain Pegg]

CRT Towers in Milton Keynes has been rebranded. There's a screen in the window with some words about mental health. They have gone for the well being angle in a big way. I wonder what the folks at MIND make of it and whether they were consulted. They have grant funding too so there could be a conflict here.

 

JP

[Tuscan]

31 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Richard and CRT hoping to cement our trust with this statement and new logo....

 

Brilliant 

[MtB]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

Richard and CRT hoping to cement our trust with this statement and new logo....

 

 

 

Lol "Blue Circle".

 

Obviously the £60k 'blue sky' thinkers didn't think of that! 

[Allan(nb Albert)]

10 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

CRT Towers in Milton Keynes has been rebranded. There's a screen in the window with some words about mental health. They have gone for the well being angle in a big way. I wonder what the folks at MIND make of it and whether they were consulted. They have grant funding too so there could be a conflict here.

 

JP

Years ago, as a volunteer helmsman on a community boat, I used to regularly do a day trip for one of the midlands based adult MIND groups. This was very much a sideline as the boat was primarily for the use of disadvantaged children rather than adults.

 

... of course this was 'on the water' rather than 'by the water'.

[Chewbacka]

9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

Lol "Blue Circle".

 

Obviously the £60k 'blue sky' thinkers didn't think of that! 

How long before someone complains about crt wasting money having personalised logos on their cement bags................

[matty40s]

Quote...." Post no. 342.....Member name....Jenlyn.......     Cant believe what that Parry idiot has done now, got the new logo printed on Cement bags so visitors to lock works absorb the brand better....."

 

?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fake news....

Edited June 6, 2018 by matty40s

[Horace42]

 

On 05/06/2018 at 15:57, LadyG said:

Remember they are already on benefits, housing etc etc first thing they learn is to get all the benefits they are entitled to. Its not easy to get from that situation to proper employment.

Yes, especially when in a benefits hole the authorities give then a shovel instead of a ladder.

[Dave Payne]

On 02/06/2018 at 10:04, Alan de Enfield said:

How is this new 'brand' to be communicated to the target market ?

 

If the x million people who live near a canal are not already 'using' the canal then how will they see all of the new signage ?

 

How is the message going to reach them ?

 

Mailing addresses can be purchased by region - maybe C&RT are going to buy 100,000 addresses as a test-area and mail 'all of these wonderful benefits' - in marketing terms a response of 1% would be a good result. How will it be monitored ?

 

Are C&RT going to set up a 'road-show' and take it to every town / village centre / shopping mall near a canal and actively present C&RT, the canals and the well-being benefits ?

 

Are C&RT going to undertake 'sponsorship' of some outdoorsy type TV programmes ? (How will the reponses be monitored)

 

Are C&RT going to do some paid TV / Billboard advertising (How will the reponses be monitored)

 

It is all simple Marketing stuff which I am sure that the C&RT Marketing team have thoroughly thought thru' - the problem is we do not know what their plans are so can only comment on the knowledge we have. I sure (for example) they all remember that John Wanamaker (1838-1922), department-store magnate, once said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half.”

 

C'mon C&RT, you say you 'listen and want to talk'. There is a huge resource out there called boaters why not ask them to help and support you instead of ignoring them. There are even a few who have many years industrial and commercial Marketing experience and have gone thru 'brand changes' , and 'brand launches'. Why turn your back on that knowledge ?

 

Radio adverts are being played and have been all week...

[Tanglewood]

2 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

Radio adverts are being played and have been all week...

I bet the expensive new logo looks great on the radio

[erivers]

1 hour ago, Tanglewood said:

I bet the expensive new logo looks great on the radio

Only on the right radio!

 

[Victor Vectis]

On 05/06/2018 at 15:57, LadyG said:

< snip >Remember they are already on benefits, housing etc etc first thing they learn is to get all the benefits they are entitled to. < snip >

Try claiming benefits yourself sometime.

 

Or watch 'I, Daniel Blake '

[Tanglewood]

Sometimes it all makes sense:

Richard Parry believes there is only one boater ........ 

 

[LadyG]

33 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Try claiming benefits yourself sometime.

 

Or watch 'I, Daniel Blake '

They won't give me any!

 

20 minutes ago, Tanglewood said:

Sometimes it all makes sense:

Richard Parry believes there is only one boater ........ 

 

Well only one at Nantwich, wonder if every facility is dedicated  

I'm almost sympathetic, what more can go wrong with this re brand

Edited June 6, 2018 by LadyG

[MtB]

27 minutes ago, Tanglewood said:

Sometimes it all makes sense:

Richard Parry believes there is only one boater ........ 

 

 

I blame the teachers...

[LadyG]

5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I blame The Teachers... 

corrected that for you, you can see the confusion

https://scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/2532/teacher-s/

Edited June 6, 2018 by LadyG

[john6767]

29 minutes ago, Tanglewood said:

Sometimes it all makes sense:

Richard Parry believes there is only one boater ........ 

 

Yea that one has been done to death on Facebook.  I assume they are taking “boater” to be the collective, ie one boater, two boater, etc.  Does not seem right to me, but I am not an English teacher.  There are now hundreds of signs like that everywhere, so I don’t think we want them to correct it.

[LadyG]

54 minutes ago, john6767 said:

Yea that one has been done to death on Facebook.  I assume they are taking “boater” to be the collective, ie one boater, two boaters, etc.  

Thing is, before any sign is printed out the customer is asked to sign it off: there is always someone who can proof read in every organisation, but for some reason, printers' don't seem to think it matter's. It's bizzarr.

Boater's  is short for "of the boater" as in "that is Dick's boat."

 

Edited June 6, 2018 by LadyG