Topic: Update regarding the A4A Christmas Donation

[daveyboi]

It is felt after discussion with Betula and Flighty we should ask your opinion if we should still give to Gardening for Disabled Trust.
We felt that we could not just go ahead without explaining what has happened...

I sent them an email as I did not get an answer on the phone ........

Hi.
For the past three years members of Allotments 4 All forum (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk) have donated to a Charity at Christmas.
 
In 2009 we raised £200 for Thrive
In 2010 we raised £630 for Gardening Leave
Last year we raised £669 for Greenfingers
 
This year the members have voted to donate to your Gardening for Disabled Trust.
 
We normally donate through a Just Giving page but it seems your charity does not use this method of raising funds. Do you use any of the other similar websites?
 
Thanks
 
Dave ----------

I got a 5 word reply....

No we do not. Regards Angela

It is this brief reply which concerns us as in the past we have had most supportive replies.

I should point out is this charity has no paid full time members looking at old accounts it is run completely by volunteers. The time I got a reply which was about 7pm made me think it was a quick response before dealing with family or going out/away for the weekend.

We can still go ahead by setting up a fund raising page on Charity Giving http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/
which works like just giving but you can donate to any charity even if they are not registered with them.

However we feel it best to put it to everyone whether we should go ahead or not.

Please keep posts reasonable.

[Georgie]

Thanks for consulting us on this, Davey, not a very auspicious start is it?

Are we certain that the email went to 'the right person' at the charity? 

G x

[daveyboi]

Thanks for consulting us on this, Davey, not a very auspicious start is it?

Are we certain that the email went to 'the right person' at the charity? 

G x

It went via the email address given on the website. According to 2008 accounts of the charity the Secretary is named Angela

[rosebud]

 I think after that curt reply we should go for THRIVE.
I shall not donate to disabled charity even though i am disabled myself.
Rosebud.

[russw]

first time ive been moved to post here , expect when i first joined, and i have no connection to the charity ......

"No we do not. Regards Angela" 

this  charity has been going since 1968.  The donation is not to angela.  she may have been in a hurry, busy , sad , angry, stressed.
my bet is shes good person, she undoubtedly didn't mean to offend,  certainly the charity is good.   

here is the charities message from google links...
 an entirely voluntary organisation and relies on the energy and determination of the Committee and Trustees. Run from the Weald of Kent, the Trust gives grants to people all over the United Kingdom in order that they may continue to garden, despite disability or advancing illness. A person of any age can apply. It is their love of gardening that counts!

charities comission
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=charity%20number%20255066&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&ved=0CFAQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycommission.gov.uk%2FSHOWCHARITY%2FRegisterOfCharities%2FSearchResultHandler.aspx%3FRegisteredCharityNumber%3D255066%26SubsidiaryNumber%3D0&ei=jHWEUOjFHIeG0AWs-ICoBQ&usg=AFQjCNEWp3ntCp5Hzoo6fVPXINXBebi8vA

[daveyboi]

first time ive been moved to post here , expect when i first joined, and i have no connection to the charity ......

"No we do not. Regards Angela" 

this  charity has been going since 1968.  The donation is not to Angela.  she may have been in a hurry, busy , sad , angry, stressed.
my bet is shes good person, she undoubtedly didn't mean to offend,  certainly the charity is good.   

I tend to agree as a response at 7pm on a Friday did as I have said led me to think of somebody in a hurry and responding to the actual question asked.
I did reply to that brief email and it is possible we could get another reply yet.

However we did feel we should consult on it as we have to be confident that we can spend the next two months encouraging people to donate.

[Flighty]

I had agreed to contact them once it was known which charity we were donating to.

I looked at the website and as no phone number was given I emailed them. I explained that we'd chosen them to donate to, could they confirm if sending a cheque was the only way of donating and would it be possible to speak to them on the phone. The reply was almost immediate and surprisingly abrupt.  It basically said who are you, yes and no.

I have to say that I was taken aback by this reply and I PM'd Daveyboi who then took up the matter as he has explained.

Despite what Russw says first impressions are important and it seems that she didn't  bother to look at the information and links provided to see who we are and what we want to do.

In previous years I've phoned the charities we've chosen and always had helpful, appreciative conversations.

Sadly however good this charity is I feel that I don't want to donate to it.
 

[pumkinlover]

It's not easy but if if I have read the above correctly you have both had e-mail contact with this charity. each occasion being "abrupt"?
I've voted, I'm worried that this will affect people decide wether to donate or not which is a shame so I think we need to get this behind us so we can get on with what it is all about. I do not know if Goodlife has any experience with this charity as she suggested it. I can see that it appeared worthy at the time, and probably still is.

[Melbourne12]

My view FWIW is that the rude replies from Gardening for Disabled Trust will put sufficient people off that the donations will be significantly reduced, which would be a pity.

I'm torn between going for Thrive or re-running the poll with a different charity replacing Gardening for Disabled Trust.  For the sake of simplicity, I've voted for the runner-up option.

[betula]

Dave let me know these facts last night.He asked me what I thought and I said the members should decide on what we do.

Over the last three years our members have been fantastic and deserve a little more than this.

I am a volunteer but I have to deal with that job the same way as I do my paid job.I would be little use to them if I treated it any other way.

[Unwashed]

Thanks for the update daveyboi.

Thrive.  Now move along, nothing to see here...

[Flighty]

Pumpkinlover yes her reply to me was brief and quick, and which certainly seemed abrupt.  I'd explained who I was and why I was emailing and she simply asked 'who are you, do I know you'.
I really don't see how she could have properly looked at, and considered, the information and link I sent before replying. 
I really wanted to talk with someone there as to how best to donate but it seemed that she didn't want to do that. 
Their website doesn't show any names, phone number or direct email address which I find rather strange, and only a PO Box address for mail.

I have a high regard for all three charities that we've previously donated to and my phone/email contact with them has always been, and continues to be, amiable.     

[BarriedaleNick]

I have worked for a couple of Charities in the past and this is not how they should operate.  At all.  We used to get a lot of calls and admittedly some were odd or even rude on occaision but if someone offered to raise money for us then we would always get that info to one of our fundrasiers who would call them back.  It was to our benefit to get that person as involved as possible - to make a relationship if we could.  We might send them some pics of children who had benefited or info sheets etc.  At least take their details for our database!  It's basic stuff if you're a charity!

TBH - I'd rather not give them my money. 

[Melbourne12]

...
this  charity has been going since 1968.  The donation is not to angela.  she may have been in a hurry, busy, sad, angry, stressed.
my bet is shes good person, she undoubtedly didn't mean to offend,  certainly the charity is good.   

....

Russw, I'm sure that you're right, but as BarriedaleNick says, a fundraiser should have been in touch by now.

Mrs Melbourne12 just told me a story about a charitable donation organised by the school that she was working at, a few Christmases ago.  They'd decided to respond to an appeal by a local animal shelter for petfood.  The children and their parents were enthusiastic about it, and many brought in whole cases of tins, and sacks of dry food.

Come the end of term there was literally a van load of boxes and bags, so she and another teacher drove over to deliver it.  A young lady was sitting behind the desk.

Young lady: "What do you want?"
Teacher: "We're from XYZ School ..."
YL (interrupting) "So you want to see the animals?"
Teacer: "No, we've had our Christmas collection of petfood for your animal shelter, and we've come to deliver it."
YL (in exasperated tone): Well, you'd better put it over there in the corner until I can get round to it!"

At which point she turned her attention back to her computer screen and didn't look at them again.  She didn't look up as box after box was stacked in the corner, until a significant reduction had been made in her office space.

When they'd finished, they said that that was it, and stood there rather awkwardly for  few moments.  But the young lady resolutely refused to answer or even look up.

So they drove back school, a bit perplexed.

But the next day the school office got a rather flustered call from the manager at the shelter, who had been out the previous day, thanking them and saying, "You probably didn't get a very warm welcome ..."  And she followed it up with a nice thank you letter to put on the noticeboard.

[goodlife]

Gosh..I only just catched up with the developments on this.

I do not know if Goodlife has any experience with this charity as she suggested it. I can see that it appeared worthy at the time, and probably still is.

I don't have any experience of the charity..I simply did bit of googling for different charies to do with gardening and what I suggested stood out of the crowds. I would have thought for Alan Tichmarch being president for the charity as well, they would be  'proper' as such.
Something is definately not going right in their end..and even it propably is sad case for somebody not quite right sort of person being in answering end..it is definately their loss for other people not noticing it sooner. The charity no doubt is doing good job, but as it looks now, I would not like to part with my money for them.
I'm fine with any other worthy option..

[mentallot]

in a nutshell

"Can we give you some money ?"
"No"

sorry but go figure...

[grawrc]

I'm for Thrive too. At least we know they're happy to get and use the money. They help disabled gardeners too and they're very well organised. If Gardening for Disabled trust can't answer an email what guarantee do we have that they use donations wisely and appropriately?

[Flighty]

Bump!   

[pumkinlover]

Bump- and my suggestion is that the poll closes fairly soon, so that we can move on.

[Flighty]

I agree with Pumpkinlover so how about giving it just a couple more days and if the vote is still clearly for Thrive I'll contact Alyson there to let her know what we're doing.
 
I'll then set up the JustGiving page and start a new thread here with all the details.
Hopefully that can all be done by the end of the week.