Charity Fundraisers

I had a strange dream last night that I think I can actually make come true to a certain extent.

THE DREAM:
I was cycling along a long road, alone at first, but after a while I looked around and saw a few fellow cyclists. I recognised them as fellow bloggers (don't ask me how I knew as I've only got images in my head of what most of you look like ) and I saw that each one was wearing a number.

THE IDEA:
Obviously in the dream we were all on a charity bike ride - possibly London to Brighton - which made me think about how I could maybe set up a "Fundraising" Group on BCUK so that if there are any charity events in any blogger's area they can organise fellow bloggers to either take part,sponsor or just donate.

Collection of funds
Ideally this should be down to the organiser/suggester of the event to indicate how payments should be made such as PM-ing details of how to pay to the donors/sponsors.

Personally I think it would be a good idea, especially if it raises the profile of blogging as a socially beneficial thing to be involved in. (I might even look into entering the London to Brighton bike ride!)

All serious charities will be considered.

Clicky here

This is one of my favourite charitable organisations, as they seek to conserve the habitat of one of the worlds most beautiful animals - the polar bear.

It has had some limited success in persuading the Bush Administration to grant the bears with "Threatened Species" status, but still more needs to be done.

This evening I recieved the following by email:

Dear Rob,

There was good news and bad news for the polar bear today.

First, the good: after a three-year legal battle waged by NRDC and the Center for Biological Diversity, the Bush Administration announced that it will protect polar bears as a "threatened species" under the Endangered Species Act.

This decision is a huge step forward in our long-term fight to save the bear from extinction -- and I want to thank you and every single supporter who has made it possible for us to wage and win this uphill legal battle.

This is the very first time our government has used the Endangered Species Act to protect a species mainly threatened by the ravages of global warming. That is a landmark accomplishment -- and you made it possible!

The bad news? The Bush Administration's plan for "protection" is so full of loopholes for oil companies and other polluters that it could be the equivalent of sending a leaky lifeboat to rescue drowning polar bears -- unless we move quickly to get it fixed.

Simply put, you and I have finally gotten the Bush Administration to acknowledge the gravity of the polar bear's plight -- and that's crucial -- but it's NOT enough to ensure the polar bear's survival.

So our fight must -- and will -- go on.

Make no mistake: the Administration's attempt to water down protection for the polar bear is illegal -- and it won’t hold up in court.

That's why NRDC is already preparing to fight the next round of this legal battle and secure the kind of full-fledged protection that polar bears so desperately need and deserve. I'll be in touch very soon with more details.

Time is short. The Arctic sea ice that polar bears depend on for survival is melting at a rate that has shattered the very worst predictions. Polar bears are already suffering starvation, drowning and population declines.

We don't intend to back down or declare final victory until the polar bear is no longer facing the unthinkable threat of extinction.

You can help give polar bears a fighting chance by making a donation now that will help NRDC fight the next round of this historic courtroom battle with the Bush Administration.

Thank you for making this important advance possible, and thank you for all you're doing to answer the polar bear's S.O.S.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

P.S. If you haven't done so already, please go to the NRDC Action Fund and tell your Senators to pass tough global warming legislation -- for the sake of the polar bear and our entire planet.

For more information go HERE

I just had a wee problem with the link to justgiving.com while reviewing the last post. Someone reckons it's spam. I know it isn't.
If you have problems try this link instead :
http://www.justgiving.com/in_memory_of_ellie

The first hopefully of many:

Today my local pub has been inundated with people of all ages and their bikes, most of them wearing T-shirts bearing the logo of a national charity.

Yes, today was the day of the Woking Bike-athon. If I had seen or heard anything about it in plenty of time it would have been an ideal candidate for this group.

Oh, well. There's always next year.

I will be posting details of next year's bike-athon as and when I can get hold of them. It's normally in aid of a worthy national rather than local charity. I will be taking part next year.