Santa's little helpers

Willing to help out with anything mate.
Unfortunately I can't really donate because of being unemployed and barely making it through myself.

Sorry to hear you've had a rough year.

If you need a help in hand with deliveries, voluntary etc, count me in.
I'll brainstorm some ideas too.

I live in North London, Islington/Highbury.

Please send me a PM if you want me to do anything.
Or contact me on 07903-TWO-ONE-TWO-731
The name is Martin. Available pretty much anytime.

Count me in with the donations.
Unfortunately I haven't had any work for a while (health thingy) and right now I'm most of the time at home with the baby, so can't donate my time really.
But I own you one, so I will try to help as much as I can.

Im now receiving disability benefits, so id gladly donate some

i'm in with donating and helping out.

I'll donate both time and money.

i'm help for sure.
was on one of the checkpoints for the christmas alleycat organised by greasy last year. basically spent 3 hours playing poker (for chips, i hasten to add) in the lounge of a hostel in camden. it was super fun, and the socks and gloves people had to buy and drop off went down really well.

something i've been thinking about for a while: there are a fair few homeless hostels or drop-in centres i london that hold bike maintenance sessions, courses etc. there's a social enterprise in islington that provides work/rehab by giving people the training to do up old bikes and sell them on (was in the lcc e-newsletter wotsit this month) but lots of others have sessions once a week or something (crisis, thamesreach, etc). just judging by the amount of bits and bobs of bikes i have lying around my room, i reckon there must be a fair old pool of decent quality bits: brakes, cables, pedals, saddles whatever that could be collected at drinks and donated to these places. last year i called a couple just to ask the question and they were very enthusiastic.

anyway, just a thought. could probably be done in a grand slam or two with the help of a few cargo bikes... i'd better shut up and go before i get kicked out of my speedily-closing-up office.

i will almost certainly help out with stuff and donate some cash Scott, let me know if you need hands with anything or money to help and pm me whenever and the same thing goes for you Fluff ^^^^^^^^^ :)

Some good ideas coming from people for this.
Like i say...there doesn't have to be a set number of things for this...it's more just about doing whatever we can to help whoever needs it.

Yes, good ideas

Please go for the unpopular but needy causes . GOSH and other Children's Hospitals tend to get swamped with offers at xmas.
Also, and I don't want to come over as an investment philantrophist here , but its worth checking out if the charity or cause we are making a donation to can cope with the gift.

Any Rollapaluza ideas?

I'll be spending time in some of the crisis centres at christmas and I have colleagues who run the bike workshops, PM me if you need info...

Satan's little helpers?

seconded on the Crisis front. homeless charities are the least 'sexy' (if that's the right word!) charities and are very much in need over the winter months. my gf used to work for Crisis and has loads of friends and good contacts there.

I'll gladly donate, I would give time if I had any, good luck Scott, great idea.

Yes, good ideas

Please go for the unpopular but needy causes . GOSH and other Children's Hospitals tend to get swamped with offers at xmas.
Also, and I don't want to come over as an investment philantrophist here , but its worth checking out if the charity or cause we are making a donation to can cope with the gift.

That's why my first idea was the space blankets to drop off at shelters.
We realised through doing the bunny run that the bigger childrens hospitals really don't need the help from smaller schemes like these as they get so many donations from bigger companies.

Just to let you all know, thanks to Velocio you now have somewhere to send your donations...The donations will be open for one month!
I've added the link in the first post, but i'll put it here too... 'Santa's little helpers'

All donations greatly appreciated.
Cheers!

Donated.

Also have a Pengi T in a Large and am donating this to the Santos L Halper fundraising sale. If anyone else has things of value that they would like to put up for sale then I'll get a thread going in the Classifieds section.

I'll be donating (once I find that bloody cash card reader!) plus I will have time to help out delivering after christmas (I'm away for Xmas) as around New Years doesn't get any easier for people in need either. I also live North London Newington Green way and have one of the biggest bags I've ever seen so will be able to deliver goods to shelters, refugee centres and hospices etc. I will be volunteering at a Shelter during the festive time so I could take extras along when I'm doing the shifts??
Good shout everyone

ill donate what i can and im available to ride, deliver, whatever can help

Santa Ride

Hi Everybody, I've been emailed by Scott who has given his blessing to attach my suggested ride to his appeal.

It's going to be on the morning of 19th December starting at the Christmas market at Somerset House. The theme as you can gather will be be a peloton of Santas, Frosty the Snowmans and Elves. Instead of the prizes, the idea would be to distribute whatever donations we have gathered.

The proposed route is Trafalgar Square, St. James, Regent Street, Oxford Street (stop at Selfridges), Picadilly, Knightsbridge (stop at Harvey Nicks or Harrods) but then maybe go south of the river to Waterloo.

Any suggestions?

Glad that idea worked out :D

Santa Ride

Hi Everybody, I've been emailed by Scott who has given his blessing to attach my suggested ride to his appeal.

It's going to be on the morning of 19th December starting at the Christmas market at Somerset House. The theme as you can gather will be be a peloton of Santas, Frosty the Snowmans and Elves. Instead of the prizes, the idea would be to distribute whatever donations we have gathered.

The proposed route is Trafalgar Square, St. James, Regent Street, Oxford Street (stop at Selfridges), Picadilly, Knightsbridge (stop at Harvey Nicks or Harrods) but then maybe go south of the river to Waterloo.

Any suggestions?

I'm assuming you're meaning collect donations in money form from the public along the route you have planned and the shops you mention?
If so, you need to be really careful you don't get arrested.
Unless you're collecting for a proper, recognised charity and have proof of that you could quite easily be seen as just a bunch of cycling scammers out to make money from people at Christmas time.

Also, where are you planning to donate the cash to? It's going to need to be counted first, and as most of it will be coins, you're talking a lot of counting.

Collecting money from people in the cycling community is very different from the general public.
Also, don't forget how busy that route will be on the saturday before christmas, and how stressed the drivers and public will be...getting a convoy of santas through there and having 20+ santas with bikes outside selfridges or harrods is gonna cause a lot of friction between you guys and the stressed shoppers...especially if people have to keep stopping, with their bags to root around for change.

Of course, if i've missunderstood the plan i apologise.
Keep me informed.
Scott.

Right, lets deal with the questions. I wasn't planning on collecting from the public en-route, I have taken note of the support this thread and will float a few ideas as to practical donation ideas, i.e socks.

Regarding the stressed nature of drivers, well I would like to think that if anything a massed ride of santas will be accepted in a spirit of seasonal goodwill. I maybe naive, but thats me.

Of course, so far the route is not set in stone and it does require the ascent of the various venues I've mooted for stopping off.

Any ideas?
Lawrence

Santa Ride

Hi Everybody, I've been emailed by Scott who has given his blessing to attach my suggested ride to his appeal.

It's going to be on the morning of 19th December starting at the Christmas market at Somerset House. The theme as you can gather will be be a peloton of Santas, Frosty the Snowmans and Elves. Instead of the prizes, the idea would be to distribute whatever donations we have gathered.

The proposed route is Trafalgar Square, St. James, Regent Street, Oxford Street (stop at Selfridges), Picadilly, Knightsbridge (stop at Harvey Nicks or Harrods) but then maybe go south of the river to Waterloo.

Any suggestions?

I'll be speaking to the rep for the Crisis centre I'll be in over the Hols, tomoz, shall I float this and ask how it may integrate?
Digger

I've just re-read this, of course Crisis centres are only open 23rd-30th Dec, I don't know if that affects anyones thinking?
Crisis is quite important to me, being abstinent and housed I feel for those who are not.