2010-04-10 Sat - The London Tweed Run 2

There may be a bigger debate to have, but i agree with CB in some respects.

We've become a nation where people want sponsoring for keeping fit and healthy (running marathon, big bike rides), for walking around a park in a coloured t-shirt to match the particular charity brand, for going on grand treking holidays, and even for practicing various niche fetishes (bath of beans anyone?).

In some ways I agree with this sentiment, and that of Cornelius Blackfoot, but I do think a charitable aspect to the event gives it a little more justification in the eyes of the general public. It is the general public, after all, that are slightly inconvenienced on the day, and when people shout questions as to why we are disrupting London traffic, I would rather shout back, 'It's for charity!' than, 'because we're bonkers and wacky!'
There was some initial sneering from some corners of the press over the Tweed Run last year, that is until they discovered the charitable side of the organization, and suddenly it became a noble and just cause.

Another aspect to remember is that Transport for London and the Met Police wll be more likely to cast a favourable eye on the Tweed Run if it is for charity. Who knows, they might even allow a greater attendance!

The charitable side of the Tweed Run was very subtle last year, and I hope it will be so this year, so that people can actually just enjoy the day without thinking about charity, yet the end result will be a fat donation to a worthwhile cause.

And I shall repeat; I still think part of the donation should go to setting up a Tweed Fund, a budget that will allow the organisers to create this incredible event without being out of pocket themselves.