Santa's little helpers

Edit...Anyone wishing to make donations please clink on 'Santa's little helpers' ...every little helps!

As this year begins to draw to a close i've been looking back on how things have gone, and i can honestly say it's been one of the hardest years of my life so far.
I've never been in so much debt, or struggled to make ends meet as much as i have this past year.
I've never seen so little of my children, again due to my financial situation, which has also been really hard for them.

Despite struggling so much i've always tried to keep positive and remind myself that things could be a lot worse, and i'm truly grateful for all that i have.

It's been a mixed year on the forum too.
There have been far too many tragedies this year. People losing those closest to them, both on the roads and off them...people losing their jobs...their homes.
There have also been some incredible moments too.
The forum has come through when it was most needed on the memorial rides and the Bunny run. It's shown how it's possible to make great friends from complete strangers on forum rides, social drinks, bike polo tournaments.
Most of all it's shown that there is strength in numbers...that if enough people care about something and are willing to help then we can truly make a difference in peoples lives, both on and off the forum.

This brings me right back to 'Things could be a lot worse'.

There are a huge number of people for whom things ARE a lot worse.
For those who will be spending their Christmas on the streets, or the children who will be spending it in hospital or without their families, for the elderly living alone...it's not going to be such a happy occasion.

This is where i'm hoping that the forum can once again show it's strength in numbers.

What i'm proposing is 'Santa's little helpers'.

This will involve a variety of schemes, rides, alleycats, or anything else you can think of that may help in achieving the end goal of making this winter a safer, and hopefully happier time for those people who may not be as fortunate as you.

One of the first things i'd like to get going is donations.

I'm hoping that part of this money can be used for the purchase of space blankets.
These can then be dropped off at homeless shelters to be given to those who aren't fortunate enough to be able to get a bed in the shelters. For those people this could literally save their lives.
With a huge number of forum members spread over such a wide area, it should be possible to deliver blankets to a good number of shelters.

There are so many different ways in which we can help, and for this to work it will require people to organize their own things and then with the help of the forum carry them out.
Whether it be delivering Christmas cards for the elderly...organizing an alleycat...i suggested one last year where instead of checkpoints you have shopping lists and you have to buy food items from the list then drop them off at shelters, homes for the elderly, etc...it could involve toys for childrens homes...basically whatever you can think of.
Obviously permission will be needed for anything you plan, just as it was for the Bunny run.

All ideas are welcome and all help greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Scott not scot.

Great to see you back Scott, and count me in for at the least a donation.

No real time for anything other than work at the moment but say the word and a £20 note will wing it's way over to whichever needy cause you want to put it towards.

It's people like you that really make a difference to the world. I feel ashamed I do so little.

Very very true.

If im not short of money i will donate (and hopefuly participate if its close enough) to any good causes that are happening.

I'm up for lending a hand with whatever goes down.

me too, donations and whatever help I can provide - laminator, web hosting, baking etc.

Willing to lend a hand/give money.

i'll be round over the holidays and if you need a hand i'll be able to help out fo sho!

I'm in, I'll help

In, for sure.
But you're wanting ideas right?

Very cool idea. In with a helping hand/donation.

Ideas, volunteers, reindeers...whatever people can manage.

Bikes can be dressed up as reindeers, can they?

Very undernourished ones maybe?

Haha!
I'll try and brainstorm some ideas though

good enough to get me out from lurking, happy to help/donate.

Scott, i'm in with money, bike carriage and if you need it- a car.
just let me know.

Sorry to hear it's been so bad for you this year Scott. I hope it gets better for you - Judging by the interest in the Grobags thread it looks like you may be on your way.

Scott willing to help - there's a children's hospice in Hampton we could help out.

i suggested one last year where instead of checkpoints you have shopping lists and you have to buy food items from the list then drop them off at shelters, homes for the elderly, etc...it could involve toys for childrens homes...

We did one of these last christmas for I Bike MCR, the twelve days fo Christmas, had to stop at at 'checkpoints' and buy a gift that would go towards asylum seeker children for Christmas, didnt end up costing entrants more than a normal alleycat (£5-10) and meant someone had a happier Christmas
hopefully somethign similar will happen again this year

A lot of the age related charities will have visiting programmes in place over the Christmas season. They could be approached to see if they need some help, particularly if they know if any of their clients were keen cyclists in their youth. Being able to talk to someone who understands their interests would be even better than just having someone to talk to. As for delivering Christmas Cards for the elderly, it's a great idea and with a fair proportion of us being non-Londoners we could even manage to offer that service further afield. Certainly it might ease the worries of those concerned about the affect of postal strikes. (should we get a "Delivered by fakenger stamp" made up) If any customers want to give a tip, hand it over to the next projec that needs a bit of cash.

For homeless shelters you could offer a bike doctor service for the staff. Heck, you could probably even manage to come up with the funds and parts for a staff bike if they were interested.

I pledge some of my ill earned filthy Swindon Dorrah for this good cause.

Great idea, Your idea for the last christmas party alley cat was amazingly well received by all the charities.
I'd happily organise another - we picked 3 charities to drop gifts off at. massive amounts of fun. I also think a bunny type ride but instead we get the forum cookers to rustle up cookies/cakes etc. we got talent on here for that

yup...plenty of bakers on here so that could be a good one.

Maybe see if something can be done with the OP of this ride?

bump

i'm in for donating and riding