| NEWSLETTER:
SEPTEMBER 2004
The White Rabbit put on his spectacles. 'Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?' he asked. 'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.' We have quite a tale to tell … and the King's advice to the White Rabbit has much to recommend it. So, I will.
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When Gretchen set up the Centre nearly 15 years ago she knew that it would never be sustained by what the people of West Cumbria could pay, especially as her avowed intent - from which she has never swerved - was to treat everyone who came to her for help irrespective of whether they could pay her or not. She therefore set about making up the shortfall elsewhere - chiefly from charitable trusts and other grant-giving bodies. For over 10 years, we have spent literally hundreds (possibly thousands) of hours pursuing funding all over the country in order to keep the Centre's doors open. Unfortunately however, even the most generous charitable trusts will only support you for just so long … and most of the local funding bodies (with a handful of honourable exceptions) have never wanted to know about us. Thus, in the summer of last year, we had to face the fact that if we didn't find some funding from somewhere fast, we would have to close at the end of the financial year - March 2004. Self-evidently, we are still here. In spite of the expense of moving to the Chase and in spite of the still-parlous state of the stock market (upon which so much charitable funding depends) we have hung on by our fingernails. This has basically been achieved through working ourselves to a near standstill, but the result is that we have, with care, sufficient in the sinking fund to see us through to March 2005. We have exhaustively explored new funding avenues - bringing in a good friend who has an excellent consultancy track record, taking advice from a staunch supporter in the local charitable funding sector - to little avail. Both our advisers were astounded when they found out how many charitable trusts and grant-giving bodies we'd approached over the years. They didn't think they could do anything for us that we hadn't already done for ourselves, but they nevertheless managed to identify a few channels we hadn't tried, and we patiently went through all the familiar hoops. Virtually nothing. They were bemused by our failure to secure any funding at all except for one modest (but gratefully received) grant from local industry. On paper, we fitted all the criteria. On the telephone, people assured us that we were just exactly the sort of project the funding in question was designed for. But - when push came to shove - our face just didn't fit. Ironically, the excellent research results recently published in international journals only seems to have made matters worse. I think we can be excused for getting paranoid. Finally, completely knackered (and - probably more to the point - as mad as wet cats) Gretchen and I decided to give up grovelling for money as a hobby and do something more creative. Thus was born our website - www.cccare.org - a four month long labour (mostly of love - although sometimes you wouldn't have believed it if you'd heard the language issuing from my side of the computer monitor) which has just come to fruition. It is being launched this month with a national press campaign that is already beginning to show results. The aim of the website and the campaign is to advertise the Centre and what it has to offer to a national and international audience - to people who can afford to pay the £45.00 per hour that it actually costs us to keep the doors open. In addition, we are asking our existing clients to do two things for us: (1) If (and ONLY "if") they can do so without causing themselves hardship, pay us a little more than they have been doing for treatment. We're not asking for the full whack (although, of course, it would be very gratefully received) - any increase at all would be a huge help.
We can't do any of the organizing - because we have pared our administrative costs to the bone and we simply don't have the time or manpower - but we'll happily provide the clerical back-up (sponsor forms, advertising blurb, posters) and the publicity machinery. The money raised through fundraising events will go directly into the Sheila Robinson Memorial Fund - to pay for local people who can't pay for themselves. In this way we hope to be able both to stay open and stay as a charity … STILL holding to Gretchen's original vision - to treat everyone who comes to us for help, irrespective of financial standing, religious belief, gender, race or any other discriminatory category you care to throw into the ring. We expected at least some adverse reaction to our plans from our friends, clients and supporters - and that was a major cause of concern for us - but happily there has been virtually none to date … and what little there has been (mostly filtering back to us through the grapevine) has been as a result of either naivety about the way the world works, or simple misinformation. The vast majority of people are supporting us unreservedly and enthusiastically and we are very hopeful that this new direction will work - AND give us a degree of independence we've never enjoyed before. Already, because people have increased what they pay - our financial situation is steadying a little and our month-on-month figures are looking healthier than at this time last year. What will this mean - practically - for the Centre and its clients and
supporters? Well - you're looking at one direct result of our lengthy
deliberations about our future. We decided to cut back the Newsletter
to two a year - but make it twice as long to compensate. We did consider
charging a nominal amount for it, but after much conscience-searching
(about - ooh - 30 seconds-worth), we decided that it would probably be
a counter-productive move (not to mention looking really, really grabby
and unladylike). IF, however, you'd LIKE to contribute towards the cost
of the Newsletter, we wouldn't send your money back. (Refunds Aren't
Us.) How you can help:
There is (or should be, which is, of course, an entirely different thing) the usual all-purpose form with this Newsletter so that you can do most of the foregoing without stirring from your armchair, but you'll also find a Standing Order form, Friends application and other bits and bobs on the website. We're nothing if not adaptable. Forthcoming events: Only one, basically … THE CHRISTMAS FAIR. Faithful and attentive readers will remember that we cancelled 2003's when we somewhat unexpectedly found ourselves moving house at the end of the year. Although I can't, with my hand on my heart, claim that peace and serenity have settled over this organization like a soggy blanket, we are just a hiccup more in charge of our own affairs this year, so we thought we'd reinstate it. If you have nothing better to do on Saturday, November the 27th make your way along to The United Reformed Church, Main Street, Cockermouth and see for yourself how much Gretchen and I have aged in the last 12 months … All the usual attractions will be present and correct … raffle, tombola, cake stall, white elephant, book stall, cards, crafts … along with home-made refreshments all day and live music … (if, that is, I remember to ASK anyone to provide the live music… harrumph). Thanks yous: There are many people to thank for fundraising efforts over the months since the last Newsletter … Anthony Payne - Debonair Question Master extraordinaire - for the ridiculously entertaining Quiz Night at the Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge. (Won by the Owlies, but only because Tony Warburton has the sort of sporting knowledge that is obtained by vegging out in front of a TV more than can possibly be healthy for you). Thanks too, to John and Lesley for donating the room for the night free of charge Rod Willett and The Rotary Club of Whitehaven Castle for yomping 25 miles of Hadrian's Wall for us one weekend and raising £1,000.00 in the process.
Joseph Kendall - a gentleman of maturer years, shall we say - who decided that cycling over the Whinlatter, Newlands and Honister Passes was a wizard fundraising wheeze. He lived to tell the tale, did it in 5-and-a-half hours and is, even as I type, collecting in money from people who never thought they'd have to pay up - except possibly to his estate. FOR SALE: 2005 Calendars: Yes - we're in production again …. six more striking lakeland views, good quality paper, lots of space for notes and a snip at £6.00 including postage and packing. Annual Christmas Quiz: This year, in response to poison pen letters, half bricks through the window and other subtle hints, we are trying something new. Last year, in my single-minded determination not to let a clique of steely-eyed fanatics get the better of me, I made the quiz a leedle bit too difficult for ordinary human beings (ie: all those who don't have heads stuffed full of the most useless know-ledge on the planet). I know, however, that an unhinged minority look forward to having their brains boiled …. so, this year we're producing two quizzes. One will be an ordinary Trivia Quiz - 100 fun questions that most people can answer without losing their sanity in the process. The winner will be the first correct entry drawn on the closing date. The other I have christened "Abandon Hope" … 50 of the nastiest questions ever to have appeared in a family publication. The winner will be the person who gets the most right. Both cost £1.00. Do one, both (or neither …). The Long and Winding Road: In 2005 the Centre will publish the complete set of Centre Newsletters from 1993 to 2003, covering - neatly enough - the "Knott End" years. Together they form an vivid chronicle of an extraordinary organization which defied the odds. The Newsletters will be linked by a commentary penned by yours truly and will cost £5.00 including postage and packing. Pre-order your copy now. It only remains for us to thank you for all your help and support over past year and to be among the first to wish you a peaceful and restful festive season. See you in Spring 2005. MKB/14.9.04
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