Friday, July 08, 2005

More support from around the world

Earlier this evening I received the following email:

Hello Nosemonkey,

I appreciated your coverage of the bombings, and wondered what I could do. On 9/11 I could give money to the Red Cross, but i don't think that is necessary there. Honestly speaking, right now I would like to do something for the folks in London, and not a charity in Africa, or somewhere else.

What I would most like to do is buy a pint of beer or two for someone in London, but that is easier said than done. Thinking about it, I realized that if i had come across a banner that allowed me to do something like that with paypal or credit card, I would have done so in a heartbeat.

So, I am proposing that you or someone you know in London set up a temporary charity blog that accepts international donations through paypal. Then it disburses the funds collected by randomly choosing London pubs and paying for a pint or two for everyone already inside.

I don't know what bureaucracy might be involved, or exactly how it would work, but I do know that a lot of folks around the world would probably be happy to donate in the next week or so.

I would be happy to donate the first 50 pounds (or is that quid?) (just don't tell my wife), and would be happy to e-mail journalists and bloggers here in the US about this, too.

Anyway, that is what I would like to do. If you or anyone you know can set it up, I will gladly buy some beer for you guys.

Regards,
I responded thusly:
The only thing I can suggest - and this will sound INCREDIBLY dodgy - is that I've got a paypal link on the blog (currently standing at a grand total of £0.00). I could make a guarantee that I'll pass anything donated on. I know a couple of people in the Metropolitan Police, a few doctors working in London hospitals - it'd seem logical to buy those guys and the paramedics some beers, and the people I know may be able to point me in the right direction.

It will, of course, look incredibly dodgy - and I doubt many people would be too happy passing money to some anonymous blogger on the other side of the world on trust alone. You'd only have my word, after all - and I wouldn't trust some random guy off the internet...
My correspondent has just sent fifty quid via PayPal. I'm amazed - and touched. And I guarantee that I will do everything I can to make sure this gets to the people who deserve it. Beers for the boys in blue.

If anyone else wants to donate, all money will (somehow) be shifted to people who have been directly involved in yesterday's fucked-up events. Just use the PayPal link in the left-hand column.

On behalf of London - cheers.

Saturday update: More donations are coming in - I'm overwhelmed. I am working on ways to distribute this, and to make this whole thing rather more official and trustworthy than it currently appears. In the meantime, cheers again. It's truly appreciated.

Update 2: There is now an official fund set up by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

I'd trust him (slightly) more than I'd trust me, so if you don't fancy trusting some random anonymous blogger with your cash:

donate online at www.redcross.org.uk/londonrelief
or by telephone: 08705 125125
or you can post your donation to:
LBRF c/o Mayor of London, FREEPOST LON18968, Sheffield S98 1ZA.

Update 3: Someone's started a T-shirt fundraiser if you want yet another alternative.

Update, 15th July: I'm still working on this. Have just had a phone call from the BBC - they want to film any piss-up as and when it happens, so I'll let you know. I'm hoping for next weekend, assuming I can arrange everything.




25 Comments:

Blogger Phryne said...

Done. And get yourself a pack of smokes.

7/09/2005 12:50:00 am  
Blogger Nosemonkey said...

Guy, old boy, you're a star - but I'll not be using any of this money myself. All to the people who actually did something to help, rather than cover it, vulture-like, from the relative safety of an office.

7/09/2005 12:53:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I thought this was such a great idea that I donated and sent the story to Instapundit.

I just wish there was more I could do.

7/09/2005 02:50:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

how much is a beer down at the local now?
I just sent 3 pounds, which I hope will be enough for at least one for a boy or bird in blue... bless 'em. Wish them the best from their American cousins.

7/09/2005 02:56:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just sent 3 pounds as well. All the best from Holland!

7/09/2005 07:05:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha! I trust you alot more than I'd trust Ken Livingston! Anyway, I just made a donation through your Paypal account. Share it round however you see fit, just make sure it's for something irresponsible!

I was due to fly to London on 13 September 2001. When I finally did make the trip a year later, your countrymen were marvelous in their support so I'm only returning the favor.

Cheers from Helen in Maryland

7/09/2005 07:06:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

3 pounds from Boston.....
More to come....
Good man yourself!!
Bob

7/10/2005 12:20:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let me spoil the party a little. If the Brits were serious about telling the Muslim terrorists to eff off, then send a few more regiments to Iraq, not to peaceful Basra, but to the Syrian border where the Brits will actually be in danger. For once stop relying on the U.S. to do the fighting for you. Not much luck in that as the Brits are always all talk and no action.

7/10/2005 02:28:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ken livingstone is reinventing himself as Rudy Giuliani post-9/11.

He is no such thing, and what happened the other day is largely because of policies 'Red Ken' supported.

I'll stop short of saying he has blood on his hands, but he's certainly responsible in some way for the current mess.

Personally, I'd rather people gave money to some random blogger than prop up his political career.

7/10/2005 09:17:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Anonymous at0228hrs, it's no wonder you remained anonymous! If you knew anything about the war against terrorism you would know what was really happening. You probably donate money to the provo's and in doing so actually support terrorism. How many people in the U.S.A. are aware that the IRA, the PLO, FARC, ETA, etc all share ideology, share knowledge regarding terrorism etc?

7/10/2005 09:28:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best Idea I've seen in years have a couple on the Cameron Family, Airdrie, Scotland

7/10/2005 11:09:00 am  
Blogger Nosemonkey said...

Anonymous at 02:28 - if you've got the balls to join the army and go on patrol anywhere in Iraq, fine - say what you like. But as you're hiding behind anonymity to spout insensitive, ignorant crap, instead you can merely piss off.

To everyone who's donated - thank you again. I'm still working on ways to make this more legitimate, but so far there's enough for a hefty piss-up for at least one London police station...

7/10/2005 11:49:00 am  
Blogger Blair said...

I would love to see a story about how you spend the money... small things like this can give me faith in humanity...

7/10/2005 04:23:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I will donate some money as soon as I'm on my home computer - I don't trust money transfers on the work server. As for Red Ken's "official" charity I certainy won't be donating to that because a) I don't trust the little commie one bit - after all he's the man who banned a privately funded St George's Day Parade but runs a parade at Londoner's expense every year for the "patron saint of terrorism" every March! And as for the fact that all the money is going to the Red Cross that is unfair as St John Ambulance provided 5 times more personnel & equipment to help relief efforts!

7/11/2005 03:47:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tenner sent your way.

Good luck sorting everything out.

Dan

7/11/2005 08:04:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ken Livingstone will only use the money for something responsible. I'd rather buy people a beer. Another 10 quid sent your way...

7/12/2005 01:40:00 am  
Blogger DaniGirl said...

This is a wonderful initiative - good for you! Thought you would like to know you got some ink in the Ottawa Citizen, the daily newspaper of Canada's capital. The link is subscriber only, but I will e-mail you the article if you like.

Cheers!

7/13/2005 01:11:00 pm  
Blogger DaniGirl said...

Duh, forgot to post the link - so sorry!

http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=3f6d1ad4-3b5c-4951-b57b-4feec15111e1

7/13/2005 01:12:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And here's some more support from Canada!

Bill-
Pointe des Cascades, Quebec
(a friend of Jane P's)

7/13/2005 06:33:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I read about this beer-fund through CAMRA...
Another pint is headed your way from Canada!

Cheers
Jeff Thomson
Victoria BC

7/14/2005 09:15:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Nosemonkey,

I have just donated £5 to your appeal. I am very gratified to see that you have managed to arrange to put money behind the bar for those in St John Ambulance and the Statutory Emergency Services. As a volunteer with St John Ambulance I know just how much it means for something like this to be organised as it is nice to know once and for all that your efforts are appreciated by the public.

8/31/2005 12:27:00 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just wanted to post and say thank you to all who donated. I am a member of St John Ambulance here in London. I have just got home from meeting with collegues and friends who assisted on 7/7 and have continued to assist since. This evening we were able to sit and have a drink together thanks to your very kind donations. Thank you also to nosemonkey for arranging this all

9/02/2005 12:37:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous@0228(July 10th)

Get a life.

As an ex squaddie, I know that the British Army is the most professional in the world. we are constantly having to dodge bullets, sometimes from both sides.

Why don;t you get out from behind your PC and go sign on at your local recruitment centre, get some experience and THEN come back and post crap like that.

9/02/2005 09:01:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Nosemonkey,

I would just like to say thank you very much for all your efforts and the wonderful evening of drinks that you organised for the Volunteers (and staff) of St John Ambulance. As both a Volunteer and a member of paid staff it was very gratifying to know that the general public really do appreciate the work that the Volunteers put in.
I would also like to say how nice it was to finally meet you, to thank you in person for all your efforts.

9/02/2005 09:30:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nosemonkey,

What a fantastic effort in paying thanks to the members of St John Ambulance.

I am a St John volunteer in Australia - and I am immensely proud of what the Johnnies in London did over the hours and days following the London bombings.

Wee done to you all - this is the stuff that real life is all about.

Bravo!

9/07/2005 09:39:00 am  

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