Macmillan...

I would certainly support scrapping 1ps and 2ps - I must have counted nearly £700 this year with a large proportion of that in small coins - add to that the local branch of Marie Curie's Bank is now a mobile unit that won't take "business account" money...  Driving to the next branch and parking is not something I am prepared to do - so it looks as though they may have lost me as a collector.  (Unless they allow me to put it in my bank which so far they have refused to do)

I used to wor

I would certainly support scrapping 1ps and 2ps - I must have counted nearly £700 this year with a large proportion of that in small coins - add to that the local branch of Marie Curie's Bank is now a mobile unit that won't take "business account" money...  Driving to the next branch and parking is not something I am prepared to do - so it looks as though they may have lost me as a collector.  (Unless they allow me to put it in my bank which so far they have refused to do)

I used to work for a large national charity, organising street collections (when envelopes were dropped through your door and collected by volunteers).  Every month I had thousands of pounds to count, most of it in very small change.  Then my parents offered to help, and spent a couple of days each month just counting and sorting money (because all the coins had to be sorted separately for the bank).  My parents loved doing it - my Dad especially who loved sorting the coins into different types, and did it like a bank teller, over the edge of the counter and into a special box he'd made!

One night, after going around all our volunteers, I'd filled the back of the car with bags full of envelopes full of cash (wouldn't be allowed these days) and somehow, inadvertently, left the boot open whilst it was parked outside the house.  Fortunately, it was only an old Lada estate, and didn't attract any attention so everything was still there in the morning (again probably wouldn't happen these days).

And today, we're just about to set off for a walk down to our local river to see if the salmon are still trying to get up the weir.  Then we'll continue down to the garden centre, and then back home via a coffee and hald a scone each, with jam and clotted cream,at the Donkey Sanctuary charity shop which serves absolutely delicious coffee!

Sorry, posted the 'What are you doing today in the wrong thread'.  My apologies!

Back to the topic of MacMillan, my friend received enormous help from the MacMillan team in 2009 when she was suffering from a very nasty throat cancer.  She's pulled through, since then has had two replacement knees, and is now very positive about life and living.

One of our neighbours used to put a Christain Aid envelop through the letter box and come back a week later. She has not done if for some years so I wondered whether that method of collecting has stopped. Perhaps it was a lot of effort for too small a return.

My own preference for charitable donations is to do them online. Some will be our own chosen charities and some dictated by circumstances. Unfortunately we have been to two funerals recently, one a former colleague and one a neighbour. The faimily of the former colleage nominated Macmillan so we were happy to send a donation.I know some don't like online donations as there is some concern about fees but at least you can claim gift aid.

David 

Christian Aid is still active in our area - I think it depends if you have an active churchgoer living nearby, or willing to walk a bit further to deliver and then collect the envelopes.

Just home, after the overnight stay after op became a four nights nightmare. :-( 

 

Now awaiting radiotherapy course

Glad to hear you're home. Wards can be quite noisy sometimes especially when you feel you need a bit of a rest from the 'routine' there. Nothing like your own bed for comfort. Take care.

Christian Aid is still active in our area - I think it depends if you have an active churchgoer living nearby, or willing to walk a bit further to deliver and then collect the envelopes.

Same here  Valda,  but  we  have  the  Luxury  (  ??  )  of  a  local  Councillor  & ex - Town  mayor  living a  couple  of  hundred  yards  away  and  he  does  the  "Delivering,  Collecting  &  Dishing  out  Reminders  bit"  for  Christian  Aid  in  my  area.

IMHO  there  is  nobody  but  nobody  better  at  collecting  door  to  door,  or  on  street  corners  than  a  chappie  who  spent  many  years  doing  that  but  for  votes  in  stead  of  money.  He  really  does  know  how  to  tug  at  your  heart  ( and  wallet ) strings  

Update....After having two esophageal stents fitted, I'm eating better, although I've lost over two stones! Hoping to try a couple of nights away in a week or so. 

Best of luck Mick. It probably won't actually help but you were in my thoughts just last week, hoping for the good news. 

Hope that posting on here takes your mind off your illness. 

ps good to see that the post Christmas diet is working.

Glad  to  hear  you  are  eating  better  &  posting  as  well,  Redmick!

just  don't  try  to  put  the  weight  back  on  as  a  matter  of  urgency,  tho'

Enjoy  those  nights  away  as  well  as  all  the  planning  that  goes  with  it  !

P.S.  Happy  New  Year   !!