SE Asia .. Are you sick of feeling so impotent .. how about this...

[Twiglett]

OK this is a rambling idea but just a thought .. do you think we could do it?

What I've been thinking is that we're all connected by being parents .. most of us will have links with schools or nurseries

How about organising a country-wide table top sale in schools / community centres

(its so close to christmas there must be loads and loads of stuff we don't want or need)

So my DS is back at pre-school on Weds

I was thinking maybe the 2nd or 3rd Saturday ..

we'd need

advertising .. local posters / leaflets
the space
the local community to bring along stuff to sell ... and to BUY stuff

it'd be an opportunity to get local business in

we'd need to club together to get the kids involved

would it work

could we work it out here and maybe just go out and do it????

or am I clutching at straws

[morningpaper]

It's a good idea, but at this time of year, I'm not sure who would BUY second-hand toys, as most houses seem to want to GET RID of stuff but not BUY it. Does that make sense? Would you want to buy stuff at the mo?

I agree with feeling impotent though... Just watched the videos on the BBC website - one of a mother holding her dead toddler and screaming and screaming, god it's so awful.

[jnbsmum]

This is a good idea. Let me have a think about what i could do here but i'm all for this.
If anyones got any ideas on how to pull this off i will help

[jnbsmum]

I'm sure people would do things for this cause. Everyone seems so affected by this. Even a huge coffe morning could raise lots of funds

[jnbsmum]

Sorry i'm going off on one now but could we do a nationwide coffe morning like the cancer ones???

[morningpaper]

I didn't mean to put such a downer on your idea btw...

[SueW]

lots of people will buy even in Jan (although parents will curse!). We've done Blue Peter Bring and Buys in January at school and made between £300-£500 for a just 3-4 hours of work.

There's always lots oeft over though - a ocuple of carloads last time for us - so someone needs to be prepared to get rid of it either straight to charity shops or to their garage pending a charity collection.

Schools, scout, beavers, etc excellent way of harnessing people power. Head of school for our last B&B was concerned about small no of donations so asked the children who was coming to buy. All put hands up. Who had donated? A dozen or so hands. Ping! Asked them all to bring in one or two things and we were sorted!

[Twiglett]

no it wasn't a thought-out idea (I just need to do something physical rather than just donate money)

maybe a coffee morning would be easier .. a cake sale?

[jnbsmum]

If we could all get a church hall or comunity centre in our local areas then we have our venues
We need a set time say 11am saturday (exsample)
Put posters in ous schools nuserys etc
Get in touch with the local papers and news.
Bring and buy cakes Cofee tea
And get some donation buckets
This could be very big

[bluesky]

jnbsmum, that sounds the best idea!

A nationwide Mumsnet coffee morning, we either hold it during a specified week, or we all try and do it on the same day. Just like the Macmillans ones.

People can make/buy cakes etc; comfort eating always involved at a time like this.

Either do it at homes, or halls or wherever people feel that in their area it would work.

It would also be good for spreading the 'mumsnet' word for 2005. I'm sure Carrie would help with letterhead/logo etc for posters, if she is in agreement.

The idea has to be something simple, basic and something not too far reaching out of our normal day to day life, therefore I think coffee mornings/get togethers would be great.

What do other people think?

[Gobbledigook]

jnbsmum - I think you make really good points there and a massive simultaneous coffee and biscuits/cake morning might work better. I think Twiglett's idea is fab too but this time of year is just perhaps not the best time to do that for the reasons you said about buying more stuff - I know I wouldn't want to. But I'd happily organise a coffee morning/toddler group where I could raise money.

How do those work - do people pay to enter, pay for each cuppa...how do you actually raise a substantial amount??

[bluesky]

jnmbsmum, you replied whilst I was writing, but I think we are on the same lines!!

[bluesky]

Gobbledigook, you have a set price for the drinks, and then the rest is donations, and of course cake monies.

[morningpaper]

What about contacting the NCT? They might agree to back it.

Saw a video on the BBC taken at a wedding party in Indonesia I think... suddenly there's a rushing noise and they look out of the window and LITERALLY all there is is water from horizon to horizon - just debris and a handful of buildings standing. People left in the building started screaming and praying.

Another one of a father looking really blank, walking out waist-high in water carrying a dead child in his arms.

[Gobbledigook]

I'd def hold one in my house but just wondering how much money that would raise? Has anyone ever done the Macmillan ones who can give some insight?

[Twiglett]

I also like the Coffee morning / cake sale idea

How about getting a designery person to do us a template poster we could print off on computers and update with details of where and when in our area?

[jnbsmum]

People pay for each drink, slice of cake etc
Donations are also left too. It could be a day thing if it was organised well enough. I know of a few community centres here that would help with the kettles tables and room of course

[Gobbledigook]

Bloody hell, can't believe my brother is away - he's a graphic designer and does FAB invites, posters for me. Sorry, not much help I know.

There must be a designer on MN somewhere.

I'm quite excited about doing something constructive as so far just sat at the PC and donated with my credit card.

[jnbsmum]

Sorry twiglett ive taken the idea away from your original post

[KateandtheElves]

I've just had a quick look but this webpage might be of help.

Great idea, all of you.

[Twiglett]

No JNB exactly what I wanted .. something that would work

[jnbsmum]

I'm just looking in my local yellow pages now for numbers to ring. Is there anyway of getting more mnrs involved. It would be great to have one in at least every reigion up and down the country

[bluesky]

jnbsmum, the thought of hiring halls might worry some people, but if all the mners had a small gathering in their own homes, and we added all of that together, it could be fantastic.

[Twiglett]

So a Coffee Morning / cake sale

what do we need

A Venue: your local school / community centre / church hall

Community Backing: make sure you're not clashing with other activities .. time to pull together .. I could see our school going up against other primaries

Involve the Children: get newsletters out to all schools with venue, time, place

Donations: Local businesses could donate prizes for a raffle maybe?? (or is it too complicated / close to christmas)
Cakes / Biscuits ... get everyone baking and bringing them along
Coffee / Tea / Milk / Sugar / Cups ... buy those in? get supermarket to donate??

Price List:

Advertising:
Posters in shops / on trees
Leaflets in houses
People to distribute / print / copy

Central Phone Number / Committee .. for co-ordinating in each local place

what's missing?

What else can we do?

Does this need a new thread so there's no confusion?

[jnbsmum]

Your right bluesky. I was just thinking that some may have contacts and are able to do that too. I personaly dont have a large house and couldnt fit people in my home but i do know of large church halls that could fit the people i know in it. If some mumsnetters decided to have a small one in their home that would be fantastic. Sorry if it came across that i was trying to get everyone to do a big one I got a bit carried away

[jnbsmum]

I think we do need a new thread. Start from afresh and se what we can pull together