Well I've had a little think about this folks and this time I would like to nominate something a little different.
I know it now seems a long time ago but it was only a few months ago that we had the terrible winter storms and I think most people around the world saw the terrible battering that the Cornish village of Porthleven took on the BBC news.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26065858
The fishermen there had a terrible time. The sea smashed the boards that protected the inner harbour and several boats were sunk. They had to hire cranes to get the rest of the boats out before they were washed away too. It's the first time the harbour has been empty since about 1910 ! Some things were insured but a lot wasn't and thousands of pounds worth of equipment like nets and pots were lost and the fishermen couldn't work for weeks.
I used to work at Porthleven Craft centre when I was a teenager back in the 1970's and know a lot of people from Porthleven from my school days so I would like to nominate the 'Porthleven Fisherman's Association Emergency Fund' to help them get back on their feet or should I say boats ! Porthleven has already lost it's boat building yard due to economic pressures so I would hate to see their fishing fleet go too.
http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/...cal-fishermen/
Ten boats sank in Porthleven harbour, and many lost floats, nets and crab pots when huge waves crashed through into the inner harbour earlier this month."Fishermen by their nature are quite proud people, they wouldn't have asked for help, and they're quite staggered by the support that they've received from the local community, and I must say further afield. We've received donations from all over the country, people who've seen our plight, come down here on holiday and sent donations for which we are eternally grateful."
– Alan Richards, Porthleven Fishermen's Association:This winter the weather has ben unprecedented and our gear in all depths right down to 30 fathoms, which is safe as houses, has been damaged and a lot of it has been lost due to the weather. At this moment in time we're about £8,000 down on our equipment, which is a massive hill to climb to get over that."
– Jeremy Hosking, crab fisherman for 30 years in PorthlevenThe money raised will go towards uninsured fishing boats and equipment, and pay for the costs of craning the remaining boats out of the harbour which were damaged at the height of the storms.
This is their facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Porth...90573224475303 As you will see there has already been a lot of fundraising going on but even after everything has been replaced they will still need funds as a buffer in case anything dreadful like this happens again.
I don't think they set up a Just Giving page as it was a one off collection ,or at least I haven't been able to find one, so I will collect money in and write a cheque when the time comes.