Help for Heroes - charity fundraising event.

[Eric_Methven]

As an ex-squadie who could easily have been in the unfortunate position many of the people this worthwhile charity is currently helping, I have decided to adopt Help for Heroes as my personal charity of choice from now on. I've been lucky in life insamuch as although I have very little disposable income, I'm as happy as a pig in poo. I do have a vivid imagination though and come up with some wierd schemes from time to time, so I'm going to start thinking about what I can do to raise some much needed funds for Help for Heroes. I want to do a charity fund raiser based around bushcraft and woodcraft skills.

What I want to know is this.
Is anyone interested in joining in?
Can anyone come up with ideas (let's make this an online brainstorming session)?

We can sort venues out later, but ideas of how we can attract people to join in/visit/cough up cash, etc will help us plan a decent event for sometime in the summer.

I was thinking of something along the lines of how the bushmoot is run - camping bushcraft style and workshops going all the time. The difference being it's available to the public. Campers can pay, or get sponsorship, day visitors can pay to watch, each workshop costs X amount and so on. As it will be a charity event, we might get telly coverage or local press at the least, and we can invite people from the charity along too.

So, initial idea at the moment but what do you guys think? We can all flog off a bit of spare kit, or raffle something we've made, but as a group we can do so much more.

I'll throw it open to the floor. Over to you.

Eric

 

[British Red]

Eric,

I can't thank you enough for what you've already done! Howver that aside, as you know, I really don't do big meets / group events (shy old country boy when not hidden behind a PC). That said if there is any way I can help, I will. I can't imagine what I know that others would enjoy learning, but if there was something, I would be happy to run a workshop, cook, make coffee or whatever.

I guess I'm saying "great idea". If people think I could contribute, tell me what interests them and,if I can do it, I will

Red

 

[Mirius]

I love the idea Eric, but I'm even more shy than Red, though shy isn't the right word to describe me.

I have no skills to offer, but if I'm able to help, then I will. Mind you, that doesn't help answer your question so I'll retire back to my corner, lol.

 

[AndyW]

It's a great idea Eric.

If I can help in any way I shall.

I'll start by racking my brains for further ideas.

Andy

 

[Eric_Methven]

Shy isn't a problem. There'll be plenty of backstage stuff that'll need sorting out, either on the weekend, or before to be sure. The logistics of something like this will be huge, and no man can do it on his own. The more that can lend a hand, regardless of how much or how little will be invaluable. Lets get some ideas down on paper first though.

Eric

 

[Aragorn]

sounds like a winner eric, i will be glad to help out, (shifts etc allowing)

what about something like an archery competition, a fixed amout of money to enter, maybe three arrows per entre, nearest the bull at the end of the day wins a prize ?

 

[Eric_Methven]

sounds like a winner eric, i will be glad to help out, (shifts etc allowing)

what about something like an archery competition, a fixed amout of money to enter, maybe three arrows per entre, nearest the bull at the end of the day wins a prize ?

Yup, that's the sort of thing. I can make up some Robin Hood outfits and we can make it a proper laugh as well.

Eric

 

[Aragorn]

Yup, that's the sort of thing. I can make up some Robin Hood outfits and we can make it a proper laugh as well.

Eric

not sure about robin hood, i look more like frier tuck these days

 

[British Red]

How about a "master chef" competition for campfire cookery?

Red

 

[Eric_Methven]

How about a "master chef" competition for campfire cookery?

Red

OK, but that implies participants will already have good knowledge of campfire cookery. How do we get the public involved, and how do we get them to part with cash? Sounds good in principle but let's flesh it out a bit. Ideas?

We'd probably make more money setting up a backwoods camp kitchen and sell the punters venison burgers and real coffee, home made bread and wild mushroom soup. Maybe even a pig on a spit roast.

Eric

 

[Eric_Methven]

not sure about robin hood, i look more like frier tuck these days

Friar Tuck was an acomplished bowman too. I have sackcloth in abundance, just so long as you don't mind a pudding basin haircut and a wee bald patch on top

Eric

 

[British Red]

OK, but that implies participants will already have good knowledge of campfire cookery. How do we get the public involved, and how do we get them to part with cash? Sounds good in principle but let's flesh it out a bit. Ideas?

We'd probably make more money setting up a backwoods camp kitchen and sell the punters venison burgers and real coffee, home made bread and wild mushroom soup. Maybe even a pig on a spit roast.

Eric

Good call - a "bushcraft feast" perhaps? or "make your own venison burger" with a hand mincer and burger press to borrow?

Red

 

[Bernie Garland]

i'll supply a pig and bring my spit to cook it on, and will also supply the venison for the burgers

 

[Eric_Methven]

Now we're getting somewhere. Thanks guys. Keep the ideas pouring in. Once we have a basic plan, I'll approach the Help for Heroes charity direct and see if they have any further ideas based on their previous experiences, then we'll look for sponsors to help finance the setting up. What I don't want is for the folks on here to end up pulling out wads of cash to set this up. I'll need to sort out PLI to cover everyone, but it'll be for a one off event so shouldn't be too expensive - that's where sponsors come in, to help with unavoidable costs.

If it looks like going ahead, a separate website to advertise it might not be a bad idea also.

Eric

 

[rancid badger]

Hamsterly, Kielder or at a push, Chopwell.

You already know I have the contacts for F.C. recreation up here but before we present anything, it needs to be sewn up tighter than a fishes bum.
By that I mean, risk assessment, insurance, logistics, security etc. etc. basically we'd be looking at a mini forest festival.
I reckon T.V. coverage would be sorted by F.C. as they were mad keen to get me on the box and radio in 2005 for spring watch among other things, as good p.r. I declined to appear at the time and to be honest, would do so again but I really think you might have a goer here.

I'll tell you what, the idea we discussed regarding auctioning of places on the Chopwell bushcraft event program seems very lame now!

You know I'm willing to assist if it's up here anyway, indeed if I can help out where ever it is, I will.

We're going to need to arrange some getting of heads together to make a wooden hut I think!

Regards
R.B.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Kielder might be worth doing anyway, but I've been thinking. If we get one done successfully early on in summer, and we have established a good repeatable programme, there's no reason why we can't do a few more in different areas later on in the year. I had a look on the Help for Heroes website, on the page that show events planned, and there's basically bugger all there except for a couple of charity dinner parties planned. I'm thinking we can have a Help for Heroes Bushfest in Kielder forest, one in Scotland, one in the south and one in Wales. It'll all depend on volunteers though, but once we have established a format, it can just be repeated.

I'm working on a downloadable document as a starting point for everyone interested to peruse at their leisure then comment on. I'll upload it to my server when it's done (later tonight) and put a link on this thread.

I want to maximise the opportunity for people who want to help, to be able to do so without having to travel hundreds of miles. All the logistics and planning can be done online, and once we have a proven programme, and know of any pitfalls, the event can be repeated anywhere we can find a venue.

I know it might sound optimistic, but at the end of the day, I'd like to say the people from BCUK helped to raise a million quid for Help for Heroes (over the next five years). (Maybe not, but it's where my mind is at the moment)

Keep an eye open for the download.

Eric

 

[Eric_Methven]

Here's the download. I was going to put it up as a PDF file, but decided to keep it as a MS Word document. The file is 130kb.

BUSHFEST.DOC

Right click on the link and select 'Save file as' from the drop down menu, then save it to somewhere on your hard drive.

Eric

 

[Dougster]

I'm game for it, I'd like to get involved at the time. I'm not as good as some but will take some leather and do sheath workshops - once the cost of the leather and bits is done, all else will go to charity. (I have sod all disposable income too).

Make it during summer hols so

1: I can come and
2: So we get more people

 

[Eric_Methven]

That's a good idea, during the school holidays. Excellent. Long days as well.

What do you all reckon we should cover as activities?

I'll start the list.
Shelter building. (Natural and man made)
Firecraft skills. (Bow drill, flint & steel, firesteel)
Campfire cooking techniques. (With and without utensils)
Cordage (Making rope and string from natural materials)
Woodcraft. (Making camp furniture, whittling, using lashings)
Spoon carving. ( Make a spoon to eat with)
Bowl carving/turning. (Carve or turn a wooden bowl)
Map reading and navigation. (Basic map and compass skills)
Basic tracking (pre set course) for kids.
Archery practice. (permanent archery area)
Archery competition. (Pay to enter, win a prize).
Story telling (Who can tell the tallest tale).

If the demonstrations/workshops last an hour each at most, punters will be able to cover everything during the weekend, giving them value for money and a good introduction to bushcraft.

Eric

 

[Dougster]

Well, I'd like to do something anyway.