We're doing this to show in any small way show support for our Australian colleagues, friends and family.

Although its a local event, this horrific bushfire season has global ramifications. With the devastation, wrought upon destroyed homes, people losing their lives and almost 500 million animals as well this is a horror show that most people can't really get their heads round. 

We've always had close links with the real estate industry in Australia but over the last decade that's never been more true. Of course they still don't know how to pronounce 'Auctions' and 'Data' but we're suspending the elocution police in the short term, and we're doing that because I think Australian agents and guru's  have had such a dramatic effect in nurturing best practice in the estate agents in the UK.  Whether that's been through podcast, video interviews or coming over here to speak at events or consult many leading agencies in the UK will have taken advantage of the Aussies knowledge and willingness to share ideas. 

So whether you're an agent that's utilised one of John McGrath's tactics for owning your marketplace, or having implemented successful prospecting in your business because of Josh Phegan's philosophy, if you've woken up in the morning inspired by Tom Panos's 'Never give up' mentality or whether you've listened to the likes of Dean Mackie, Matty Hayson, Michael Pallier, Dean O'Brien, Troy Malcolm or Alexander Phillips at EA Masters and the Sunday Times, if you've benefited from any of these exceptional talents then please lets try and give them and their countryfolk a helping hand at a time when they really need it.

In total a land mass almost the size of England has been burnt, many times over worse than the likes of the Amazonian fires and California which were already devastating in their own rights. Yes Australia is a rich country but no country can deal with something of this scale and nature alone won't speedily help with the recovery by itself.

We get caught up in more relaxing times fighting about the cricket Ashes, what this sort of disaster perfectly demonstrates is that those sorts of things simply don't matter where real ashes are the daily tragedy story. 

So if you can skip one of your latte's or pints today and find the time to donate to this amazing charity I promise you an angel will get its wings*

* Not an actual promise....

Listen to the fundraiser podcast with interviews with Josh Phegan, Tom Panos and Sam Hunter, search for 'What's the kerfuffle' episode 3 on any podcast engine.