This was the year when things were supposed to be easier. For once it
seemed there would be more than enough funding in place to see the
First Base Agency Foodbank through a whole winter. This is probably
not the place to run through the various tales of woe which have left
us staring at a gaping £15,000 hole in our resources. I have
described the various kicks in the teeth our small charity has
endured in a blog which you can read via the link below.
There are times when managing a small front line charity can pretty trying.
Right now, the nights are drawing in and within a couple of months,
the cold will start to bite. As sure as night follows day, over 3000
hungry individuals and families will be arriving at our door looking
for emergency food. As sure as night follows day, inflation is going
hammer up the price of food and power and already limited means will
suddenly be incapable of paying for life's basics.
Demand for emergency food will keep on going up and trying to raise enough
cash to make help the people we need to help will continue to get
harder. A few years ago we used to be able to look to Trusts and the
Council and the Government to help us out. Now it seems the only show
in town for most of the front line charities is the community.
You guys.
You are the only cavalry we can hope to see riding over the hill to
rescue us.
So.
When raising funds for a charity we tend to be expected to do something.
Last year I lived off one of our food parcels for four days. Let's
face it, it wasn't a remotely hard thing to do. We pride ourselves on
how good are food parcels are and living off one wasn't any kind of
problem. This year I figured I should do something rather more
demanding. I am too old and decrepit to jump out of a plane or climb
Mount Kilimanjaro. So instead of anything dramatic, I have written a
book.
'The Last Colonial War.' It is my 25th
novel and everyone who has read it so far seems to have rattled
through it. What is it about? Well, this is what I have written on
the digital back cover.
JUNE 2030
Countries across the world are reeling with the effects of accelerating climate
change. Failed harvests, raging bush fires, and widespread water
rationing are bringing many nations to boiling point.
Scotland and England are headed in very different directions.
After six years of independence, Scotland has become one of the fastest
growing economies in the world. As global temperatures rise, the
Scots are suddenly blessed with an abundance of scarce resources.
South of the border things are very different. England has been in steep
decline in the years since Brexit. Banks have fled the City of London
and the Government is finding it hard to secure buyers for new issues
of Government Bonds.
By 2030 things in England are becoming dire. Constant riots, failing
services, and a collapsing currency have brought the country to the
brink of collapse.
The English Prime Minister is backed into a corner. England is on the
brink of becoming a failed State. He has to find something to turn
things around before his Government is engulfed by the growing
anarchy.
He needs to do something to win back the support of his people and to
halt England's descent....
He looks north to England's booming neighbour and decides on a final
throw of the dice....
The Last Colonial War.
This is the story of men and women in high office who call the shots. It
is also the story of the men and women on the ground whose actions
decide the course of the war.
It is tempting to simply treat 'The Last Colonial War' as an enjoyable
page turner and say, oh but of course it couldn't actually happen...
But then again.....
I will be publishing the story chapter by chapter on my blog page for
thirty days or so. You can read Chapter One by following the link
below.
Maybe you are already reading and the blog has guided you here? If this is
indeed the case, I hope you are enjoying the story. And if you are
enjoying the story, please share it.
Our Foodbank has been helping people out for the last fourteen years.
Never once has someone arrived at our reception desk only to be
turned away due to a lack of food. Never once has our front door
remained closed because we haven't been able to pay the electric
bill. There are times when things have been scarily close. As things
stand, our Foodbank will run out of cash sometime in January.
I hope you will be kind enough to donate a few pounds to make sure we
can help out the thousands of people who will be coming to us for
help. Like I said, it wasn't supposed to be like this. This year it
was supposed to be easier. But it isn't. It is grim and it is
precarious.
I hope you will help us out.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this and enjoy 'The Last Colonial
War.'
Mark
