Tim and Paul's SWT 50th Anniversary Cycle between all the 119 Scottish Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves
Tim Duffy is raising money for Scottish Wildlife Trust
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50th Anniversary sponsorship appeal for funds to support the Scottish Wildlife Trust's work for the next 50 years
Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page. I have been a member of the Scottish Wildlife Trust for 30 years, I volunteer my time with the Lothian Members’ Centre and I have been a trustee of the charity since 1989. I’m raising money for the Scottish Wildlife Trust as I’m convinced it plays a vital role in conserving Scotland’s wildlife – from red squirrels to ospreys, Scottish primrose to Atlantic oakwoods and everything in between. I’ve led local action to protect threatened wildlife sites in my home patch and seen high-level lobbying to influence wildlife friendly legislation.
2014 is the golden anniversary of the Trust – over the past 50 fifty years the Trust has blossomed and now has the support of over 35,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and more than 100 expert staff. They now manage 120 wildlife reserves, deliver educational activities to 10,000s of people every year, play a lead role in the trial reintroduction of beavers back to Scotland, fight wildlife crime….. and much, much more. But it all costs money.
So, I have set myself the goal of cycling more than 2,000 miles in order to visit 119 Scottish Wildlife Trust wildlife reserves across Scotland – from Orkney to the Scottish Borders, the Isle of Eigg to the Grampian coast.
As a 50+ amateur cyclist, I’m daunted and excited by the challenge. Volunteers around the country plan to meet me at what they consider to be their local ‘jewel in the crown’ reserve – which will be a great boost and introduction to the varied delights of the sites. I am also going to be joined by Paul Ritchie – the Trust’s Director of Finance. Paul is an avid cyclist and by joining (and supporting) me he’s really putting his money where his mouth is when it comes to the need raise donations to protect Scotland’s wildlife for the future.
There are no support vehicles in tow, this is strictly pedal power (with the odd ferry thrown in), and Paul and I are covering all of the costs of the challenge out of our own pockets, so all money donated will go direct to the Scottish Wildlife Trust (Justgiving takes its costs from the gift aid reclaimed). Please donate today to help the Trust continue its vital work for another 50 years!
Why do we set ourselves an headline target of £2000,000? Unrealistic? Maybe, but this is the actual sort of sum required to boost the Trust's unrestricted investment portfolio so that it can generate the annual income required to support our conservation goals for the next 50 years. But whether we raise £20,000 or £2 million we ask every one of the Trust's members to consider donating to this enterprise as a 'one-off' 50th anniversary celebration (over the next two years of this sponsored cycle campaign). If 20,000 of the Trust’s 36,000 members each donated £50 – that alone would raise £1,000,000! So not unrealistic in that sense, just the real need, and the sort of encouragement that Tim's legs at least need to finish this ride!
We also ask any businesses or individuals to consider donating any 'spare' shares (such a charitable donation should qualify for Corporation Tax relief) that can go directly into the Trust's well managed core endowment investment portfolio to help generate this extra £100,000 recurrent annual funds that the SWT needs to take SWT forward as a well founded, suitably staffed , and visibly successful and well managed Trust for the next 50 years.
Please seriously consider donating in some way to this important ( and painful for Tim at least!) fundraising event.