Join us in raising funds to support the club
Your club needs you
By Duncan Wood
January 10 2003
This has been debated at length on the messageboard in recent weeks and it's now time for someone to take action. Please read on to discover what we are proposing to do to raise funds to show our support for the club.
Okay, here goes!
By now, most of you will have seen or heard about Malcolm's appearance on the Rugby Club on SKY.
You will have heard his recent appeal for financial help from the local business community.
You will have read about the decision to stage the home game against Bath at Ashton Gate rather than at the Memorial Stadium.
Inspired by the messages of support on the bristolrugby.net messageboard in recent weeks, a few of us (Big Dave, Trewbear and myself) have decided to try and do something positive in order to show our loyalty and commitment to the Bristol Shoguns cause. And we are hoping to take this action before the Leinster game on January 19th!
Plenty of people have indicated their willingness to donate a small sum of money so that, we as a group, can collectively pool our resources and put the money towards sponsoring one or more members of the playing squad.
We appreciate that there are very few multi millionaires out there! We realise that most people will only feel able to donate £10 or £20.
But it's not really about the money. What we raise will probably represent a drop in the ocean in terms of the financial help that Malcolm is looking for.
However, it will represent positive action. It will show that there is a group of Bristol Shoguns supporters who are willing to dig deep in order to contribute to the cause.
It's about creating a feel good factor, it's about creating positive PR for the club, the team and its supporters.
What Big Dave, Trewbear and myself would like to do is simply organise a collection of cheques made payable to the club. We will organise the collection and compilation of all the donations and then arrange a handover to the club.
We have discussed using the money to sponsor one or more players via the club's Player Sponsorship scheme. There are still players available but, if they are 'taken' in the next week or so, we will do something else with the money in conjunction with the club.
We have already spoken to the club about this and we can obviously confirm what we will do with the donations once we know how much we've got to play with!
The club have also pledged to help us with publicising this activity in any way that they can before the Leinster game. We know that we can reach a certain number of people via the internet but we are also hoping to feature in the local press in the next week or so to tap into a wider audience.
So, how can you help? Basically, pledge your donation in one of the following two ways:
1. Find us at the ground before, during and after the Leinster game and give us a cheque made payable to Bristol Shoguns. We will publicise who will be collecting and where we will be located in the ground. If you do intend to do this, could you email us at helpingbristolrugby@talk21.com and tell us how much you will be giving. That way, at least we'll have a rough idea of how much we'll be raising and any donations on the day will be a bonus.
2. Send us a cheque made payable to Bristol Shoguns at:
Helping Bristol Rugby
17 Hawkins Crescent
Bradley Stoke
Bristol
BS32 8EH
We would rather only handle cheques made payable directly to Bristol Shoguns as it's the club we are collecting for and would rather not have to cash cheques or handle cash individually.
We sincerely hope that we can persuade at least 100 supporters to pledge £10 each in an effort to raise a four figure sum.
What can we give you in return? Not much really!
If we do end up sponsoring players, then the group as a whole will be recognised in the matchday programmes as having sponsored those players. There will be a certain amount of positive publicity, I can create a 'Hall of Fame' on the website acknowledging those who donated.
But it's mostly about knowing that you've helped to make a difference, showing that supporters back the club, our belief in the future, pulling the community into backing the club.
I know that we all care deeply about the club and the team. Trewbear, Big Dave and myself now appeal to you to demonstrate that by supporting our effort. If this falls flat on its face, well it will speak volumes...
If anyone does have any questions about what we're trying to do here, email us at helpingbristolrugby@talk21.com and, if you don't agree with what we're trying to do, that's your right and we appreciate that.
I'd also like very clear that this effort is very much a one off and isn't intended to compete in any way whatsoever with the Official Bristol Shoguns Supporters Club who have done a grand job in fund raising and have sponsored players this season. Long may their good work continue!
Thanks!