What do you do when you've got what you wanted?

Robajobs · Sep 10, 2012

clueless1 said: ↑
Loads, but I don't really have much time on my hands.

I have 3 acres of countryside that I want to make into haven for all sorts. I've wrote to all sorts of charities and organisations asking if there is some way that I can help them, not with money, but with the use of the land. I thought, here's a chunk of land which although not that big, has a surprising diversity of conditions on it (from flat exposed top field, to deep ravines, to natural native broad leaf woodland, a marshy bit and a stream running along the boundary. If I approach various nature charities and ask them if I can help them, they'll jump at the chance wont they? No. They only want money. One well known charity sent me a load of glossy colour brochures in response to my enquiry. Another told me, over a month later, that my goal is interesting but they are frankly too busy to help me. Given that it was me trying to help them, I was a bit miffed at that. One very well known organisation, on hearing of my offer, asked if I would sell them my land. I knocked them back out of hand. The land is not for sale. I was a bit disappointed that all of the organisations I approached barring 2 (Bumblebee Conservation Trust, well done to them, and the one that couldn't be bothered to even speak to me), tried to turn it into a financial transaction of one sort or another.

There is something I've always wanted to do, but I have no idea how I'd go about it. I hate the way we hear of 'deprived neighbourhoods'. Deprived of what? Deprived of an old boy's club? I've spent the vast majority of my life living in 'deprived neighbourhoods', and what I've consistently seen is people who don't believe they can achieve more, and therefore don't try, with a local minority deciding the are going to push ahead anyway despite everything and everyone. I've always dreamed of setting something up that gives people the self belief they need in order to aim a bit higher and achieve more. I have no clue how one would go about that though.

One idea that kind of spawned from thin air during a chat between me and my neandertal mate Paul (I don't mean that in a derogatory sense, he is a neandertal, he's not very bright at all, but is a big lad with too much physical strength to be human). Neither of us particularly came up with the idea, it just sort of created itself and burst into our chat uninvited. We thought about organising a full blown festival type event, combining entertainment with a recruitment day. Not like the usual run of the mill dull events, stuff aimed at actually getting people to feel like they'd created the event rather than simply attended it. Neither of us have ever organised anything on the scale that it would need to be, and neither of us can afford to bring in a specialist event organiser, so nothings happened about that idea.
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Sorry I was going to explain last night about a 'charity' but I was called away. Anyway You make some excellent points. people are not deprived in this country. We have free education, health service and lots more. And all in all live in the best country in the world.(IMHO)
All someone has got to do is get off their arse and go to work and even if they dont generally people are looked after by the state.
What I was going to say is that charity work can be richly rewarding knowing you are making a difference. Like sponsering a child's education in a 3rd world country or collecting some old kids clothes and sending them off to them. Lots of charities offer you the chance to do this and you can actually write or email them too.

Personally, like you I have the things that I need. Often I think, aspecially when I see pictures of people actually dying through hunger/disease/drought, what can I do? It's just a thought...

Mambsey pamsey charities are a sore point with me though. We give more to animal charities and drug company research than human disaster charities which is a real shame!

Freddy · Sep 10, 2012

From the original posting, I'm not so sure that this is what C1 was talking about? It struck me that it was of a more philosophical dilemma?

Robajobs · Sep 10, 2012

Ha! perhaps I'm offering a practical solution to a philosophical dilemma Freddy
BTW your spelling is very good!

clueless1 · Sep 10, 2012

Freddy said: ↑
From the original posting, I'm not so sure that this is what C1 was talking about? It struck me that it was of a more philosophical dilemma?
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It was really, but I'm so glad the thread has gone the way it has. Its got people thinking, including me, and that's what its all about.

Reetgood · Sep 10, 2012

clueless1 said: ↑
Fidgetsmum and Reetgood, you make good points, but I think I might have not been very clear. The land isn't really sat doing nothing. I already have an eco-project going on up that that I've been working on since I took the place on about 4 years ago. I wanted to make it a wildlife and wildflower haven, but the costs were too great for what I wanted to do, however I pushed on anyway, clearing bracken and gorse, working on a bit at a time, and now the wildflower diversity is starting to return. The creatures that depend on it will no doubt not be far behind. My land is a safe haven where I can personally guarantee that the bugs wont get annihilated with some nasty chemical, and where they can buz and flutter and crawl about finding (hopefully) everything they need. I'd like to get others involved so we can achieve more things faster, but I'm not too bothered at this point because progress is happening.

I have had a new idea though. Well really it was my mam's idea. We were all in the car going past an donkey sanctuary when my son started asking awkward questions about why the field was full of donkeys. My mam, who having raised 3 kids and helped with numerous grand kids, should have no better but she got sucked into the 'why?' cycle, and had to try to explain to a 3 year old that not everybody is nice to donkeys but some nice people found them a happy home. I know which organisation runs it, and they are local and don't have the resources of bigger organisations. It may be that my piece of land is too far out for them (its in the middle of nowhere) but I know their farm is packed to the rafters now, and I'm sure they could use a spare acre or so. It would be good to get some mutually beneficial system in place, like an old fashioned rotation, animals grazing one section one year while another section is put to another use, then swap each alternate year. I need to give it more thought but I'm going to go and speak to people.

Folly, sorry, what's A.B.G?
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I think there is a school of thought that says increasing bio-diversity and creating areas of land that are not 'cultivated' is very valuable in this crowded island of hours. Even if it's not wildflowers, facilitating diversity is a worthy cause. Holding the space for the habitat to happen.

The wildlife reserve run by the Yorkshire wildlife trust near me is interesting. It's on the site of an old power station. How quickly land returns. They've also planted fruit trees in it which rather makes it an ace foraging destination...

Freddy · Sep 11, 2012

clueless1 said: ↑
It was really, but I'm so glad the thread has gone the way it has. Its got people thinking, including me, and that's what its all about.
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Maybe you didn't check out the tune I posted? I thought it was quite relevant...

Folly Mon · Sep 11, 2012

Folly, sorry, what's A.B.G?[/quote]

ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL

No Need to be Sorry Relax and Enjoy Exatley Wot You Have Got and Built up in your Life!!! Congratulate Your Self On All Your Achevements wot you have Done

Treet Every God Given Day Like its Your Last Day on Earth

That Way You Will Get the Most out of Your Day

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What do you do when you've got what you wanted?

Robajobs I ♥ Organic manure and fine Iranian lagers

Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

Robajobs I ♥ Organic manure and fine Iranian lagers

clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

Reetgood Gardener

Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

Folly Mon GC Official Counselor

You've got to start somewhere!

Whats been the most waste of money tool you've got?

You've got to have a look at this

YOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING, USA!!

Sorry but you've just GOT to see this snail!!!!!!!!!!!!

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What do you do when you've got what you wanted?

Robajobs I ♥ Organic manure and fine Iranian lagers

Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

Robajobs I ♥ Organic manure and fine Iranian lagers

clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

Reetgood Gardener

Freddy Miserable git, well known for it

Folly Mon GC Official Counselor

You've got to start somewhere!

Whats been the most waste of money tool you've got?

You've got to have a look at this

YOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING, USA!!

Sorry but you've just GOT to see this snail!!!!!!!!!!!!

Share This Page

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