It's your choice who you give your money to!
Personally, a "Santa" or "Easter egg" run is a nicer feeling - you pick what you give knowing where it's going 100% and actually see some smiles from the kids when delivering them
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It's your choice who you give your money to!
Personally, a "Santa" or "Easter egg" run is a nicer feeling - you pick what you give knowing where it's going 100% and actually see some smiles from the kids when delivering them
First of all, the Ring of Red amount raised is a disgrace. These bikers say they're riding to show their respect..so much respect that they couldn't average 50p per rider to make it up to £7500ish? And before anyone who went on the ride attacks me..I'm talking in general here, I'm sure some individuals did stump up more than the average 16p. If there really were 15000 bikes that could afford to tax, insure and maintain their bike and then choose to ride around a motorway on a Sunday, I fail to believe that each one couldn't have donated a pound each - raising a healthy £15k for charity. I wonder how much the various Costa Coffee shops at the services made from bikers? More than £2300 that's for sure. So to generalise, why were these respectful bikers more willing to donate to Costa than the cause they were so passionately supporting? It makes no sense.
Alternatively, perhaps the bikers donated lots but the organisers spent a great deal organising the event. If that's the case then that's just as bad if not worse - they would have been better to not organise the event and for the same bikers to have attended local events and donated the same amount, also using less fuel and saving the planet while they're at it
But back to the more general point, yes I totally agree. The thing is, we love an excuse to ride our bikes, and charities have picked up on this during times where costs are rising and general donations are falling. I'm not sure there's an answer to it, other than being personally selective on what you attend.
Originally Posted by spudgun
It's your choice who you give your money to!
Personally, a "Santa" or "Easter egg" run is a nicer feeling - you pick what you give knowing where it's going 100% and actually see some smiles from the kids when delivering them
Poole bike night is a classic example of the charity bucket being used to make money for the wrong people.
As for the red ring ride the organisers may have only taken £2300 but looking at the riders there they spent a lot of money on poppies etc before hand. I didn't see a bucket going around and therefore didn't donate anything at the event but I did make donations for my poppies else where.
Ultimatly it's up to the individual what they do or do not do.
Is the motorcycle thing being milked a bit.... probably, but then how many show up to these events?... usually lots.
So the event orgonisers are holding events which motorcyclists want to go to....
This is not a rant, just my take on it.....I agree with Jon W. Bikers, or motorcyclists, are being targeted for donations to charity and the recent charity of choice seems to be the armed forces.
It has been said by some people, maybe not on here, that bikers have a certain bond with the forces. I have never really thought this. Growing up I would have rather been a biker than a squaddie!, less rules and more freedom. The first " Mothers Day Ride" was to show support to the town of Wootton Bassett for all they had done during the repatriation of fallen service personnel. This did however come at a cost...donation to the charity Afghan Heroes. Since then it was noted that bikers are kind hearted and could spare a few quid. The yearly run has raised much needed cash and has improved the biker image in the public eye. There were always going to be offshoots of this sort of thing and many would attend. How many of you have been to the Kent Custom or Bulldog Bash ?
Money from these events have also gone to charity but is less publicised. It's all about freedom of choice. Do you want to give to charity? Do you want to ride your bike? Do you want to combine the two?
I was on the M25 on Sunday. There was no fee, there were buckets around but they were not waved in your face. If you wanted to give you could. There were patches on sale and profits would go to the RBL. The idea was to create a giant poppy on the M25 to show respect on the remembrance Sunday, after all not everybody goes to a church service! The "Ring of Red" was completed and we all went home! There was nowhere near the 15000 wanted to form the "ring" so the bikes spaced out a little more. I rode the bike for nearly 300 miles with some great company, was part of something different and went to a pub..........Cracking day out. My choice, freedom of choice and I would have done it even if no charity was involved. I do give to charity but on my terms...you wave a bucket at me and you get nothing. It was just a very big ride out!!!
I wonder if its possibly due to us being in Wiltshire which has such a large connection with the Armed Forces and so many current and ex service personnel here?
I dont have any connections whatsoever with the Forces and mean absolutely no disrespect but to me the British Legion etc are just another very worthy charity competing for peoples hard earned cash.
I think its fairly apparent that they didnt have anything like the 15,000 bikes the organiser(s) had hoped for.
A difficult subject to discuss Neil but a good point to broach.
As has been said previously bikers tend to get targeted because of the disposable income.
As most know I volunteer on a regular basis for The Bike Experience, this costs me fuel to and from Silverstone which is minimal. I don't donate money to this charity because of the volunteering that I do, my view is that if it were somebody being employed to do this they would be getting paid in the region of £60 a day for it.
I do however donate to various charities throughout the year. It is not that I am flush with cash, but my £40 donation to a couple of charities may well help somebody in dire need.
The ring of red had 15,000 bikes will have been an overstatement, the same happened with the Ride of Respect. Apparently 10,000 bikes turned up but they only had 8 batches of bikes and maybe 4,000 was more accurate.
Even so, you'd hope that 4000 bikes might at least raise £4000 given the fact that some will have struck £5, £10 in the pot..
So everyone spent maybe £10 to £20 in fuel (nice for the chancellor) and put in a few pence for the charity. Have I got that right?
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