NOTE:
If you don't like the Yahoo advertisements
which sometimes appear to the right,
you can click on 'close' at the bottom,
but they soon go away anyway.
If you can spare a couple of minutes to read this, I shall be most grateful.
Little Ouseburn Mausoleum is unique, a national asset. Indeed, a learned article in the Georgian Group Journal points out that the unique features of the Mausoleum make it a building of not just national, but European, significance.
But, by chance, it just happens to be in a small village - OUR village. Six years ago it was falling to bits and dangerous; somebody had to save it. But, as nobody else was willing to save it, WE had to. A small committee was set up, English Heritage and Lottery Fund grants were obtained, and the work is now nearly finished.
But what next? When the work is finished, the annual insurance and running costs - around £500 pa and rising - fall on onto LITTLE OUSEBURN MAUSOLEUM LIMITED,* the charitable company (registered with The Charity Commission, Charity No: 1039158 ) we formed to carry out this project.
We are only a small village. We have already asked local residents and others for their help. Their support has been magnificent, but we cannot ask them for yet more. Our reserves are now all gone. We have no money to pay these inevitable charges, and no means of earning any. One possibility would be to 'go bust' like British Rail, and wind up. But that would be an admission of defeat, and is no solution.
Little Ouseburn is, in some respects, not on the map. There is no official or commercial web site which covers the village. We have therefore produced one.
The idea is to mention some of the leading businesses, shops, restaurants and pubs in the village and in and around Boroughbridge, rather on the lines of the Parish Magazines and monthly 'free sheets' in which many local businesses advertise. Like this, we shall achieve three objectives;
Please CLICK HERE to see our draft Web Site.
Your business is mentioned. We have also taken the liberty of providing a direct 'hot link' to the web sites of many of the local businesses which have one.
A snap poll of three Boroughbridge businesses showed (to my great surprise) that one would contribute £80 pa to be mentioned, another £50, and the third (no surprise!) wasn't interested. If this sample is representative and the majority of the businesses mentioned in my draft web site would subscribe, we are there; QED!
Since then a professional firm, asked if they would subscribe £75 or, if not, how much, asked to sign on for a three year contract at £100 pa! A small business, run from home in Little Ouseburn, offered to contribute £30, and another service industry business (with no web site) offered £50, which suggests that our proposed figures are probably about right.
We therefore propose that the more substantial businesses with direct links to their own web sites, and which largely trade via those sites, should be asked to contribute £75 pa.
Local businesses would be asked for between £25 and £50, depending on size.
There would also be a £10/£5 setting up fee.
However, if the idea really catches on (as it is now doing - we already have more than enough support to enable us to go ahead) we hope to be able to reduce these suggested figures. AND THERE IS A BARGAIN OFFER - SEE BELOW.
We aim for a subscription year running from 1 January 2004, but intend to 'go public' with the web site later this autumn. Anyone joining before then would not be asked to renew until 1 January 2005, but you could decline to renew then if you wish.
May we please have your comments, without any commitment at this stage? :-
The wording of your entry would be entirely up to you. It can easily be changed at any time - just let us know.
Please CLICK HERE to see draft Web Site.
There will be a section on village news (including a copy of the Parish Council minutes) and forthcoming events.
Like it or not, the Internet and "the Web" are here, they are already with us and are the way ahead.
For those not already on "the Web", joining us would provide an easy way to test the water.
If you are interested, you could even have your own page, all to your self, on our LITTLE OUSEBURN web site. Just visit SUE GRABBIT & RUN to see what a mythical firm of solicitors could have, with no fuss or bother; very simple, totally unsophisticated, lo-tech and easy to do. Here again, the wording (as much as you want, within reason!) and content would be entirely up to you. The cost would be minimal - for complete novices, we would even throw it in - FOR FREE!
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As a former solicitor (I ended up as Senior Partner of Simpson Curtis, solicitors in Leeds, now part of Pinsents, before I retired ten year ago) I do know just how tight budgets are for marketing and donations, and I'm so sorry to burden you with this, but your help, comments and criticism would be most valuable.
The Mausoleum is a charity, it's just not a very "sexy" one! I've already raised about £3,000 for Holy Trinity, Little Ouseburn and a Bowel Cancer charity, and another £1,000 for naval history charities with my book "RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH, A Devon lad's life in Nelson's Navy", the true story of a distant relation's life in the war against Napoleon. Please help me with this somewhat unusual charity, too.
Many thanks for your time. I do hope you will decide to join us. Please let me know whether or not you would like to.
Please CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL ME
CONTACT ADDRESS
ANTHONY BLACKMORE
Covey House
Upper Dunsforth
YORK YO5 9RU
01423 324344