20.06.2002

Step up the pace

The tempo has slowed a little in this year's Summer Offensive, the annual fundraising drive of the Communist Party. In late May - just a couple of weeks into the two-month-long campaign - we passed the £5,000 mark on our way to the collective target of £25,000 by July 11. This was a very encouraging change from the normally rather sluggish way most SOs start, even the most successful of them. However, with only three weeks to go to the campaign's close on July 11, we stand at just over £10,000 raised - in no way disastrous, but a definite drop in intensity levels. In truth, the figure is probably appreciably higher than this. Comrades have been very slack in getting updates into centre. Cell secretaries in particular have a responsibility to collate the running totals of their members and send the details in. It is important that we have accurate records - if we anticipate a shortfall, centre may actually organise emergency mailouts or phone-rounds in an attempt to plug the gap. The pace has to be stepped up once again in the second half of the campaign. We are now drawing up lists of contacts to be phoned directly for donations and these will be distributed to comrades in the coming week. But if you are one of the hundreds of people who have received a letter asking for support, don't wait for the call! Send cheques and postal orders, made out to 'CPGB', off today (please mark the back 'Summer Offensive'). Special thanks this week go to comrades AM, DW and ST for donations of £200 each. Also, a special mention goes out to comrade P, a member of the Morning Star's Communist Party of Britain, who has sent in £30. Numerous other comrades have weighed in with smaller amounts, for which we are grateful, and there is talk from some comrades of impending car boot sales and World Cup socials. An extra push over the next few weeks should take us to within striking distance of the target, comrades! John Galt