23.06.2004

Summer Offensive: Not bad, but "¦

Ian Mahoney gives the latest news on the progress of the CPGB's Summer Offensive.

The past seven days have seen the total for this year's Summer Offensive - our annual two-month fundraising drive - climb to just over £5,700. Not bad, considering that experience tells us that the rate of donations speeds up massively in the second half of the campaign. However, as we bear down on the June 30 halfway mark in this year's SO, it would be good to be on or around £10k. So that means £4,000 or so in the next week, comrades. Definitely time to pick up the pace, I think.
I mentioned last week that emails from party centre looking for support for the SO had prompted a flurry of comrades leaving donations via the PayPal button on our site. This has fallen away a little, but we are still getting the occasional contribution - many thanks to comrades who have supported the SO in this way during the past week.

Incidentally over the last seven days we notched up 7,968 web-readers and, while on that subject, let me draw your attention to the link on our home page to our new London Book Club site. If you buy featured books via LBC - or even if you purchase other books using the search facility on our site - we will get a percentage of the cover price. We know that a great many of our comrades order books and other materials via online stores such as Amazon. Simply get into the habit of making LBC your first port of call when you do and you will be financially supporting the Party every time you make a purchase (go to http www.londonbookclub.co.uk).

This week, congratulations go to the comrades who organised the social for members and guests attending the Party aggregate on June 19. Over £150 was raised from food and booze sales, with more coming in the way of individual donations on the night - many thanks to comrades MS and SM for their £500 and £60 respectively. Special mention must go to comrade MJ, who sold her own home-brewed lager and orange wine at the social - generally judged to be delicious, but quite lethal - and made around £40 for her SO target.

Also worth noting this week is the sale of  €150-worth of papers, pamphlets and badges in Berlin during the European Social Forum assembly; our first order for Party badges from Croatia - €40 worth from a comrade in Zagreb; and the plans of comrade BL from Sheffield, who is touting for sponsorship for a marathon rowing session in aid of the SO - some 42,500 metres.
He tells us that "it took me three and a half hours last time, but that was when I was a lot fitter. After a year away at university and putting on two stones, I thought it'd be a good idea."
Sponsorship forms for this event are now available. Any readers out there who would like to make a contribution in the fight to both reduce this comrade's beer gut and swell our SO coffers - please get in touch.