30.06.2004

Summer Offensive: Pick up tempo

Ian Mahoney reports that even Plaid Cymru members cannot resist supporting the CPGB's Summer Offensive

A good week behind us for the Summer Offensive, the Communist Party’s fundraising campaign. We have seen our total jump by £4,000 to £10,459. This is about right for this stage of the two-month SO, as the pace always increases in the second half - but comrades now have to pick up the tempo if we are to reach our £30k target.

Particular thanks to comrade JS for his new standing order for £10 per month; to DI for his £120 combined donation/book order and to comrade JH in Australia for his £35 via our website donation button (he was one of 7,776 visitors to our website over the last week). Congratulations, comrade: yours is the first contribution to this year’s campaign from the southern hemisphere!

And despite the ‘robust’ nature of some of the debate at this year’s Communist University Wales over the weekend of June 26-27, it was good to see that Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood (Welsh assembly member for South Wales Central) and Alun Cox of the PC national executive both sponsored comrade BL’s marathon rowing session in aid of his SO target - to the tune of £10 and £5 respectively.

Along with badge sales and printshop work, donations like these have pushed the total forward dramatically over the past seven days. But in the coming week, there will be the chance for comrades to more closely link their fundraising with forthcoming Party activities - remember, every ticket sold or donation won to support subsidised places for low-income comrades will count to your individual target for 2004. £5,000 needed in the coming week, comrades!

Comrade SM provides us with an example of what can be done. She has organised a pub quiz (questions not just on the usual trivia, but on working class history too) along with her branch of the Scottish Socialist Party. The proceeds will be split 50-50 between the Summer Offensive and the SSP.

What you can do:

• Take out a standing order to the party. If you have one already, can you increase it? Regular income is extremely important to the party, as it allows us to plan ahead.
• Alternatively, you can make a credit or debit card donation via the PayPal facility on the website.
• Do you subscribe to the Weekly Worker? If not, this is the ideal time to do so - it reads so much better in hard copy than on a tiny computer screen …
• Set up a CPGB stall with comrades in the area. Email us at tina@cpgb.org.uk and we will send you materials and get you in touch with other comrades.
• Check out our newly launched site, www.londonbookclub.co.uk, where you can buy a range of second-hand books that have been donated by comrades to the Summer Offensive. You can even order new books - a percentage goes to the party.
• Buy bulk orders of badges on www.campaignbadges.co.uk and sell them on.