How to Get Help and Awareness for a good cause ??

AtlanticP

AtlanticP

AtlanticP

Associate
Joined
3 Mar 2008
Posts
1,629
Location
Cornwall
'How do you tell people you're there to help but a little help back would be nice too'

That is basically the question!

I have recently started up Quad Response (http://www.quad-response.com - Website is Nothing special but serves its purpose so please don't flame me for the layout/design) with the aim of helping as and when we can during Severe weather or Environmental extremes such as floods and such. My first attendance was the A38 Exeter Snow incident and I was involved in ferrying various emergency service personnel around and also with towing various vehicles off the main road to allow Ambulances etc to get in and out of Chudleigh to the Rescue centre with my Quad. I spent 14 hours out in the snow and cold helping where I could with 2 and a half hours riding each way as I live in Bodmin, Cornwall.

I am currently participating in various First Aid and Incident Response courses so that I can be more effective at what it is I am trying to achieve which is Incident Support.

I have the website up and its constantly being updated and improved. I am no web designer and have never claimed to knowing much about it but I have done my best and it works. I had a little publicity on the news but nothing much as they had much bigger fish to fry so to speak. I have approached the local council with offer of support on the Camel Trail which is some 17 or so miles long and caters for approx 350,000 people each year (Details of the Camel Trail: http://www.ncdc.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=13629 )

The problems I have are many at the moment, no one seems to want to help. When I say no one I don't mean your average Joe public; I mean multi-million pound companies that specialise in the field of Quads and ATV's and and those that I would have thought would want to help. Can Am for instance have just invested some $1.5 million in their race team for this season, they will not even answer emails etc. Yet when someone such as myself wants nothing more than to help those in need of help no one wants to know (Unless they need the help)

This may seem like a bit of a rant and if it does then so be it, I just dont know where to start in order to get support and help. Currently to set up Quad Response as a non profit entity its something in the region of £11,000 which includes buying the quad bike that would be suited to what I am trying to do. No one wants to know, not even those that I am offering the help. I am not looking for fame, personal fortune or Super hero status I just feel compelled to help those that need it. Its just how I am I guess. If I had the money to get the gear I need then I would just go and get it and this thread wouldn't be here in first place. When I started Quad Response I had no idea it would get as big as it has, in that such organisations as the 4x4 Response Network (http://www.4x4response.info/public/publicWrapper.php) want me to merge with them and run the national Quad side of the Response Network yet even they have offered no help to get it off the ground. I have paid for everything myself so far but I can not go any further without help whether it be financial, equipment donations or even publicity. I truly believe in my heart that this idea would help save lives or at the very least ease the suffering of those in need of help. Just the first aid gear that I need to get is going to cost something in the region of £500.00 which includes a very comprehensive first aid kit and oxygen therapy equipment, for me to buy the Quad bike that would be ideal for this would cost something in the region of £10,000. I am more than willing to give it my every effort but for it truly work Quad Response needs some help but I have no idea where to start in order to get that help.

Those that I have spoken to regarding my idea's and plans truly believe this could make a difference but no one wants to help.

What would you pay in order to stay alive or for someone to help save a life of a loved one ??? I personally don't see any limit on cost for this. For me to help save one live surly cannot have a price tag put on it. If I had the £11,000 to spend on the gear I need I would happily do it if it meant saving or helping just one person.

What can I do guys, Where can I turn to get help, Why does no one want to help??

I know some of you will not give a damn about this and may just pull my spelling or grammer apart, or may just question why I want to do this. That's fine. Please note though that I am not looking for fame or fortune, I am purely looking for help so that I can help those that need it more effectively.

Chris
Quad Response

p.s. Sorry for the text wall btw :(
 
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Not sure, but I would just recommend consistency when it comes to emails/letters.

Best of luck, sounds like a good cause.
 
Local press may give you some space for free on one of their pages, and from there you may be able to put out some sort of appeal to a wider audience. You never know, someone who could help could see it...
 
Thanks Ape :)

Ninja,

I have emailed my local paper and an waiting for them to get back in touch. Never even thought of that lol
 
I may be misunderstanding this, or being overly pessimistic but you want people to give you 11k for a quad on the understanding that once or twice a year you can go out and help the actual public services do their job?
 
DailyGeek said:
I may be misunderstanding this, or being overly pessimistic but you want people to give you 11k for a quad on the understanding that once or twice a year you can go out and help the actual public services do their job?
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No Mate,

Not asking for £11,000 tho it would be nice :eek: . My point was more in general, no one wants to help with this type of thing any more although they may be the first to call on such an operation should the need arise. Just peoples lack of willingness to help others. I am prepared to do what I can with the minimal equipment I have yet others in a better position are not interested at all.

Also I would be out more than once or twice a year. Just one avenue I currently looking into would involve supporting the 350,000 or so people that use the very popular Camel Trail here in Cornwall. Examples are over confident walkers, the many 1000's of cyclist's and horse riders that use this trail each year. I live within 2 minutes of this trail and could offer valuable support anywhere along its length within minutes with potentially life saving equipment and support, far quicker than the current methods used.

It started off as a small idea that's spiralled out a bit bigger than I could ever have imagined. A Little help along the way would have been nice is all :(

Chris
 
AtlanticP said:
No Mate,

Not asking for £11,000 tho it would be nice :eek: . My point was more in general, no one wants to help with this type of thing any more although they may be the first to call on such an operation should the need arise. Just peoples lack of willingness to help others. I am prepared to do what I can with the minimal equipment I have yet others in a better position are not interested at all.

Also I would be out more than once or twice a year. Just one avenue I currently looking into would involve supporting the 350,000 or so people that use the very popular Camel Trail here in Cornwall. Examples are over confident walkers, the many 1000's of cyclist's and horse riders that use this trail each year. I live within 2 minutes of this trail and could offer valuable support anywhere along its length within minutes with potentially life saving equipment and support, far quicker than the current methods used.

It started off as a small idea that's spiralled out a bit bigger than I could ever have imagined. A Little help along the way would have been nice is all :(

Chris
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Well, I can understand why you see the value in it, and it sounds like a fair cause... however two points spring to mind.

1) We're in a recession - People will be very selective with donations etc and unless people can see the immediate benefits then you won't get the support you desire

2) We already have publicly funded emergency services, which the vast majority of people will expect to be prepared for this sort of thing, hence they won't see the benefits in the same way you will. Then of course you have people that jump to the conclusion I did from your OP :p

Best of luck with it all :) I just don't see people going for it, it seems a little bit vigilante in its purpose, which will make some people uneasy.
 
AtlanticP said:
Also I would be out more than once or twice a year. Just one avenue I currently looking into would involve supporting the 350,000 or so people that use the very popular Camel Trail here in Cornwall. Examples are over confident walkers, the many 1000's of cyclist's and horse riders that use this trail each year. I live within 2 minutes of this trail and could offer valuable support anywhere along its length within minutes with potentially life saving equipment and support, far quicker than the current methods used.
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But how would anyone there know to ring you? Surely they'd just ring 999 if they're in trouble?
 
This sounds like an excuse to ride quad bikes.

Why not work on raising funds for Air Ambulances, or join St Johns ambulance or something practical.
 
Geek, Fair points mate but when I was at Chudleigh the local Police only had one 4x4 and that was a Honda CR-v :eek: to my knowledge if there are any 4x4's they would be tied up in other things but again my quad would go where even a 4x4 cant so there are definite benefits to using a quad instead of or along side the current Police vehicles.

La_Petit,
I would be working with the Council so would address this issue with informing the trail users of the contact numbers on the many checkpoint boards that are spread along the trail. So each board would have a contact number on it and also a checkpoint number so I would know where they are. Also leaflets in the local Millets etc that walkers would no doubt go into at some point. Also there are cycle hire stores here so I could inform them of Quad Response who would in turn inform the holiday makers that hire their bikes.

POB said:
This sounds like an excuse to ride quad bikes.

Why not work on raising funds for Air Ambulances, or join St Johns ambulance or something practical.
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I Don't need an excuse as I have and ride a Quad whenever I want at the moment. Also already a member of St John Ambulance and will shortly be training as a first responder.
Had you have taken the time to check the website out you would have seen this:

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apache02.jpg
 
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AtlanticP said:
I Don't need an excuse as I have and ride a Quad whenever I want at the moment. Also already a member of St John Ambulance and will shortly be training as a first responder.
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Cool with the St Johns thing.

I did look at the website, and saw quad bikes.
 
You would be surprised tbh and not many people have a Bowler, also try fitting one of those down a foot path or walkers trail ;)
 
Have I got this wrong in my head but isn't there some lifeboat charity that are used by the coastgaurd if they can't respond effeciently in the situation, if that is true, perhaps you can look into how they set that up and look into a similar system for 'rough terrain' response.
 
Maybe you can build up awareness (and publicity) for your service by attending local events. i.e. county shows, motor shows etc as well as smaller events at schools/ colleges etc

Perhaps you could even put on a rescue demonstration at these events to show the public/ community the service that quad-response can provide in an emergency.

If people can see that it's a useful and worthwhile service which can supplement the emergency services and can ultimately save lives then this may help open doors for you all the best.
 
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