REALISING THE IDEA WAS A ONE OFF
From the very start of my involvement with dahlias I was excited - and when I thought up the idea of the general public naming my new seedlings, and also helping charities at the same time I was ecstatic. Now although the final tally of last years effort was a little over £550 plus £133 Gift Aid supplement I was fairly pleased, and I thought I'd increase the charities the following year. Wrong! Before long I had over seventy pages on Just Giving all supported by one of this years seedlings. This year so far apart from the gallant effort of one or two people involved with their charities the response has been dismal. Now although I don't mind the work I do on the computer - even with the limited time I have - the reward is hardly worth the effort. So when a lady asked how she could name a dahlia after her sister who'd been fighting bowel cancer for the past two years - the solution for her and my seedlings became apparent. Instead of giving people a chance to name a dahlia after a love one - let them tell me a charity they'd like to support, and the name they'd like on one of my dahlias and I'll oblige. That way they can tell friends and associates about the charity page, and their dahlia.
Of course I will leave my Just Giving pages exactly as they are until it is time to cancel them nearer Christmas, but this is the way I'm going in the future. By standing the idea on its head in the years to come I'll be doing away with charities it would appear no one wishes to support, and put the dahlia in the hands of people who are passionate about others. So any page that doesn't have a donation I will have a little surprise for a few people who have contributed in the past.
You take care.
Ken Stock.