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View Full Version : **IMPORTANT** Please help us Keep NMP up and running!!



venusbluejeans
30-01-15, 23:27
Hi All,

I thought I would write this thread as Nic isn’t the type of person to write it.

As many of you know Nic runs this website and pays for it all with the help of Alex and the cost of it is anything but cheap, but they pay for it and try to keep it running so it is totally free for members.

Nic has many different health problems, the main being Crohns Disease and heart problems after a Heart attack in 2008. After that she has been unable to do much work due to her ill health which makes it even more amazing that she pays for the website just for our benefit when she hardly earns anything herself.

That is one of the reasons she wouldn’t write this thread because she sees it as her site, which it is so she should pay for it BUT to me that certainly isn’t true.

You may have noticed that during the past couple of months that Nic has mostly been absent from the website and that is because she has been going through A LOT of personal things.

Nic and Alex have been in the process of splitting which has been very traumatic for them both as they had been together for 18 years and have been through an awful lot together so there is a lot to deal with between them. (Obviously this will not be discussed in any detail on the forum as it is a very personal matter)

It is because of this that the future of NMP is not actually secure and we all know how important it is to our lives, in fact a lot of people have been saying to me that it has saved their lives, so quite honestly we NEED this site to continue.

If Nic ends up having to pay for the site alone then I am not sure how long it will last. Not being ‘mean’ to Nic, just being truthful and realistic. And none of us actually want that to happen do we???

NMP has a Donate button on the front page (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/donate) and I am sure most of you just pass it by each time you log in and probably not even notice it is there!! Thank you to all who do actually donate

I would like to urge you to have a think about what you would do without this site. If the answer is that it wouldn’t make any difference to you if the site was here or not then don’t do anything but if you like me really don’t know what you would have done without the site then if you can please click that donate link because at the minute it may end up as “use the donate button or lose the site”

I have run this thread past Nic before posting it, but to be honest it is something I have been meaning to post for a while as I didn’t really think it fair that Nic (and Alex) should pay all of this money for a site that is helping so many when she doesn’t actually have that much money to do so.

So use it or maybe face losing it folks the choice is down to you

Thanks
Emmz xxxx

PS. Sorry if this seems like a bit of a “GIVE US YOUR MONEY” thread

PPS. Actually I am not really sorry as it is something that needs to be said and it really IS a thread like that J

Tessar
31-01-15, 00:03
Oh no I just read this. I hadn't noticed a donate button, how did I miss that? It's important that the site does keep going, people we need to act.
Nic, I am very sorry that you and Alex have had difficulties that have lead to you splitting up.
I need to go and find that button.

---------- Post added at 23:03 ---------- Previous post was at 22:57 ----------

Ok... I logged out and logged back in ....to see if I could find the donate button.
I think I didn't see it because 9 times out of 10, I don't use the home page to get into the site. Also I guess it wasn't really very apparent. I do remember when the new site went up and running that there was mention of donations. I must admit I expected it to be more obvious but perhaps also I just was so "into" whatever threads I was reading or commenting on, that each time donating slipped my mind. I'll put that right. :-) night all.

CA88
31-01-15, 00:12
I can't offer money I'm afraid as I don't have enough for myself.

But I can offer you help, time and anything else. Just give me a shout :)

xBettyBoopx
31-01-15, 02:33
I donate when I can, I always get a "thank you" email from Nic.

Nic - I am so sorry to hear about you and Alex, that's a long time to be together, I'm sure things will work out for the best.

I will donate again when I can.

Love
Els
xxx

Carnation
31-01-15, 02:42
I was only thinking about this the other day.
The problem I have is because of this 'Illness', I have not worked for over a year.
BUT, I am going through a claim with the 'Car Accident' incident and I was going to make a Donation when that came through anyway. God knows how long I have to wait for that, but hopefully it will not be too long.
After all, this has been my Therapy in recovering too.
I hope more people read this and make a Donation if they can afford to do so, as it would be a catastrophe if we lost this Site. :ohmy:
P.s. Best Wishes to Nicola and many, many thanks for what you do. :hugs:

Carnation
31-01-15, 15:29
There should be more replies on this Thread. What is wrong with everyone???? :shrug:

debs71
31-01-15, 15:42
There should be more replies on this Thread. What is wrong with everyone???? :shrug:

Yes, I agree Carnation. It is silly to ignore Venus's post and request, as what will folk do if the site is no longer here??

I donated in the early hours today. I would like to have given more, but my financial situation isn't the best, but even a small amount would help hugely, if given by the the many members here on NMP.

It is a very good cause indeed, as anyone who is a member relying on NMP for support and advice would surely agree. I personally am eternally grateful to Nicola and all of the mods for setting up and maintaining this excellent site. It has helped me on many occasions when I am in the height of anxiety and panic. x :flowers:

Carnation
31-01-15, 15:47
I know there are people on here struggling financially, but just to ignore this Thread is just wrong. And you are right Debs, if every Member gave a small amount, it would become a big amount from all of us.

Emmz, if Members want to post a cheque, where do they send it?

debs71
31-01-15, 15:53
Yep, I totally get that people are short on funds. It is a daily occurence for me!....but a tiny amount from many would still add up to be a great help, as you say Carnie x

Magic
31-01-15, 15:58
I will be donating x

Annie0904
31-01-15, 16:52
I have donated, this site has been a lifeline for me. I know some people are struggling financially but every little helps...even if we can resist buying that bar of chocolate and send the cost of it to NMP instead :)

venusbluejeans
31-01-15, 17:04
Thank you All :)

Every donation is greatly appreciated no matter how small, Nic works hard to make sure this site is a free one but unfortunately she does that at tremendous personal cost.

I appreciate most of us do not have much at all and I am not trying to guilt trip anyone into making a donation or feeling guilty about not making a donation. It is just mainly to make people realise that it may be free for them but it is certainly not free to run the site!!

Thanks again to everyone who has donated and if you do want to donate by cheque Nic says I can give you her address,and that she will also post on this thread herself later. so if you would like to PM me (or Nic) I shall pass on the details
http://www.childrenarebutterflies.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Thanks3.gif

t0rt01se36
31-01-15, 17:11
I have just donated.

venusbluejeans
31-01-15, 17:15
Thank you Ju :) x

yvonne_uk_98
31-01-15, 20:14
I will donate tomorrow, I get paid tomorrow. I'll let you know when I've done it.

So sorry to hear about the split, keep you both in my prayers.

Sunflower2
31-01-15, 20:41
This site has really been a life saver to me so I will donate! Don't know what I'd do without it really!!

nomorepanic
31-01-15, 22:04
Hi all

Thank You all so much for the donations today and last night - it means a lot to me.

I need to be able to pay for NMP now on my own and I also need to upgrade it to VBulletin 4 so I can also start putting some adverts on to help fund it. The running costs are nearly £100 a month so it does need to start making some money to be honest.

Alex has been paying these costs for me recently but it is not fair to ask him to continue doing that now we have split up - though I know he will do so until I can start paying him back.

The split with Alex is very hard and we are now in the process of sorting out selling the home I have lived in for 16 years so things are very painful for me at the moment but I will get through it with the help of family and friends.

I am self-employed and have not had any work recently so have no income until I can find more work or a new career.

Anyway I just wanted to say:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQbhcrmV_Yd54dpCFbTPu7koZrhJ_5um VarINtiwg2uYWKabN_X0w

It means a lot to me

BikerMatt
31-01-15, 22:38
Donation from me done:) It's not a lot but I will make a donation as and when I can. Thanks for the site and hard work!

Annie0904
31-01-15, 23:36
For Nicola :bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bigh ug1::bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::bighug1::grouphug: :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Magic
01-02-15, 13:35
:hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs:for you Nicola x

Moley
01-02-15, 15:37
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiW9I5sdctf0VoCn5Mbc-jWXRgKH5cZ3q_ffVpLGbbAXSnFoZF
For everything you all do in providing such an amazing helpful supportive site.

Also big hugs for Nic. :hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs:

debs71
01-02-15, 16:42
Hugs from me too Nicola....big ones...:hugs::bighug1::flowers::bighug1::hugs:xxx

jk
01-02-15, 17:02
Hello Nic, shocked is not the word,

From a long lost friend.

swgrl09
01-02-15, 17:47
so sorry to hear ... i'll donate of course

---------- Post added at 11:41 ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 ----------

Just thinking about it, I know the exchange rate is high from USD to pounds, so I wish I could give more than I did. But if everybody who logged in gave 5 dollars or pounds or whatever per month, that would be more than enough to run this! So no shame to anybody who can just give a few dollars or what have you, it all makes a difference.

---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 ----------

Now I'm on a roll here lol sorry another addition ... Any of the admins - have you heard of Amazon Smile? Not sure how it works exactly but you can list a charity and when people select your charity, they shop on amazon for anything they typically would buy there and amazon donates a % to the charity. I wonder if it is doable for NMP?

ray52
01-02-15, 19:12
Me to this site has been a life line to me when I was at my lowest

purplepie
01-02-15, 20:08
I love this site, it makes me feel normal when the real world seems far from it! I am in severe debt but will give a little. If everyone does the same, it will keep this important site going!! xx

venusbluejeans
01-02-15, 20:42
Wow Thank you everybody. Nic has just been telling me about all the donations and I am really Grateful for each and everyone, because it all goes to the running and the improvement of the site....

Thank you so much again it means a lot...

Swgrl09 - We us easy fundraising which uses online shopping to raise funds but I am not sure many people know about it. It sounds like the Amazon Smile is similar? http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/

https://whitewraithe.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/thank-you-letter-for-donation1.jpg?w=584
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yvonne_uk_98
01-02-15, 21:02
I thought today was Monday, I've been a day ahead of myself. I will donate on Monday, that is when I get paid, sorry.

sending you hugs Nicola. :hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs::hugs:

nomorepanic
01-02-15, 23:22
I am overwhelmed by the kindness and donations today and thank you all so much.

I have emailed every individual that donated so please check spam/junk if you don't have an email from me thanking you.

I really do appreciate the donations so that we can keep NMP running and also get it upgraded to the newer VBulletin version.

Thank You all
xx

finnsdad
02-02-15, 00:03
Done :)

Will send more soon x

alan15
02-02-15, 00:15
Like a lot of other people I cannot log into the chatroom, there is a real problem with java, I very rarely post anything, sort out the problem with java and I and I expect others will consider donating, whats the point of donating to a site that by and large doesn't help me anymore. ALAN

Gatsby
02-02-15, 00:25
Have you thought Alan, that it is time and funds that has caused the problems in chat to not be solved quicker, what an ignorant and unnecessary comment.
Maybe your donation may help to find a new host (sorry if this is not the correct term, i'm not technically minded) for this site, then you can carry on joining in.

Everyone who helps run this site do a massive service every day and i am ever so thankful for what they do. I for one would be completely lost without NMP, thankfully i can still access chat, but even if i couldn't i would be happy in the thought that everything was being done that could be done to fix the problem. Being a negative nelly helps no one!

venusbluejeans
02-02-15, 01:53
There are a few reasons for the chat room problems...

1. we need to upgrade the chat room and this costs money to sort out and it is also taking time as we need a chat room with specific requirements. we have been looking for a suitable one for a long time now so we have not been sat doing nothing about the chat room.


2. Alex is our technical Guru on the site who is going through the split with Nic and is suffering as much as she is and at the minute really has other things to be doing rather than sorting and writing new chat rooms.

We are sorting the chat room but there is only so much we can do at the minute.... if you feel that the site is not helping you then we are not forcing you to donate at all.... we appreciate every single donation we do get but do not force anyone to donate, that bit is up to the member.

swgrl09
02-02-15, 02:35
I never use the chat room but this site has really helped me a lot over the years ... I honestly just forget that it does take money and time to run, so thank you to everybody who does it and who has pitched in to keep this going.

debs71
02-02-15, 05:16
I don't use the chatroom either, to be honest. I would get tongue tied and shy.:blush:

Quite frankly, if someone is that desperate to talk and can't through the chat room, what is the issue with posting??

Maybe then they would find the site does indeed 'HELP' them.

MyNameIsTerry
02-02-15, 07:42
Sorry to hear about your troubles Nic :bighug1::hugs::flowers:

Are you recognised by HMRC as a charity because you won't be pulling in enough to become a registered one with the Charity Commission unless you want CIO status.

If you did this you could access Gift Aid for UK donations to boost against your costs. That would drop your costs to £80 in UK donations. I think the only problem for some of us then is going to be the tax issue because we may not pay enough or any to qualify to give you Gift Aid. (how do we get around that?)

I only pay tax on savings in the current financial year so I doubt I would qualify.

---------- Post added at 06:42 ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 ----------


so sorry to hear ... i'll donate of course

---------- Post added at 11:41 ---------- Previous post was at 11:29 ----------

Just thinking about it, I know the exchange rate is high from USD to pounds, so I wish I could give more than I did. But if everybody who logged in gave 5 dollars or pounds or whatever per month, that would be more than enough to run this! So no shame to anybody who can just give a few dollars or what have you, it all makes a difference.

---------- Post added at 11:47 ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 ----------

Now I'm on a roll here lol sorry another addition ... Any of the admins - have you heard of Amazon Smile? Not sure how it works exactly but you can list a charity and when people select your charity, they shop on amazon for anything they typically would buy there and amazon donates a % to the charity. I wonder if it is doable for NMP?

Amazon Smile gives 0.5% but the one Emma mentioned gives 1.5% for Amazon purchases. I've never heard of it but at least it means we can get them more. To be honest, I didn't know about this and I could have been putting my Xmas pressie purchases through this for NMP! I used to get Nectar points of Amazon but now they have stopped again and I still need to use them as they are far cheaper than anywhere else for some of the stuff I seem to buy.

A local charity I used to attend offered membership with or without subscription and I think it was either whatever you wanted to pay or 50p or something like that. Every little bit does help afterall.

If NMP is a charity, can we not pursue grants? The National Lottery give money out and can we even chase celebrities for a donation given many of them have or still do suffer from mental health conditions?

It just strikes me that whilst its a lot of money to Nic, its not in the grand scheme of charities and if even a one off payment to give Nic some breathing space can be obtained, its better than nothing. She needs something ongoing, thats for sure, but like you say, its not that much if we spread it. I will make a donation, I'm just awaiting an answer on the Gift Aid question because I would prefer to add the extra 25p per pound if possible.

Also, I think we need to be mindful of how we donate because when I clicked Donate to see how it processes ot shows that Nic is using Paypal so there are some fees to consider if we are outside the UK or don't have a Paypal or Bank Account to donate from https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/paypal-fees (Am I right in thinking that if we Paypal you cash that we haven't first credited to our Paypal accounts, you will get hit with the Debit Card fee?)

alan15
02-02-15, 09:03
The issue with posting is you have to wait for a reply, some people are desperate to chat with someone there and then, the chatroom is very helpful to a lot of people. I will not stoop to critisising other members on this thread , I have sent a message to venus complaining about these put down comments towards me, I am entitled to my opinion and shouldn't have to suffer this these abusive comments.

yvonne_uk_98
02-02-15, 12:57
Done,

I thought of setting up a monthly payment, that way I'm donating monthly.

PanchoGoz
02-02-15, 13:25
Thats a nice idea Yvonne. I would be up for doing a sort of standing order to NMP, that way it's smaller donations, but spread out so we give more and secure it's future too.

SarahH
02-02-15, 13:43
BUMPING!!.. this needs to be read by all:)

swgrl09
02-02-15, 15:16
Hm, I'm not sure about the debit fee Terry. I used paypal because it would exchange the currency from USD automatically. But mine is set up to automatically draw from my bank account, I don't think I was hit with any fees. I know I don't get fees within the US from them.

I'll have to remember the other site Venus mentioned. The thing about the admins is they don't ask for help from us and do everythng out of the goodness of their hearts so I think a lot of people just go about their lives and don't think anything of it. Maybe a yearly fundraiser or quarterly just to remind those of us who are a little forgetful about how to donate?

t0rt01se36
02-02-15, 15:22
Thank you for your email Nic, which i obviously received

Magic
02-02-15, 16:03
Good Idea swgrl. Yes we do forget and I am one of them that does x

MrAndy
02-02-15, 16:12
its easy to forget this site is run free of charge for us all,it helps so many people in so many ways and should be supported by us its members
thankyou again for such a great website full of information and genuine support

superjonboy
02-02-15, 17:58
I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do to help.

As well as teaching guitar I am a freelance web developer. I've worked for other companies in the past also but went freelance September 2013.

It may be that there are cheaper alternatives for the running costs of the site with things like hosting. I have access to pretty cheap cloud hosting and also VPN's.

RubyToo
02-02-15, 18:44
I cannot afford to donate just now either (maybe at end of month) BUT, my husband is a computer programmer and we have servers too, if there is anything he can do to help just shout out, he WILL give his service for free as I will tell him too (I get more help here and from the folks I have met here than from him, lol).

MyNameIsTerry
03-02-15, 08:04
Hm, I'm not sure about the debit fee Terry. I used paypal because it would exchange the currency from USD automatically. But mine is set up to automatically draw from my bank account, I don't think I was hit with any fees. I know I don't get fees within the US from them.

I'll have to remember the other site Venus mentioned. The thing about the admins is they don't ask for help from us and do everythng out of the goodness of their hearts so I think a lot of people just go about their lives and don't think anything of it. Maybe a yearly fundraiser or quarterly just to remind those of us who are a little forgetful about how to donate?

According to Paypay a US to UK payment funded from by Paypal balance or bank account would get a 0.5% fee on top of any currency conversion. I says the sender normally chooses who pays the fee though so if you didn't get an option, I guess it may have been passed on or grouped with the conversion? I would have thought it would be broken down seperately on the statement somewhere though.

I only have my AMEX set up so I had to check because of the possibility of merchant fees on the other side. Paypal removed by bank account because I never use it to transfer from so I'll have to set it up again first before donating! :mad:

A fundraiser sounds a good idea. I think lior mentioned crowdfunding which will mean branching out using their sharing tools and over social media by members to gain some initial 'traction' to get the fund moving but it might be a way to pull in new people and other donations but there is a fee (often 3-10%) and a target campaign means if you don't hit it, you can't draw the funds, so it would probably be best as an open one unless they have a good idea they are going to raise the cash.

---------- Post added at 07:04 ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 ----------




Swgrl09 - We us easy fundraising which uses online shopping to raise funds but I am not sure many people know about it. It sounds like the Amazon Smile is similar? http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/


Emma - just a thought about this. There are some ways to generate funds on a one off basis with the free donations section. I wonder if we can get a load of these from things like signs ups and free trials? (as long as we all read the small print first)

I'll switch some of my spending from now on to go through this website instead where I'm not enrolled in another scheme. I wish I had realised as I could have put a few hundred in Amazon orders through this that I did for various family members last year!

Another thought I had, as Nic mentioned advertising space, is there are at least 2 authors of ebooks on here that have used NMP. In return for advertising space, could they offer a % of their sales?

Pinguanxious
03-02-15, 23:00
I will also be donating on payday!

snowflake293
05-02-15, 12:47
This site has been a huge support for me during the most difficult times with anxiety and I honestly don't know how I would have coped without all the amazing people who have shown me so much support here.

It is easy to forget that things cost money, and none of us would want the site to close. Not everyone will be able to donate and that is totally understandable but it is so important that people who can afford it even if its just a couple of quid help when they can.

Just want to say a huge thanks to everyone here, and especially those who keep the site running. I owe you all an awful lot

xxx

Mindknot
06-02-15, 10:56
Just thinking, maybe more people will see this & donate if the message could be copied into every section of the forum somehow? The HA section regularly has 700-800 people looking at it, but other bits of the forum don't have so much... which is probably why not so many people have commented here.

snowflake293
06-02-15, 11:00
Just thinking, maybe more people will see this & donate if the message could be copied into every section of the forum somehow? The HA section regularly has 700-800 people looking at it, but other bits of the forum don't have so much... which is probably why not so many people have commented here.

Excellent idea!
:yesyes:

lior
06-02-15, 11:20
I will be donating and I think it's the right thing to do to ask people to donate.

However, most charities don't get enough money from people who use them. Often people who use charities are going through a hard time financially on top of their other problems. I'm not working at the moment because of my depression and anxiety and I know many other people are like this.

Instead, charities often get money from funding sources such as the Lottery or rich philanthropists.

Maybe this is something we could look into as a more secure, long-term solution?

If I feel up to it, I will try to research some funding sources. I've never found a better anxiety forum, so I think this is a very special place. That fact will help attract funders - because NMP is unique.

MyNameIsTerry
06-02-15, 12:00
Instead, charities often get money from funding sources such as the Lottery or rich philanthropists.

Maybe this is something we could look into as a more secure, long-term solution?

If I feel up to it, I will try to research some funding sources. I've never found a better anxiety forum, so I think this is a very special place. That fact will help attract funders - because NMP is unique.

Perhaps celebrity funding could help? There are plenty of ex and current sufferers who like showing support to charities. Its more the standard view of the charity that they support and I think the lack of borders to this forum is a selling point as most charities for things like this are restricted by geography.

I don't know if any of the other forums have sought donations on this basis but Nic might know if they all speak to each other?

I haven't tried any others, I found this place quickly via Google and with it being right at the top. naturally I started looking.

If I search on the following in Google today, I get these results:

Search Phrase Page Position(s)
Panic Forum 1 1 & 2
Anxiety Forum 1 3
Depression Forum 1 5
OCD Forum 1 6
Social Anxiety Forum 2 2
Phobia Forum 4 8
Phobias Forum 2 4
Health Anxiety Forum 1 2 & 3
Panic Symptoms Forum 1 2
Anxiety Symptoms Forum 1 5

So, this place must be getting a lot of hits, more than most of the other forums if thats correct.

I remember when I attended the walk-in groups that this was mentioned. Some people there would have preferred a support forum alongside the walk-ins as they weren't enough.

I think these forums are quire hidden compared to the mainstream and unless they become registered charities and promote themselves more actively, they are not recognised but they should be.

---------- Post added at 11:00 ---------- Previous post was at 10:56 ----------


Just thinking, maybe more people will see this & donate if the message could be copied into every section of the forum somehow? The HA section regularly has 700-800 people looking at it, but other bits of the forum don't have so much... which is probably why not so many people have commented here.

I think it needs to be, perhaps just banner style across it all for now like Wiki tend to do.

I've added it onto a signature so it shows up in some threads because I get the impression that the HA board is kind of a forum within a forum and I don't see a lot of people posting elsewhere so I wasn't sure if they were seeing it? The HA board is by far the busiest and I would imagine they would want to show their support but even some of the more senior members haven't, and they normally do join in to support such things, so I assumed it wasn't been seen for some reason.

Mindknot
06-02-15, 14:09
That would of course be awesome to get a banner up, funding etc, I'd be up for helping out with that if I can in anyway.. but for now, I'm nicking your signature idea MyNameIsTerry ;)

Unfortunately I've poured a bit too much of my heart and soul out on here to want to share the link with my friends and family (closet anxious), but I'm still working a full time job, so I will try and donate monthly. Hopefully some others can do that too. I have absolutely no idea how much it costs to host a forum this size, but perhaps we can make a NMP co-operative type scenario to spread the cost across a few/appropriate number of willing "shareholders"

Heenimoana
06-02-15, 19:41
So sorry to hear about the things she is going through at the moment, it would be a shame to have this site come down, I wouldn't know what to do. The support and advice I've received from everyone has been amazing and I don't know where I would be without you guys. I'd love to make donations as often as I can, especially knowing that there are other people out there who also need that support. Blessings to Nic and I hope she pulls through as a stronger person.

PanchoGoz
06-02-15, 22:17
Shall we start a hashtag?

Annie0904
06-02-15, 22:25
I think hashtag is a great idea :) I wouldn't know how to start it though...will leave that to a younger member :)

t0rt01se36
06-02-15, 22:54
I have tweeted five celebrities.

MyNameIsTerry
06-02-15, 23:24
I have tweeted five celebrities.

How about current president of MIND Stephen Fry and former president Melvyn Bragg?

MyNameIsTerry
07-02-15, 05:07
That would of course be awesome to get a banner up, funding etc, I'd be up for helping out with that if I can in anyway.. but for now, I'm nicking your signature idea MyNameIsTerry ;)

Unfortunately I've poured a bit too much of my heart and soul out on here to want to share the link with my friends and family (closet anxious), but I'm still working a full time job, so I will try and donate monthly. Hopefully some others can do that too. I have absolutely no idea how much it costs to host a forum this size, but perhaps we can make a NMP co-operative type scenario to spread the cost across a few/appropriate number of willing "shareholders"

Steal away :yesyes:

I know what you mean, I couldn't share this either for the same reasons. I come on here to be able to talk privately.

I think Nic mentioned approx £100 per month earlier in the thread.

I think Nic needs to have a think about how she wants to work this going forward because its going to need some t&cs for monthly subscribing and it leaves the issue of those not wishing to pay and visitors. Those that do join a collective may want more involvement in services provided or not but I think clarification is first required of charitable status, trustees, structure, spending, etc going forward as it currently feels more like a private website that Nic has out of the goodness of her heart and I don't think it can realistically stay thay way, but if it changes, its still Nic's charity.

Its not a lot of money per month though so there are options for small numbers to go in with Nic or a smaller donation of a larger number of members but for me this feels like subscription. I know the local charity I used to attend had free and paid membership but the paid members had additional benefits such as having a say. Its perhaps something Nic needs legal advice on.

snowflake293
07-02-15, 13:25
That would of course be awesome to get a banner up, funding etc, I'd be up for helping out with that if I can in anyway.. but for now, I'm nicking your signature idea MyNameIsTerry ;)

Unfortunately I've poured a bit too much of my heart and soul out on here to want to share the link with my friends and family (closet anxious), but I'm still working a full time job, so I will try and donate monthly. Hopefully some others can do that too. I have absolutely no idea how much it costs to host a forum this size, but perhaps we can make a NMP co-operative type scenario to spread the cost across a few/appropriate number of willing "shareholders"

I can relate to what you said about not necessarily wanting people you know to see what you have written, I feel the same! I prefer to remain totally anonymous if I am honest.

I am lucky enough to be in permanent, full time work so I can certainly afford to donate a little money now and then. It would be good if there was a way of setting up a regular donation?

I love the idea of forming a NMP co-op, I'd be well up for that! :yesyes:

venusbluejeans
07-02-15, 13:57
Wow :D thank you all.

I am just catching up with this threadas I haven't been on so much due to Work and looking after the lovely Nicola...... who will catch up with this thread, but if you have read the post in the hugs forum then you know she is going through a hell of a lot at the minute.

We definitely aren't ignoring the thread, just otherwise occupied. I will read it through properly later when I am home from work As I have 3 days off and can read throught the Good ideas I have seen looking through.

Thank you all so much again :yesyes:

Snowflake and Terry, I love your signatures :D xx :wub:

Emmz xxxxxxxxxxxxx

http://sirufu999.c.blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/_0e9/sirufu999/m_thank-you-cats-graphic.gif?c=a11

wnsos
07-02-15, 18:44
Only just saw this! I suck. Donated :hugs:

cpe1978
08-02-15, 11:27
I missed this thread completely to be honest, so sorry for not chipping in sooner. I have a number of charity direct debits that I make each month, and due to the relentless hassle from one in particular that asks continuously for more money I have stopped there's. I would be quite happy to make a regular monthly donation of say £5 if there was the facility to make a regular contribution. Another 19 supporters and we would be well on the way to covering the monthly cost.

Also, so sorry to hear about your situation Nic. You will never quite appreciate how this site helped to change my life.

MyNameIsTerry
08-02-15, 12:02
I have a number of charity direct debits that I make each month, and due to the relentless hassle from one in particular that asks continuously for more money I have stopped there's.

I know what you mean. I had one like that, they wanted £35 a month at one point! I cancelled and then they dropped it to even lower than my original...it felt like I was cancelling a mobile phone or magazine subscription!

I prefer smaller amounts across a range like you.

flipsake
08-02-15, 20:48
Donated. This site has and still is really helping me. Best wishes to all.

flinn
08-02-15, 23:29
Donated, this site has been great for me. Pleased to be able to help in some small way.

Mindknot
09-02-15, 13:35
Steal away :yesyes:

I know what you mean, I couldn't share this either for the same reasons. I come on here to be able to talk privately.

I think Nic mentioned approx £100 per month earlier in the thread.

I think Nic needs to have a think about how she wants to work this going forward because its going to need some t&cs for monthly subscribing and it leaves the issue of those not wishing to pay and visitors. Those that do join a collective may want more involvement in services provided or not but I think clarification is first required of charitable status, trustees, structure, spending, etc going forward as it currently feels more like a private website that Nic has out of the goodness of her heart and I don't think it can realistically stay thay way, but if it changes, its still Nic's charity.

Its not a lot of money per month though so there are options for small numbers to go in with Nic or a smaller donation of a larger number of members but for me this feels like subscription. I know the local charity I used to attend had free and paid membership but the paid members had additional benefits such as having a say. Its perhaps something Nic needs legal advice on.

Hmm, I wouldn't really call it a subscription, just a regular donation made through choice - I would expect there are enough people on the forum who would do that providing we can promo the donation section more - I also feel like there must be some way to set it up through paypal...?

Going forward, you're right, it's not that sustainable as a personal website, and I'm sure Nic is not going to want to have to think about that at the moment. I don't know enough to comment really on this particular situation, but it seems to me there are a few possible options that would help her spread the financial and administrative load of the website... :)

lior
09-02-15, 16:10
Donated.

Useful links for finding funding:

http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/financial-help/for-organisations/

http://ukcommunityfoundations.org/community_foundations/map - I'm not sure where the site founder lives. Should probably start with your local area to fund the website, maybe

https://unltd.org.uk - if NMP counts as a social enterprise?

Also sent this to the Big Lottery https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/england/awards-for-all-england (I would have CCed in Nic or venusbluejeans but I don't have your email address):



Hello

I belong to a forum for anxiety sufferers called No More Panic.

www.nomorepanic.co.uk

It is funded and maintained by the founder and a couple of members of the community. It has been going for at least a few years. The founder has anxiety herself and is struggling to continue paying for the website hosting fees.

The forum has helped hundreds of people over the years with their daily struggle with mental health. Many forum members also experience depression, panic attacks, PTSD, OCD, phobias etc, and the forum members support each other across all issues.

I myself have experienced severe depression with bouts of suicidal thoughts, as well as anxiety. I have tried joining other forums such as Friends in Need (Depression Alliance) and The Suicide Project, but I have found that No More Panic (NMP) is the most active, helpful forum. I have been a member of NMP since 2009 and it has helped me get through some awful times in my life.

I’m not sure if I’m explaining all the details correctly, but do you know in general if the Awards for All funding might be relevant to this project? And if not, would you be able to point us in the direction of a funding body that could help?

I will update the community with your response and I can find out any other details that you might need.

Many thanks
Lior

venusbluejeans
09-02-15, 21:16
Emma - just a thought about this. There are some ways to generate funds on a one off basis with the free donations section. I wonder if we can get a load of these from things like signs ups and free trials? (as long as we all read the small print first)

I have tried doing some of the free things and have made some money by doing that, thee only thing you have to watch is that when some of the places have your email address then they like to send you lots of messages...... (althought there is usually an unsubscribe link in the emails) but good idea, there was quite a few free trials etc on there lasst time I looked


Just thinking, maybe more people will see this & donate if the message could be copied into every section of the forum somehow? The HA section regularly has 700-800 people looking at it, but other bits of the forum don't have so much... which is probably why not so many people have commented here.

Unfortunately Forums tend to move fast and the threads move fast down the forums.... the only alternative would be to make the post 'sticky' on each forum but I am not sure many people actually look at our sticky threads..... I will have a word with Nic.




I haven't tried any others, I found this place quickly via Google and with it being right at the top. naturally I started looking.



That is why NMP has been crashing occasionally recently, we have had lots of spiders crawling the site helping the google ranking... :)




Useful links for finding funding:

http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/financial-help/for-organisations/

http://ukcommunityfoundations.org/community_foundations/map - I'm not sure where the site founder lives. Should probably start with your local area to fund the website, maybe

https://unltd.org.uk - if NMP counts as a social enterprise?

Also sent this to the Big Lottery https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/england/awards-for-all-england (I would have CCed in Nic or venusbluejeans but I don't have your email address):



Hello

I belong to a forum for anxiety sufferers called No More Panic.

www.nomorepanic.co.uk (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk)

It is funded and maintained by the founder and a couple of members of the community. It has been going for at least a few years. The founder has anxiety herself and is struggling to continue paying for the website hosting fees.

The forum has helped hundreds of people over the years with their daily struggle with mental health. Many forum members also experience depression, panic attacks, PTSD, OCD, phobias etc, and the forum members support each other across all issues.

I myself have experienced severe depression with bouts of suicidal thoughts, as well as anxiety. I have tried joining other forums such as Friends in Need (Depression Alliance) and The Suicide Project, but I have found that No More Panic (NMP) is the most active, helpful forum. I have been a member of NMP since 2009 and it has helped me get through some awful times in my life.

I’m not sure if I’m explaining all the details correctly, but do you know in general if the Awards for All funding might be relevant to this project? And if not, would you be able to point us in the direction of a funding body that could help?

I will update the community with your response and I can find out any other details that you might need.

Many thanks
Lior

Thanks for all this Lior :) great research. let us know if you get a reply at all and I shall certainly look at all the links...

Thank you so much to all of you, so good to see you all passionate about the cause and some good ideas ....:hugs::hugs:

nomorepanic
09-02-15, 21:45
Hi all

Sorry I have been absent for a bit but I am having a pretty tough time with the break-up from Alex, my cat being put down last Friday and soon I will be losing the home I have lived in for 16 years and no idea where I will be moving to but I will have to rent somewhere small. On top of that I am self-employed and have no work so am having to look for a new job as well.

I will just answer a few general questions.

I don't really want NMP to become a charity as that brings a lot of work with it. It would need trustees to run it, have to complete full accounts, register with HMRC, do annual reports etc etc.

NMP is hosted on a dedicated server with a company called RapidSwitch. The server runs Linux which both Alex and I are competent at using.

The server is in a data centre which is staffed 24x7 so if we do have problems we only have to log a support ticket and it is answered almost immediately.

We did not want to run NMP on a shared server as we are then at the mercy of when that server is rebooted for other clients on there.

We will also have the advantage of generators for backup power supply.

This, of course, all comes at a cost.

Alex is going to be upgrading this forum to VB4 which allows advertising to be added more easily. This has a cost of £120-£130 I think he said so I need to pay that as well.

We will get that done and look at the advertising options but in the meantime I want to Thank everyone so much for the donations. Everyone has been so kind and generous. Thank You all

SarahH
09-02-15, 23:16
My personal thoughts are that as individuals we can donate a monthly amount to help with the running costs until Nic is feeling better and up to thinking about the details of NMP. She is happy (a believe) to give you her details via email should anyone want to donate by Standing Order.

:hugs:

lior
09-02-15, 23:32
I don't think that you have to be a charity to receive grant funding... there is grant funding available for community projects. The amount NMP needs to run is a drop in the ocean to some of these funding bodies.

I believe that NMP really deserves to be funded. I didn't know the costs to you. I think you should have your costs covered for doing this at the very minimum. If anything you should be earning a little bit from this site to cover your time.

MyNameIsTerry
10-02-15, 11:13
Hmm, I wouldn't really call it a subscription, just a regular donation made through choice - I would expect there are enough people on the forum who would do that providing we can promo the donation section more - I also feel like there must be some way to set it up through paypal...?

Going forward, you're right, it's not that sustainable as a personal website, and I'm sure Nic is not going to want to have to think about that at the moment. I don't know enough to comment really on this particular situation, but it seems to me there are a few possible options that would help her spread the financial and administrative load of the website... :)

The co-operative is complicated as it brings people in together as shareholders who have a say and profit share, so I guess it would need more like a co-operative incorporated inside a Provident Society since that would normally mean any profit is reinvested. These societies run for the benefit of a wider group than the co-operative members unlike a standard co-operative. These socieities are usually companies too but there are special exemptions.

Another similiar form could be an unincorporated association. Then there is a shared agreement and all members are liable for debts and other obligations. These tend to be voluntary organisations or clubs but if they make a profit, they do get treated the same as a normal company in terms of coproration tax & tax returns. These are pretty simply by comparison though eg free set up.

All of those fit to groups of people and are classed as social enterprises.

Aside from the the latter, the unincorporated association, it seems a complex process and may be more work than running a charity as there could be a lot more people involved with financial motivations (unless a PS co-op). Even the latter is going to need a legal agreement to tie the parties though, I suspect.

---------- Post added at 10:13 ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 ----------


I don't think that you have to be a charity to receive grant funding... there is grant funding available for community projects. The amount NMP needs to run is a drop in the ocean to some of these funding bodies.

I believe that NMP really deserves to be funded. I didn't know the costs to you. I think you should have your costs covered for doing this at the very minimum. If anything you should be earning a little bit from this site to cover your time.

No, I don't think you do either. A charity can be a social enterprise, but so can a company or such as a Provident Society. Community projects are going to come under social enterprises and I doubt they all go to the trouble of setting up a charity in the form of a Trust or CIC just to run some garden projects or a youth club. They also give grants out to sports projects, the arts, etc and those will be the same.

You can set up a social enterprise and you still have to choose the structure which can include the normal business options of sole trader, business partnership or limited company. So, perhaps if Nic was to split this up, if this is not the case already (just thinking of the mess it might make to tax), a sole trader social enterprise is the closest business structure and it means nothing more than what you would do as a normal sole trader (the usual costs, revenue, profit and tax where the company becomes profit making) which Nic will be fluent in being self employed.

The grant funding route will probably just need something clearly explaining the running costs, where any cash will go, etc along with the business case for it.

Grant funding would probably be better than such as crowd funding as outside contributors who don't use the services may feel they don't know where the money goes, always a perception issue with any social enterprise because of the potential to be for profit. It might be worth a go though and something else to consider is that whilst Nic understandably doesn't want the headaches of running a charity, you can approach another charity and ask to set up a project. I know you get to determine where the project donations go and I assume that you are covered by the same rules as the charity thus opening up the Gift Aid option (I'm not sure how this works though).

Mindknot
10-02-15, 11:14
The co-operative is complicated as it brings people in together as shareholders who have a say and profit share, so I guess it would need more like a co-operative incorporated inside a Provident Society since that would normally mean any profit is reinvested. These societies run for the benefit of a wider group than the co-operative members unlike a standard co-operative. These socieities are usually companies too but there are special exemptions.

Another similiar form could be an unincorporated association. Then there is a shared agreement and all members are liable for debts and other obligations. These tend to be voluntary organisations or clubs but if they make a profit, they do get treated the same as a normal company in terms of coproration ax & tax returns.

All of those fit to groups of people and are classed as social enterprises.

Aside from the the latter, the unincorporated association, it seems a complex process and may be more work than running a charity as there could be a lot more people involved with financial motivations (unless a PS co-op). Even the latter is going to need a legal agreement to tie the parties though, I suspect.

'Fraid you've lost me there, I've always liked the idea of co-ops but totally don't know any of the legal bits 'n' bobs :shrug:

I think probably for the time being it's best just to pimp the donation thread around and hope more people get on board in whatever small way they can. :)

SarahH
10-02-15, 16:39
I agree Minknot. I am donating £5 a month by SO to Nicola........ this forum must keep running to help the thousands who have used it in the past and will use it in the future.


Sarah

PanchoGoz
10-02-15, 16:48
Even if we only donated 2 pounds a month, well if just 50 members did that it would be 100 pounds a month! I'm sure we have 50 regular users on here who would be up to a standing order of some sort?
Finally getting round to donating

Carnation
10-02-15, 18:17
I totally agree with Nicola. The less hassle for her the better, especially under the circumstances. And, I think this Site could run quite easily and hassle free with donations form the Members. Let's not bog Nicola down with more things to worry about; remember she is a sufferer too! This must be making Nicola's head spin at the moment. :ohmy: Although there has been some great ideas on here. :)
I know what it is like to go through a split, lose your house, lose your job and a cat all at once; it happened to me and it's up there with the top ten stresses of all time.
It's now that she needs lots of support and TLC. :hugs:

Tessar
10-02-15, 21:14
carnations right. we don't want to bog nic down. its really good to see everyone donating. I do feel the donation page is a little "hidden". I think once we are on the site, it's the last thing on our mind. I must admit I am not a great one for noticing stuff that's hidden. anyway, I need to shoosh now otherwise i'll be adding to the debate!

---------- Post added at 20:14 ---------- Previous post was at 20:13 ----------

oh I also meant to say that all the ideas and input are good.... I would end up with a headache just thinking about all the ideas alone but its good everyone id
taking an interest.

lior
10-02-15, 22:25
I think you guys are right. Nic must be having a horrible time right now and it's a difficult time to take on a lot of new work.

In the long term, getting a grant would be pretty sweet - doesn't mean it has to be chased up right now. It's more security than just donations.

I'm good with a cause. I can help chase up funding if you need help (depending on my health at the time). Doesn't have to be now.

HalfJack
11-02-15, 21:07
Hugs! This website is awesome, don't understand most of the above but good luck x

swgrl09
12-02-15, 02:52
^^ lol I agree, I can understand simple things like amazon smile, etc, but the rest is latin

PaulieC
12-02-15, 22:36
I'll be more than happy to chip in at the end of the month. This website is about the only thing keeping me sane at the moment. Thanks for drawing our attention to it.

Wuboo
12-02-15, 23:48
Well I'l skint this month but hopefully next month. Until then as a (ex) web developer I can provide support for any techie stuff should you need it.

MyNameIsTerry
15-02-15, 06:19
Does anyone know much about using EasyFunding?

I've signed up and there is an automatic reminder app that pops up a banner at the top when you go to a website on their list. It doesn't seem to be coming up for me now though so I don't know if it only works once but I didn't dismiss it.

I'm thinking that if it pops up, it saves me going via their website and that means I can log in through my Nectar first and use that to navigate to the website I am purchasing from and then also click on the banner so I'm not redirected. This was I can double up because I will otherwise prioritise my Nectar points as they are useful to me and only use EasyFunding on those not in the Nectar scheme.

clio51
17-02-15, 20:18
Just donated Nic, great website and helped me realise I wasn't on my own, and in frightening times there was somewhere to turn too

Cykhet
24-02-15, 14:02
Nicola,

Pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I have an active license to the latest version of Vbulletin5. I recently took down an old gaming site I was running and noticed that I'm able to change the "licensed URL". Anyhow, It's not being used and I'd be more than happy to donate my existing Vbulletin5 license to this community.

Please reach out to me in PM's when you have a moment.

Tessar
24-02-15, 23:11
Wow Cykhet that's an amazing offer.

nomorepanic
24-02-15, 23:15
It is a very kind offer and I am talking to cykhet about it now.

Cykhet
25-02-15, 00:10
Wow Cykhet that's an amazing offer.


It is a very kind offer and I am talking to cykhet about it now.


It's my pleasure. I'm fortunate to have found this community and want to contribute in any way possible :)

swgrl09
25-02-15, 00:26
Wow, how generous Cykhet!

MyNameIsTerry
25-02-15, 07:08
It's my pleasure. I'm fortunate to have found this community and want to contribute in any way possible :)

Thats really generous and especially from a new member!

I hope everyone remembers this and makes a point to help you where they can on here in return.

Cykhet
26-02-15, 00:24
Wow, how generous Cykhet!



Thats really generous and especially from a new member!

I hope everyone remembers this and makes a point to help you where they can on here in return.

My pleasure :) The best part about giving is expecting absolutely nothing in return. My satisfaction in this is seeing this community grow and continue to help others in need.

I'm talking to Alex about the migration now, hopefully this upgrade will be coming in the near future.

Cheers all.

swgrl09
26-02-15, 00:50
Wow, thank you!!

little scientist
27-02-15, 17:01
I've made a small donation. Sorry it can't be more, but I realised just how much this community has meant to me, especially in the earlier years of my depression. It helped me know how to cope with medication side effects etc. I would hate to see it go!

23tana
28-02-15, 03:45
Will make a donation as soon as my money comes through. We must keep nmp going! Thanks for all you do.

MyNameIsTerry
28-02-15, 07:57
Just to add onto lior's suggestion of grants, has anyone considered this?

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1401386#post1401386

I've seen this a few times on here where someone says their doctor, nurse or therapist has pointed them to NMP.

This is a good selling point because we all know what the NHS are like about referrals, they won't easily do it unless they have reviewed where they are referring people too. So, I think things like this are a great indicator of the worth of these places, then there is the peer support evidence stuff out there and having recommendations from medical professionals shows they have faith that this place serves their patients needs.

Some charities have patrons and half of this is because it boosts their profile. I've worked at small businesses before that have purposely sought to have a Lord or Lady on the board just for appearances despite them taking next to no role in the business. (although they share legal responsibility as directors)

MOJO
28-02-15, 22:44
So sorry to hear about your troubles Nicola.:weep: I have just donated. It's quite a while since I came on here as my anxiety has been a lot better for the last year or two. Unfortunately I do now have other health issues. However, when I was at my worst I was on this wonderful site many times a day,every day, for a couple of years. Without it and the amazing help I got from so many people here, I don't know how I would have got through those terrible times. I would hate to see this site having to close down for lack of funding and depriving people of the brilliant support always given here.

Judy.

IrishLondon
02-03-15, 05:21
Have just seen this post. So sorry to hear about all this. This site has given me so much support over the past few years and I'm more than happy to donate!

Irish. x

up a ladder
02-03-15, 08:18
I have a bonus due at the end of March and will happily make a donation. As been said before, if it were not for NMP, I seriously doubt I would be working.

BumbleGirl
12-03-15, 22:15
Just seen this and really hope nmp can continue running! I have found so much support on this site and made some great friends. I don't get paid until the 5th of next month but will be happy to donate some money then.
Nic - Sorry to hear you are having some personal problems and thank you for running such a great site xx
Cyket - Thank you for offering your website for us to use as nmp, hope it all works out xx

Humly
15-03-15, 10:51
I dont have a paypal account but want to donate. Can I send a cheque? Or pay by debit card or credit card? Which is best x

nomorepanic
15-03-15, 14:14
I dont have a paypal account but want to donate. Can I send a cheque? Or pay by debit card or credit card? Which is best x

I will PM you and thanks :yesyes:

nomorepanic
15-03-15, 14:16
To everyone that has donated:

2304

23tana
15-03-15, 15:25
Just donated. Keep up the good work Nic xx

steph25
16-03-15, 08:40
Hi, I just wanted to say what a fantastic website! It really has helped me and I would love to donate when I get paid.

What I would like to say is that is there anywhere else you could also put a donate button? It took me a while to find it and that was only because I went back to the original post. I have your forum bookmarked on my computer and I rarely go onto the homepage now so it might be an idea to see if you could link in somewhere else as well.

hopefulaussie
19-03-15, 10:37
I am only new here but from what I have read on the boards I know I will find this site very useful in my recovery.
I will also donate.
I wish all well.

A Nervous Nigel
24-03-15, 14:58
I have only just seen this! I dont normally use the home page as I have a bookmark straight to the forum. When I next get my money through in April I will be sure to donate!

This site has helped me quite a lot when struggling!

Thank you!

SarahH
24-03-15, 17:55
Just "bumping" this up:D
perhaps those that can afford to could set up a Direct Debit of a small donation each month:shrug:

Sarah

Davit
27-03-15, 03:58
I'm on a pension and money is tight but this site is too good to lose. And I don't need to be here but I am. I've donated what I can now and will continue to as I can. You can do it too or are you going to leave it up to those that really can't afford too. Some of you are paying more to your Doctor who knows less.

PanicAttackGurl
27-03-15, 04:12
:yesyes: New here and have found such helpful information in the few short days I have been a member. Donated and will continue to.

xBettyBoopx
27-03-15, 04:13
Hi Davit

Just read your message. I just wanted to let you know that we actually don't pay to see the doctor in this country. A lot of people who can't work are on a very tight budget and even people who do work! Sorry but I just felt that your comments were not necessary!

PanicAttackGurl
27-03-15, 05:50
I am thankful this site exists and am living in the wrong country because I am in debt in medical bills. Thankfully this site allows members from other countries. USA does not have a site/forum for people like us/me that is free, nor free medical. Will gladly donate again as able to.

Dying_Swan
27-03-15, 20:02
Nic, I'm really sorry to read about what you are going through. I've just made a small donation. I'm sorry it isn't much, but I hope it will help a bit. This site has been a lifeline for me in difficult times and it is such a great resource for others going through anxiety in its many forms.

Thank you to Nic and the team for keeping it going :)

venusbluejeans
27-03-15, 22:46
http://diyshowoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/thank-you-so-much1.jpg

Penultimate
30-03-15, 21:09
im hardly ever around here but about a year ago a site i use did shut down and for like a little while i was like completely screwed... so i will hopefully donate when i can! i make loom bands - i duno if they could be some use if i could like make them and then you have like nmp shop where people like buy the loom bands or something liek that and all the money goes to like keep this website up ?

swgrl09
31-03-15, 00:23
I think they do have a shop, Penultimate. Some users sell their crafts and very generously donate some of the proceeds. That's really thoughtful to think of.

venusbluejeans
31-03-15, 00:50
We do have a shop and it is very nice of you to offer but I am pretty sure that Nic isn't taking anything for the shop at the minute as she is trying to sort everything out ready to move..... thank you again though.

23tana
04-04-15, 15:14
Happy Easter Nic. I hope the donations are still coming in.:hugs:

nomorepanic
05-04-15, 16:40
Thanks 23tana and Happy Easter to you too

Thank You everyone for the donations. I have had trouble with my emails and I am currently sorting through it as genuine emails are going to spam and spam is going to my inbox. If you donated in the last week I promise I will email you and thank you as soon as I have sorted through the thousands of emails and found the donation ones.

hopey
07-04-15, 18:14
re Important" help keep nmp running
I would be prepared to donate a small amount each month. But how? Do not want to do this on my card Could I send a cheque and who to make it out to? Hopey

Gotagetthroughthis
07-04-15, 18:32
I have been a regular member here and am willing to make a donation but why don't you guys think about using google ads? Im sure you have thought of it, just wondering why you don't.

I know you probably don't want to do that and possibly feel it would change the feel of the site but a couple of ads would barely be noticeable and from the amount of visitors you guys get im sure it would go a long way to covering the costs of running the site.

I for one wouldn't mind seeing ads on here if the site was still set up in the same way as it is now.

MyNameIsTerry
08-04-15, 05:25
I have been a regular member here and am willing to make a donation but why don't you guys think about using google ads? Im sure you have thought of it, just wondering why you don't.

I know you probably don't want to do that and possibly feel it would change the feel of the site but a couple of ads would barely be noticeable and from the amount of visitors you guys get im sure it would go a long way to covering the costs of running the site.

I for one wouldn't mind seeing ads on here if the site was still set up in the same way as it is now.

I agree and I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread that they were going to look to free up some advertising space.

The only thing I would have an issue with is if we have adds promoting anxiety/panic cures offered by the 'gurus', unless Nic is happy with them and openly states whether they are sponsored or not because just being on here would be a seller for many I feel as this place is neutral & clearly respected. We even have people joining saying that NHS staff have told them about this place and they may become wary of advertising health products.

Davit
08-04-15, 05:46
Venus, assertive is a CBT thing, You should run the post more often. I mean who can not afford at least five pounds. I can and I'm on a disability pension. Maybe you could move the donate button or put it on more than one page. Any one offended isn't as bad as I was, I would have given anything for a site like this. If payment became mandatory I would pay.

MyNameIsTerry
08-04-15, 06:35
Venus, assertive is a CBT thing, You should run the post more often. I mean who can not afford at least five pounds. I can and I'm on a disability pension. Maybe you could move the donate button or put it on more than one page. Any one offended isn't as bad as I was, I would have given anything for a site like this. If payment became mandatory I would pay.

I don't mind paying a membership but it raises a load of questions. In my mind it should be something affordable to all based on what they get back.

The problem is that it might be only some paying and I question whether that would be better under a collective agreement to afford some protection to Nic or this issue may keep resurfacing over covering her costs.

---------- Post added at 06:35 ---------- Previous post was at 06:18 ----------

If you look at OCD UK's forum, they have a "please support us" message at the top on every page. Is it possible to do that even on vBulletin?

venusbluejeans
08-04-15, 16:02
I will let Nic reply properly later as she has still got a lot going on at the minute.

We want to keep NMP free to members as that is one of the 'selling points' of it..... also everyone should be entitled to free support and that is wher NMP comes into its own, we don't want to force people to pay to access the support as a lot of people don't have the money to do that but still deserve the support that NMP gives, it is an all inclusive site.

The ammount of donations we have had is amazing and the generosity of those who heve given is phenomenal so another big thank you for that, you should be proud of yourselves.

Hopey, I shall PM you :)

We are also in the middle of upgrading the forum to Vbulletin 5 (another very kind donation) which will give Nic the options to put a few adverts on the forum but Nic will choose the adverts carefully.

unfitwellhappy
09-04-15, 13:26
You could migrate from vBulletin to an open source alternative for the forum... That would be a good cost saving and it's relatively easy to migrate.

venusbluejeans
09-04-15, 16:49
Unfortunately we have so many addons to the vbulletin forum to make the forum what it is on the administration side of things, that it is very very hard to find one that offers all that we need in a forum.

NMP is run on it's own dedicated server at the minute and we get control of when that is rebooted etc and the service we get from the company is exceptional and we wouldn't get all that from an open source alternative.

23tana
10-04-15, 06:32
Does everyone know that nmp has it's own shop?

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/shop/

MyNameIsTerry
10-04-15, 08:50
And don't forget about EastFundraising.org.uk. Its easy to sign up and I've found that it has companies on there which are not on my Nectar points list so I will use that so NMP get something back.

Plus you can now link your Nectar card with your Ebay account. This means you go can through EasyFundraising's click through page first and still get Nectar points on Ebay.

---------- Post added at 08:50 ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 ----------


Does everyone know that nmp has it's own shop?

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/shop/

Plus Annie's got a Facebook store and gives 10% of sales to NMP.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=166138

Meewah
11-04-15, 13:06
As a business man I feel that we should divide the users by the cost of running the site and then make a charge. The problem with donate buttons is that there are a few who will not pay anything. Lets assume the site costs £500 a year to run and the site has 250 active members. This is only £2 a year or £5 a year would bring in £750 on top of this. This is much fairer and guarantees that all costs are covered.

This hopefully will rid the site of the advertisers and the time wasters. It will also make people close an inactive account. Hopefully this will remove a small amount of the admin costs.

Here is a link to paid subscription services on vBulletin. http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blogs/joe-d/3953485-how-to-setup-basic-paid-subscriptions-for-vb-4-x-and-3-x-they-are-the-same

Also you can monetise by having keywords like citopram and other brands highlighted in another colour and if people click on them they take them to the brands site. This way it will make an income stream based on words in the post.

Nicola I can help if you want as my business is IT.

Just a thought.

23tana
13-04-15, 22:31
Just £1 from each of us would add up to a huge amount. Check your pockets and down the sofas folks! :)

23tana
17-04-15, 15:17
Terry, is there an option on ebay to donate direct to nmp? I don't understand how to link my nectar card to that or EastFundraising.org.uk. Could you explain please?

MyNameIsTerry
18-04-15, 04:17
Terry, is there an option on ebay to donate direct to nmp? I don't understand how to link my nectar card to that or EastFundraising.org.uk. Could you explain please?

Yes, of course.

I don't know whether the Google addon will allow you try make a purchase from one of the companies signed up. I have posted on here asking this but no one has answered yet.

So, as far as I can tell, you have to go to easyfundraising's website, at the bottom in the section "Raise funds" select "Retailers"and then you can choose categories or look them up A-Z, etc. Click on the one you want and click the "Go shopping and raise funds" button. This will open a new tab and take you to the website of the company you want to buy off and as long as you make your purchase through that tab, it will allow a donation. A message also pops up on the original tab stating they have recorded the click through.

Thats all you would need to do with Ebay or anyone else on their list. Nectar have no connection to NMP so don't give them cashback but the way I do this allows me to give money to NMP via easyfundraising plus give me my Nectar points for myself. Normally, you can only do one or other as it requires clicking through via the points/cashback scheme website.

To link your Nectar account its very simple. Log into your Ebay account and go to this address http://www.ebay.co.uk/rwd/nectar-rewards and it should ask you to type in your Nectar card number. I did it when this started so it was a while ago now and I can't remember everything I had to do but it might ask you for your Nectar password or direct you to the Nectar website and back again through the linking process.

Its very easy though and once this is done, you only need to log into your Ebay account instead of going to the Nectar website first, finding Ebay and then clicking through.

It will start showing you how many Nectar points you can earn on a purchase and the same when you make purchases.

This means that you can go to Easyfundraising to do the "click through" process so NMP get money but you also get Nectar points automatically because your Nectar card is linked and requires no click through process anymore like you would be doing normally.

Does that make sense?

If you haven't registered with easyfundraising, its simple enough and asks you to select the charity then.

Easyfundraising have addons which are useful as they add a button to your browser window that allows you to open a pop up that shows your activity with them e.g. your click through, money raised per transaction, total raised on a leaderboard (its secure as it only shows your christuan name & first letter of surname).

Col
18-04-15, 13:14
Totally agree with Meewah!

Yep,having to pay to sign up to something, does put people off. However the advantages suggested by Meewah out way the negatives, not to donate £2 in order to use NMP.

Where's the money going though

Sam123
18-04-15, 13:25
I'm new to this site(last few days) and would hate to think it may not last, already i have seen what a brilliant site this is for so many people. I do think it would be a real shame however if people were unable to access this site due to not being able to donate money,
As £1/£2 is nothing to most people but many will not be able to offer this as they simply do not have it or through their own reasons are just unable to donate. I don't think it's a matter of people just not wanting to donate, i am sure that most people would if they could and were aware, at the same time i understand why this must be done to secure the site.
I would hate to think that new members particularly finding NMP for the first time were put off by the initial charge to register, maybe it could remain free to Sign up and use for the first 2 weeks or month of registration and then there will be a charge to keep using it. Have all this explained it detail ect :unsure: Just an idea

I hope something is figured out to keep nmp going as it seems to help so many people and to an extent is a lifeline for some, not to mention the wealth of information in the articles.

MyNameIsTerry
19-04-15, 06:05
Subscription raises various elements to a prospective member, such as:

- I can read it all for free anyway already.
- If its voluntary, why should I subsidise others who may be working when I may not be.
- How does it compare to the forums that such as the charities run? (Remember they also give reduced cost therapy, newsletters, content is updated regularly, outings, webinars, engage with medical professionals, etc)

So, I guess it depends how much you charge compared to other places and what services are offered for that.

Are there even legal complications over charging for the ability to post, chat & use a PM system when everything you post is in public view? I'm not sure on thaty but I know OCD UK are a membership charity but allow free access to their forum upon signing up with no obligation to become a member of the charity (as far as I know) but others such as Anxiety UK seem to be secure forums.

A lot of the value in forums is based on the people in them so in charging it might mean a review of what the site is for and how there is more interaction with admins. I'll probably be unpopular for saying this but its something thats in the back of my mind when I think about paying a subscription and the value as I pay to established charities who are using that for active work in their areas.

23tana
19-04-15, 10:46
Thanks for all the information MyNameIsTerry

AnxietyDJ
19-04-15, 11:55
I confess that I haven't read everything on this thread, so I apologise if it has already been covered, but could you get some kind of pop or alert that is triggered whenever someone enters the home page of the site for the first time?

I know it is a much 'bigger' site than this, but Wikipedia had what was (in my opinion) a very well laid out and worded donation campaign which did this exact thing, but was very simple in it's setup and approach. A key phrase I remember was "if everyone that entered the site donated the same amount of money as one cup of coffee, our fund raising to keep us going for XXX amount of time would be done in an hour...".

I don't think you can ever force people to pay for the site, but potentially being a little more 'in your face' with the donation side of things (without being annoying) would be a great idea.

MyNameIsTerry
20-04-15, 05:32
As a business man I feel that we should divide the users by the cost of running the site and then make a charge. The problem with donate buttons is that there are a few who will not pay anything. Lets assume the site costs £500 a year to run and the site has 250 active members. This is only £2 a year or £5 a year would bring in £750 on top of this. This is much fairer and guarantees that all costs are covered.

This hopefully will rid the site of the advertisers and the time wasters. It will also make people close an inactive account. Hopefully this will remove a small amount of the admin costs.

Here is a link to paid subscription services on vBulletin. http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blogs/joe-d/3953485-how-to-setup-basic-paid-subscriptions-for-vb-4-x-and-3-x-they-are-the-same

Also you can monetise by having keywords like citopram and other brands highlighted in another colour and if people click on them they take them to the brands site. This way it will make an income stream based on words in the post.

Nicola I can help if you want as my business is IT.

Just a thought.

Nic mentioned £100 per month plus an upgrade for approx £120-130.

Don't forget about tax as this is not a registered charity hence must come under a social enterprise (if a company exists) or will be claimed in Nic's tax returns. If a social enterprise, there will be more tax involved asd all donations will be classed as revenue. I'm not sure how that works with self certification but I assume it would fall under your tax allowance.

Meewah
20-04-15, 08:16
Terry

Claiming donations requires the same level of legal entity. You would need to register as a charity and have trustees. I am assuming Nicola may have dealt with the legislative issues.

The only change I am suggesting is that everyone pays a smaller amount yearly. It is much fairer.

Mee

MyNameIsTerry
20-04-15, 08:28
Hi Mee,

You don't have to be a charity to accept donations in the UK. Social enterprises which are essentially just companies are legally entitled to accept donations as long as they follow the standard tax rules for the UK. This more flexible structure allows smaller entities such as local sports clubs to set up quite quickly as its no more complicated than being a sole trader really.

Nic has stated she doesn't want to go this route though.

It just means any planning needs to take into consideration how it could effect her in terms of tax. If she includes it in her personal allowance then it just means when she is close to the thresholds, it could push her over into paying tax but at least it will only be on that proportion.

I'm not adversed to paying as per your model, I think its sensible, I just think there is more to understand and Venus has said they don't wish to charge so it has been left open to donations.

MyNameIsTerry
24-04-15, 05:03
I confess that I haven't read everything on this thread, so I apologise if it has already been covered, but could you get some kind of pop or alert that is triggered whenever someone enters the home page of the site for the first time?

I know it is a much 'bigger' site than this, but Wikipedia had what was (in my opinion) a very well laid out and worded donation campaign which did this exact thing, but was very simple in it's setup and approach. A key phrase I remember was "if everyone that entered the site donated the same amount of money as one cup of coffee, our fund raising to keep us going for XXX amount of time would be done in an hour...".

I don't think you can ever force people to pay for the site, but potentially being a little more 'in your face' with the donation side of things (without being annoying) would be a great idea.

I came across this forum doing it when I was trying to understand more about how SNRI's worked https://drugs-forum.com/index.php. They use the same style of banner that Wiki do when they are fundraising. These guys seem to just leave it there though. I can't see why that can't be added as its only a banner. Pop ups are another way to simulate it, maybe slightly annoying though, but many sites do that to redirect people to the correct country e.g. WebMD or do it to ask for people to sign up.

nomorepanic
24-04-15, 11:08
I just wanted to pop on and say thanks again for all the donations that are still coming in.

I have replied to each one individually so if you never got an email from me please check your spam/junk folder.

I am not sure what we are doing about advertising etc at the moment as I am so wrapped up with sorting out the house to sell that NMP has had to take a back seat for a while.

I do appreciate all the support and suggestions on here though so please keep them coming.

Once again THANK YOU all xxxx

MyNameIsTerry
25-04-15, 07:25
How about mailshotting all active members? There are only a certain number on this thread so some may not be aware. This is why I added it to my signature so it would be seen more in active threads.

23tana
25-04-15, 13:47
I've copied it onto my thread. Is there a more permanent way to do it?

:ohmy: NMP Members, IMPORTANT thread in the Admin section about the future of NMP that effects us all http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=165449 :ohmy:

venusbluejeans
25-04-15, 20:23
you can add it as your 'signature' so it will appear at the bottom of each of your posts

Davit
25-04-15, 22:59
My question is since you know how many people donate and how much you get, is the figure you need from each person who does that high to be scary. More people might donate if they knew it wasn't going to be mega bucks. Wicapedia does this and they always seem to get the money they need.

nomorepanic
25-04-15, 23:54
There is no upper or lower limit to what people donate. Some have donated just £1

MyNameIsTerry
26-04-15, 04:26
My question is since you know how many people donate and how much you get, is the figure you need from each person who does that high to be scary. More people might donate if they knew it wasn't going to be mega bucks. Wicapedia does this and they always seem to get the money they need.

Set it like a yearly target and show the level of donations so peple know how much more is needed.

lyndau63
27-04-15, 23:24
I donated last week after joining. Not sure how often or how much I need to give though.

venusbluejeans
28-04-15, 01:52
I donated last week after joining. Not sure how often or how much I need to give though.

Any donations are completely voluntary and any amount is very much appreciated, thank you so much for your donation :yesyes:

MyNameIsTerry
30-04-15, 06:28
As a business man I feel that we should divide the users by the cost of running the site and then make a charge. The problem with donate buttons is that there are a few who will not pay anything. Lets assume the site costs £500 a year to run and the site has 250 active members. This is only £2 a year or £5 a year would bring in £750 on top of this. This is much fairer and guarantees that all costs are covered.

This hopefully will rid the site of the advertisers and the time wasters. It will also make people close an inactive account. Hopefully this will remove a small amount of the admin costs.

Here is a link to paid subscription services on vBulletin. http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/blogs/joe-d/3953485-how-to-setup-basic-paid-subscriptions-for-vb-4-x-and-3-x-they-are-the-same

Also you can monetise by having keywords like citopram and other brands highlighted in another colour and if people click on them they take them to the brands site. This way it will make an income stream based on words in the post.

Nicola I can help if you want as my business is IT.

Just a thought.

Just giving this a bump again.

As of now there are 965 active members. That works out at £1.24 per member per year.

Not everyone can avoid to give, and there should be no shame in that as many anxiety disorder sufferers are claiming benefits to get by or have other financial problems, so if even 10% of that number could give it would £12.44 per year.

Just over £1 per month.

I donated £14 to Nic on the basis I had been on here 14 months. I thought if we are all giving, this would be ok plus I have consider what I give to charity and the fact I am unemployed and existing off my savings at the moment. I would give some to charity in the street anyway so this made sense to me.

Please don't forget about Easygiving as well. I joined up a couple of months ago after reading Emma's advice to use it and have generated £4.97 so far just from buying my essentials online. Some of the promoters are giving closer to 3% back which is pretty decent.

Don't forget that if you are like me and use Ebay to collect Nectar points, you can link your Ebay account to your Nectar card which means you no longer need to go to the Nectar website first. Now you can go through Easygiving instead and NMP gets there donation and you still get your your Nectar points. Prior to this I was only generating the Nectar points.

Phill2
02-05-15, 06:23
Hi Guys
This is making me feel REALLY guilty cause after this site being such a big help to me I just can't help out.
I'll help with anything else that I can but just can't give money at the moment.

23tana
02-05-15, 06:35
Phill2 please don't feel guilty. We aren't all able to give money. Just bumping this thread up if you see it getting to the bottom of the page is a help. I can't give a regular amount, but send a little when I can. :)

MyNameIsTerry
02-05-15, 07:04
Good to see you back, Phill.

Don't worry mate, a lot of people can't, it goes with the territory with these disorders.

The most important thing anyone can do on here is not chuck a few quid about but help others.

Phill2
02-05-15, 07:38
Thanks for letting me off so lightly guys.
Since December my wife and myself have had a pretty rough trot health wise and now it looks like I've got to go back to a psych to cope.
Not excuses - just truth.

KeeKee
02-05-15, 17:46
Sorry I have only just noticed this post.
Unfortunately I do not get any personal income (I live off child.benefit and child tax credit), but u now feel able to start looking for part time work and a donation will be the first on my list.
I went on a website named Paxil Progress on and off last year, it didn't help me half as much as this site has and I was a little gutted when it went offline so I will be devastated if this website ever suffers the same fate.
Keep sharing this link and reminding members of it as some may have the odd £1 in their banks now and again. I use mobile Internet so have never seen a donate button, maybe set a pop up?
Hope Nicola is feeling well.

Spikie
08-05-15, 15:39
Set it like a yearly target and show the level of donations so peple know how much more is needed.

That would be handy. I will happily donate later to keep the site up and running, but it would be cool to have a 'monthly cost' and 'donations this month' amount if possible.

Us non-techies have no idea what it costs to run a website and I know you are happy for anything you get, but if we knew it cost £50/month it might encourage more donations than if it was just 'it costs money'.

nomorepanic
08-05-15, 19:59
Hi all

The website costs £108 a month to run for the server and website hosting.

I am more than happy to work out how much we get each month and post it here.

We are going to use the extra money to buy a new chat room.

Sam123
08-05-15, 20:52
It is really a great site, i run my own for work purposes and i know of the costs. This site has so much to it, it really is brilliant. I will happily donate, i get paid monthly so will be sure to do this each time if it means keeping the site and securing it's future.

swgrl09
29-05-15, 01:47
bump

ricardo
29-05-15, 10:26
Emmz and anyone else.

I am just catching up and have just read about Nic and her partner splitting up, and that it costs 100.00 a month to run NMP.

Is the Quiz night finished ?

I haven't been around for a while and quite honestly things have gone from bad to worse as you know.

|What I have noticed is that hardly any of the people who were regulars a year ago seem to have disappeared.

If it was my site I would make it members only, makes it more exclusive and stop all these people who announce "please delete my account".

I know there isn't a perfect solution to suit everyone but I would make it a yearly membership payable by monthly Standing Order or a cheque as a lump sum or whatever way is best for NMP.

I wouldn't dictate the amount but give a guide line from £1.00 to £5.00 a month as it is clear you as a team can't carry on like this for much longer, and it would be a shame to waste all these years of hard work.
Take care xx


PS. I haven't read every suggestion so excuse me if I am repeating others thoughts.

MyNameIsTerry
29-05-15, 14:01
Emmz and anyone else.

I am just catching up and have just read about Nic and her partner splitting up, and that it costs 100.00 a month to run NMP.

Is the Quiz night finished ?

I haven't been around for a while and quite honestly things have gone from bad to worse as you know.

|What I have noticed is that hardly any of the people who were regulars a year ago seem to have disappeared.

If it was my site I would make it members only, makes it more exclusive and stop all these people who announce "please delete my account".

I know there isn't a perfect solution to suit everyone but I would make it a yearly membership payable by monthly Standing Order or a cheque as a lump sum or whatever way is best for NMP.

I wouldn't dictate the amount but give a guide line from £1.00 to £5.00 a month as it is clear you as a team can't carry on like this for much longer, and it would be a shame to waste all these years of hard work.
Take care xx


PS. I haven't read every suggestion so excuse me if I am repeating others thoughts.


I'm not sure which people you are looking for but if its more the HA people, there is a new Facebook group set up by cpe1978 that is focussed on recovery as they wanted to avoid a lot of the issue based threads.

If thats who you after, have a look at cpe1978's threads as he did create one to broadcast it. Its got quite a few members I believe and I know some people off here joined it.

ricardo
29-05-15, 14:45
I am so sorry Terry, a bad use of words

I meant that many regulars from a year ago don't appear to post on NMP anymore, but my post was really about keeping NMP going.

Tessar
03-06-15, 22:38
[FONT=verdana]What I have noticed is that hardly any of the people who were regulars a year ago seem to have disappeared.

An interesting post Ricardo as I kept intending to make a donation.

You see, I'm one of last year's regular posters that rarely post now (because I've moved several steps forward). I find myself wishing to share my progress but .... That progress I am experiencing is actually getting in the way. The improvements in my mental wellbeing mean I am so busy, I am struggling to find the time to come on here. So that's where I've been. I find myself committed to other activities which lessen my time available to contribute here.

It's as if the site suffers in the sense that if regular posters recover, they may well move on.

As regards contributing, I have been intending to make a contribution since this thread has been running. Maybe now it's time to get my @r$e in gear & make that donation.

NinjaKitty
07-06-15, 13:08
In an honest opinion donating some money to a site that offers 24/7 help and advice and information and making friends with people who suffer the same as yourself is a small price to pay for some days that are better than seeing you psychiatrist in all honesty.
I shall click the apropriate link and donate what I can.
I love this site
Good Luck

sarahsarah
11-06-15, 23:54
I rarely post now but this place has done so much for me in the past, I would hate to think of it not being here for people who may need it as much as I once did (and may well again, you never know)

Happy to donate now and will do so again on a regular basis. I had no idea of the financial costs of running this place but always appreciated the time and effort you guys put in. Thank you xx

ricardo
13-06-15, 17:12
I think I may have offended some people by saying that NMP should only be available to members but I still think it is unfair that because NMP is a lifeline to so many people that a small donation (which is obviously needed) would be appreciated at this time more than ever as Nic is going through very difficult and stressful times.Guests don't pay but can read everything for free.Is that a good balance.



13340 views and counting on this thread since Emmz put this up in January says a lot.I have donated just now and will again if need be.

Sparkle1984
13-06-15, 17:53
I donated a few days ago - this website means a lot to me and has helped me a lot when I've been feeling very anxious and low. It's important the site stays around for anyone who needs it. :) I also donated a couple of years ago when going through one of my previous anxiety episodes.

MyNameIsTerry
14-06-15, 04:49
I think I may have offended some people by saying that NMP should only be available to members but I still think it is unfair that because NMP is a lifeline to so many people that a small donation (which is obviously needed) would be appreciated at this time more than ever as Nic is going through very difficult and stressful times.Guests don't pay but can read everything for free.Is that a good balance.



13340 views and counting on this thread since Emmz put this up in January says a lot.I have donated just now and will again if need be.

If people are offended, they shouldn't be. Its a perfectly valid point. Its not just watchers though, those that donate do subsidise everyone. The problem is, what about people that can't afford? And what are you getting for a membership? Some charities leave most of their forums open to the public for viewing and some don't but they also provide a range of services that can be useful to members - NMP doesn't. So, will people come here? That may be part of why it is free & open to all otherwise could you end up with a private members club based on existing members?

Another legitimate concern is tax, profit, etc which a new member may take into concern.

I've donated and continue to generate small funds through Easyfundraising. I feel like we are in the dark though and whilst Nic is grateful for any sum, no matter how small, I wonder whether we are even scratching the surface and maybe more awareness of fundraising needs would make people realise more is needed?

Andrash
14-06-15, 08:45
It's been a long time since I've been active on this forum but I will certainly never forget how it helped me. I accidentally logged in couple of days ago and saw you were in financial trouble. Now, I tried to donate this morning, but unfortunately the site doesn't accept my credit card (Diners), my pay-pal is currently empty and I am away on business for the next three days. However, as soon as I come back I will fix the pay-pal account and donate some money. I may not be an active member any more, but this site deserves every help it can get.

I also send big cyber hugs to Ms Nicola hoping that her life will soon be on the right track again!

saint66
14-06-15, 14:51
hi im new to this site how is everyone today?

MyNameIsTerry
21-06-15, 08:52
Hi all

The website costs £108 a month to run for the server and website hosting.

I am more than happy to work out how much we get each month and post it here.

We are going to use the extra money to buy a new chat room.

Sounds good, Nic. I think it would give people an idea of whether they could donate some more otherwise people may assume things are covered.

It might be worth setting, say, a 2015 target and then showing what has been accumulated so far too because monthly only can mean people may not understand where you fall behind. (if that makes sense?)

nomorepanic
21-06-15, 12:41
I want to thank everyone that has donated so far.

We have had some very generous donations as well and I really appreciate whatever people can give.

I will work out how much we have so far this year and as I said we are hoping to use some of it to get a new chat room for you all as well.

xxxx

ricardo
21-06-15, 13:27
Keep a sinking fund Nic :hugs:

Sparkle1984
21-06-15, 13:50
A new chatroom would be great - I've noticed fewer and fewer people have been using it over the last few months, presumably due to the Java problems and the fact that it doesn't run on mobile phones and tablet computers. Now that more and more people are accessing the internet via mobile devices rather than desktop/laptop PCs, I think it's important that any new chatroom is accessible from any device. :)

ricardo
21-06-15, 16:41
A new chatroom would be great - I've noticed fewer and fewer people have been using it over the last few months, presumably due to the Java problems and the fact that it doesn't run on mobile phones and tablet computers. Now that more and more people are accessing the internet via mobile devices rather than desktop/laptop PCs, I think it's important that any new chatroom is accessible from any device. :)


That's a fair point.

I miss the Quiz Night when we often got upwards of thirty people participating.

venusbluejeans
21-06-15, 17:20
that is one of the main problems for any new chat room, we have to ensure it is multimedia friendly, that it has the right moderating tools so we can do the quiz night and also that it is non Java based and also one we can sit straight into the NMP site and not have to go to a different site for... sadly at the minute one with everything we need is proving elusive

it is a shame because I miss quiz nights too :(

honeycakes
24-06-15, 22:02
I've seen other websites do this it's usually very successful when the person is upfront about what the costs are yearly, and posts a thingy to indicate how many % of the goal has been reached that way the people who donate know where the money went exactly and when the goal for the year has been reached. And then if people still want to donate for the following year they can, but at least they know that the site has been saved for the time being.

I don't know if this has been said already but I checked out the link in the original post and there was nothing indicating cost breakdown or how much was donated so far and what it had been put towards for.

honeycakes
26-06-15, 22:01
it depend what you qualify as personal loss, if you're saying we need to reimburse Nic for everything she paid out of pocket vs. help keep the site alive at the moment those are two different things.

there are alot of websites and discussion boards out there that are running for free with a greater volume of people coming in then i've seen here.

there's nothing wrong with asking for donations to keep the site going but saying you need money to reimburse someone for what they've put into the site that's something that's hard to quantify. a lot of people here don't work and would probably give 5$ if it meant keeping the site going but vs. reimbursing someone for what they paid in the past, esp. since it was a free service being offered to us... I know what I paid personally yearly in the past to have a forum and discussion board split between 2 people. I don't know how much this site costs in comparision.

if there was a thermometer thing going on right now and I had a clear idea what the costs of running this site was I'd donate right away even if it were just for the extra chat room :)

nomorepanic
26-06-15, 22:17
I am sorting the donation amounts now but it is taking time because the Paypal account I use is also one I use for selling on Ebay so I have to sort out what are donations and what are sales.

I am not in this to make money believe me.

Yes we will get a new chat room from the money raised as well.

nomorepanic
26-06-15, 22:34
there are alot of websites and discussion boards out there that are running for free with a greater volume of people coming in then i've seen here.


I would be interested in knowing what they are please so I can take a look :yesyes:

I like to see how other forums run etc.

MyNameIsTerry
28-06-15, 07:41
it depend what you qualify as personal loss, if you're saying we need to reimburse Nic for everything she paid out of pocket vs. help keep the site alive at the moment those are two different things.

there are alot of websites and discussion boards out there that are running for free with a greater volume of people coming in then i've seen here.

there's nothing wrong with asking for donations to keep the site going but saying you need money to reimburse someone for what they've put into the site that's something that's hard to quantify. a lot of people here don't work and would probably give 5$ if it meant keeping the site going but vs. reimbursing someone for what they paid in the past, esp. since it was a free service being offered to us... I know what I paid personally yearly in the past to have a forum and discussion board split between 2 people. I don't know how much this site costs in comparision.

if there was a thermometer thing going on right now and I had a clear idea what the costs of running this site was I'd donate right away even if it were just for the extra chat room :)

Also, why would us newer members subsidise the costs of previous members who have been & gone? What about the "old-timers" on here, should they pay a load out to cover them?

Moving forward is best. A target for 2015 and then each year as Nic's situation as changed and would appreciate any support she can get I'm sure.

This is why having a target like they do on JustGiving is useful as it can spur people into action. If people think costs are covered, they won't bother but if they think there is still a way to go they might do things to raise money.

ricardo
28-06-15, 11:16
it depend what you qualify as personal loss, if you're saying we need to reimburse Nic for everything she paid out of pocket vs. help keep the site alive at the moment those are two different things.

there are alot of websites and discussion boards out there that are running for free with a greater volume of people coming in then i've seen here.

there's nothing wrong with asking for donations to keep the site going but saying you need money to reimburse someone for what they've put into the site that's something that's hard to quantify. a lot of people here don't work and would probably give 5$ if it meant keeping the site going but vs. reimbursing someone for what they paid in the past, esp. since it was a free service being offered to us... I know what I paid personally yearly in the past to have a forum and discussion board split between 2 people. I don't know how much this site costs in comparision.

if there was a thermometer thing going on right now and I had a clear idea what the costs of running this site was I'd donate right away even if it were just for the extra chat room :)

I think that for a number of reasons some are very personal, Nic who has put years and years into NMP subsidising it entirely herself, needs people to donate if possible as there is an issue with The Chat Room, others don't use this room, but generally she wants to maintain the standards she initially alone and then with a band of dedicated admin people has achieved, going.

It has nothing to do with other sites. people do come and go on all forums regardless of the theme..

NMP is a lifeline to many, a community, do I need to say anymore.

MyNameIsTerry
02-07-15, 04:41
I'm afraid that due to several events in recent months I have found myself questioning whether I should continue trying to promote this and also donate the small amounts that I do. Sadly, I can no longer justify this and its not only due to the current situation so I don't want people to think that.

Its hard for me to raise some of these issues as I feel I have made friends on here hence I have tried to remain quiet with recent events but I have become quite disappointed in how some things have been left and its not something I have experienced in other forums which is leading me to make some rather negative observations about NMP. By removing my support, I can at least make my thoughts known in some small way.

For the current time, I cannot contribute any further and I will be diverting my EasyFundraising to charities. Any unclaimed funds, I will be asking them to transfer if possible, if not, NMP will benefit from them.

This is not something I will be discussing in the public forum, it's purely my choice and for admin to be aware. I'm not expecting any response over this and any such discussion would be exclusively with Nic, if needed.

Please don't let this put you off donating to something you believe in or agree with.

nomorepanic
02-07-15, 11:51
No worries Terry. That is your personal choice of course. Thanks for what you have done so far anyway.

nomorepanic
02-07-15, 14:00
Terry - if you want your donation and money raised from easyfundraising returned then please let me know.

This applies to anyone else that has donated as well.

I don't want people donating if they are not happy with things.

lior
26-07-15, 14:57
I've been out of this discussion for a while. Ages ago I sent out some emails looking for funding. I looked through my emails and this came back from the Big Lottery. Not sure if it's the right funding body - funders want to contribute something new, rather than just maintaining a good thing. Silly really. Anyway, here it is. Let me know if you need any help to write the bid, if you want to apply.



Hi Lior

Thank you for your-e-mail, the Big Lottery Fund provides grants that supports not for profit groups to deliver outcomes around health, environment, education and charitable purposes. We fund eligible organisations to deliver projects that help people and communities most in need. Unfortunately we are unable to fund individuals or activities that primarily benefit individuals, which included sponsorship and fundraising.

If you are a voluntary or community organisation, school, health body or a parish or town council, have a UK-based bank account in the name of the organisation, that requires at least three people who are unrelated and do not live at the same address, you should be able to apply. You will also need a written governing document e.g. set of rules, articles of association or constitution. We do not fund individuals or sole traders. Funding is available to not for profit groups who have a bank account that requires at least two unrelated people (not living at the same address) to sign each cheque or withdrawal, and has at least three unrelated people on the governing body.


Every project we fund must:

Respond to need
Any project proposal should have clear evidence of need for the proposed services and clear outcomes for the beneficiaries. What other support services are currently available for this group of beneficiaries and how your project would add something different, complementary or additional to existing services.

Need is the term we use to describe a problem or issue, or situation where something needs to change to make things better for a person, group of people or environment. It may be barriers to accessing help possibly due to cultural barriers. The need may be linked to learning difficulties or problems such as poverty, social isolation. Be realistic and specific about the needs you are addressing. How did you identify the need existed? What are the reasons for the need? What types of people will benefit from your project? What is the problem/issue you wish to address with your project? We also have a number of resources and guidance materials designed to assist you with your application along with the ‘help notes’ in the margins of the form.


You may be able to apply to Awards for All this programme makes awards of between £300-£10,000 for projects that will be completed within 12 months of receiving funding. Application form and guidance notes are available here www.awardsforall.org.uk on average it takes between 4-5 months from submission of application to receiving funding.

Kind regards

Linda

Linda Yeo
Funding Officer (BIG Advice)
Big Lottery Fund
2 St James' Gate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4BE
Tel: 0191 376 1619
Fax: 0191 376 1661
Email: linda.yeo@biglotteryfund.org.uk
office hours Tuesday - Friday

nomorepanic
26-07-15, 17:55
Thanks. Not sure NMP would qualify for a few reasons but I appreciate you looking into it for us.

little scientist
19-12-15, 23:52
Just left another small donation. I realised that I have been stable (with meds) for a good 5 months or so now, despite many things trying to trip me up along the way. All through my darkest patch, the site was here for me, with people in the chat room, or people on the forum to talk to.

Thanks again for just being here!

Sunflower2
21-12-15, 12:01
Made a small Christmas donation, this site has been here through my worst times and I am so grateful for all the help and support everyone has given me. Met some lovely caring people and without them I wouldn't have gotten where I am now. Thank you Nicola, Emma and all other moderators for a brilliant site!

Paperback Writer
23-04-19, 18:13
Just donated; I've been looking through this website for years and have just started contributing to discussions too. Thank you for a very valuable and reassuring resource!

whispershadow
23-04-19, 18:39
I'll donate on payday if needed, can't before then though i'm sorry :hugs:

nomorepanic
23-04-19, 20:03
Just donated; I've been looking through this website for years and have just started contributing to discussions too. Thank you for a very valuable and reassuring resource!

Thank you so much it is very much appreciated :hugs:

whispershadow
23-04-19, 20:10
Thank you so much it is very much appreciated :hugs:

thank YOU nic and Alex for working so hard to keep this forum running :hugs:

jojo2316
23-04-19, 20:46
I will certainly donate. This site has been a lifesaver for me! BUT WHERE IS THE BUTTON???

nomorepanic
23-04-19, 20:57
at the top on the menu bar

jojo2316
23-04-19, 21:07
Found it and done it.
Nothing will be adequate though, in showing my appreciation for this lifeline. Thank you for all you do
xxx

nomorepanic
24-04-19, 14:39
Thank you so much Jo - it was really appreciated.:bighug1:

whispershadow
25-04-19, 19:33
when we donate is it publicised the amount? i'm donating tomorrow (payday)

don't want the amount made public though :ohmy:

KK77
25-04-19, 20:02
Very kind of you Whisper ;)

Amount you donate and other info is totally confidential.

whispershadow
25-04-19, 20:11
Is it ok if I know who sees the donations and the amounts? Could donations be done anonymously? or however you spell that word

KK77
25-04-19, 20:14
Nic will contact you Whisper.

whispershadow
25-04-19, 20:19
ok thanks KK idk if I spelled it right

KK77
25-04-19, 20:28
ok thanks KK idk if I spelled it right


:D

anonymously

/əˈnɒnɪməsli/

adverb




in a way that prevents a person from being identified by name.
"Newman published two novels, both anonymously"

in a way that produces no outstanding, individual, or unusual features; unremarkably or impersonally.
"the anonymously furnished parlour"

whispershadow
25-04-19, 20:31
thanks KK looks like i maybe did spell it right

learning difficulty stinks :/


:D

anonymously

/əˈnɒnɪməsli/

adverb




in a way that prevents a person from being identified by name.
"Newman published two novels, both anonymously"

in a way that produces no outstanding, individual, or unusual features; unremarkably or impersonally.
"the anonymously furnished parlour"

nomorepanic
25-04-19, 22:51
I will PM you whisper

Phill2
03-08-23, 09:18
I will be donating x
Me too.
This site saved me when things were bad