dognabbit

Course it's real!!! It's Pink Katydid - 'Amblycorypha' found in Louisiana. They're quite often brightly coloured, maybe it's for hiding in pink flowers.

Not all bugs are scarey!

Earlier this year I posted regarding this fundraising idea. It has taken this long to get the scheme and website up and running, apologies to everyone who were interested and waiting to taking part. The website will be going live tonight, Friday 7th August, please take a look. The website is shown below, you won't need the username and password after tonight. The next phases will be: 1) Split the sports away from Charities and put them on a new URL. www.sopportaclub.co.uk - some time Monday /Tuesday next week. 2) Email confirmation of purchase to person buying product, including all FSA paperwork and T&C`s and claims number - hopefully live over weekend at latest. 3) Online reporting for causes to see what deals have been done for them - within a month. 4) "Marketing centre" with samples of POS that Cause can add their logos to and print / email to people. - within a month 5) small changes to the words on each page to emphasize "transferrable and can be post dated to start in the future. We have got a few "headline charities" committed such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and we are waiting on the National Trust and a few large household names and once we have these, a full press and tv advertising campaign will be undertaken, combined with advertising in Motorway Services, shopping centres and health clubs. This is the email I am sending out; Hi my name is Gary Thatcher, I work for a company called JD Concepts. We are launching a fundraising web site to raise monies for charities such as RSPCA, Great Ormond Street Hospital and several sporting associations such as the British Judo Association,L&R sports and Derbyshire cricket club. We believe that the income levels will run into £1,000`s to each cause and would like to talk to the you about our proposal. Please could someone call or email me to discuss our ideas. I have listed below the answers to a few questions that we have been asked by other Charities and associations who are taking up the option: ·   Your company details (including Registered Company Number) CEO/Director details and number of years trading Our Company is called JD Concepts Limited and our Co. Reg number is 4449324. Please visit our web site to see other information about us and what we do in the motor trade at present. We are authorised and approved by the FSA and also by the Ministry of Justice and the Office of Fair Trading. ·   More detail about your idea: specifically the fundraising mechanism, timing, how it will be communicated and the target audience. As a business, we "wholesale products to Motor Dealers, who in turn retail the product to the public and make a margin. In view of the volumes that we sell, we have very large buying power and can save buyers a lot of money, if we sold "Direct". The idea with "Cause Fundraising" is that we offer people a "Roadside Assistance Product" similar to The AA or RAC, provided by Mondial ( they look after BMW, Jaguar, Mini, Landrover etc). The 3 year product that we offer, will save people over £400 compared to The AA / RAC and for each product we sell, we will pay the chosen CAUSE a donation of £50 for a 2 year policy and £75 for a 3 year. ·   How much income you expect the initiative to earn for the charity We can't see a draw back with this offer for anyone and would hope that 1,000`s of people will want to save money, but donate at the same time and expect a minimum of £5,000 would be achieved with the correct level of marketing. ·   Your expectations of the charity – what do you want us to do? Minimal advertising in your current news letters and posters etc in reception areas. Maybe a link / page on your web site to our web page ·   Please also confirm if the opportunity would involve you supporting our charity alone, or a number of charities of which we may be one? We are currently working with a number of Sports clubs and associations and are talking to a number of major charities such as the RSPCA, National Trust, Olympics 2012 . ·   Web address? The web address is www.supportacause.co.uk username: demo password: jdc Your Sincerely Gary Thatcher JD Concepts 07976 177082 WWW.JDCONCEPTS.CO.UK

Hi Sam No you don't have to pre buy anything. You don't have to be a registered charity. We're just supplying an opportunity to raise funds. There have been some further developments..... There will be a website shortly where customers can purchase the RAC policy either by credit/debit card or with interest free credit. We will supply a template for you to complete so we can set up a page for your rescue/charity. You can link that from your own website. For fund raising events we can supply posters and forms for people to complete, then you can return them to us to register. Thanks Gary

Thanks Claire.. And thank you to everyone for your kind messages. The funeral was very sad. I carried her coffin but couldn't read one of her poems I planned to. Still hard to believe my Mum has gone. The last couple of years have been difficult, since last August when we found out her cancer could no longer be treated we tried to make the time she had as enjoyable as possible. The last time we spoke she was joking and falling over in the hospice corridor, laughing and telling my Dad 'ERIC don't do that I don't need any help', clearly she did but there was a smile and gleeful glint in her eye. She died just a few feet from where my sister and I were born.... at the Duchess of Kent Hospice, it used to be Dellwood Maternity Hospital in Reading. I hope no one has to go through anything like what my Mum had to bare especially the last few weeks. My dad has gone in to overdrive keeping busy and sorting things out. Glad your Mum's ok. Hope your Dad makes a full recovery. Shadow is still around, in my heart and on my arm everytime I look in the mirrror. His ashes are still floating around the planet, he must've been round the world at least once by now I reckon.................. ;-)

Sorry I haven't responded. My Mum passed away on Saturday after losing a long battle against bladder cancer. I will reply after the funeral when things are a little more normal.

Should be set up with a rescue so the returned money goes directly to them. Send me an email to the email address on here and I will try and sort something out. Same job, same company, different name!

Happy Birthday Mel Click on the pictures... In case you need to improve your urban wardrobe? Teehee ;-)

Hi everyone, The company I work for JD Concepts Limited. Has just introduced a fundraising idea, initially for childrens sports clubs. It's just about to be introduced to a Premier division football club (not allowed to say which yet, not before Wednesday). I think it would be ideal for any Charity or Rescue to use. It works like this; 3 years Full RAC recovery. Home assistance Full UK recovery Roadside assistance Free Call Out Free Labour at scene of breakdown We sell to Animal Charity/Rescue for £105. The Charity/Rescue sells for £180. We return you £75 per case. This level of cover would typically cost customer £108 per year. Customer saves £144 over 3 years. They can pay interest free over 12 months, £15 per month. We return the Charity/Rescue £75 30 days after receipt of application. You cannot buy 3 years RAC cover anywhere else. If you would like anymore information call me on 07976177082 or email me at [email protected] and I can send you a couple of PDF files so you can take a look. Thanks for taking the time to read this.... Gary ;-)

Just found out our house was on the 'One Show' last monday... It's on iplayer but only for another 10 hours. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00hd3r8 The house bit starts at 16 minutes and 50 seconds our house is at 17 mins and 54 secs and 18mins and 18 secs with Dr Jonathan Foyle in a black shirt talking in front of it... ;-)

Bloomin' 'eck! You really are trying to get your national insurance money back from the NHS....... well done. Glad to hear you're going to be ok.

Crickey!!! What a great piece of swimming. I bet the fishermen were surprised.. Were they fishing for Dogfish?

Hellooo, Haven't been here for a bit.......... I now have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren and another on the way!! Well it's been a while! They're all step kids Oh and a big mortgage on an old house, two cats?, a greyhound with 3 legs and two tree ferns

Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night

Reading this has brought back lots of happy and sad memories............. Swerly Merly, the only dog in White Lodge Longdogs who managed to jump from one kennel to another I had to put a roof on his kennel..... Oh they were internal kennels in the rescue block, heated and everything, not outside. Bet he's still Swirlin, round! ;-)