I had so many ways to start this blog
- Humbled by the generosity.
- Blown away
- Astonished
But went with the question.
How many ways to say ‘thank you’?
The answer is, not sure, but the Portobello Central trustees would like to find at least one for each of the 561 people who have supported our Crowdfunder which closed in the early hours of Sunday morning. Donations have ranged from £1 to £1,000 and we value every single one of them. It’s great to see so many people putting their support into opening the Town Hall, a total of £25,607 has been donated and this has attracted more than £4,000 in Gift Aid.
This blog is the loudest and most public expression of our thanks of the deep generosity that we appreciate so much and have been humbled by over the past six weeks.
When we decided to go down this path it was with much careful thought. We knew that we were asking an awful lot of people particularly just after Christmas and with the background of the increasing cost of living. That makes our thankyou even more heartfelt (if that could even be possible).
The Crowdfunder has put us in a privileged position of reading all the supportive messages which we’ve been blown away by. Here are just a few from the Crowdfunder that were shared publicly:
‘My son and I had so many great times at the Town hall, after school clubs, shows and classes. It’s a special place that everyone should benefit from.’
‘What a wonderful job you are doing with our beautiful Town Hall. Looking forward to seeing it in its full glory’.
‘So pleased to see the town hall being restored and nearing re-opening! What a fabulous achievement by local people for local people’.
The support for the project is vital, in time the Town Hall will need further developments for which we’ll need the support of other funders. We’ll need to demonstrate just how vital the building is to everyone in Portobello.
Finally, standing outside the town hall to raise awareness and get donations, the conversations that we’ve had from everyone who’s stopped to chat, the memories that people hold dear and the excitement when we’ve said the Town Hall is re-opening in the summer have been astonishing.
So, what’s next?
You have provided the Trustees of Portobello Central with a foundation for the next phase of the work we started, with you all, 3 years ago. From here on you should see more action on the ground and, very soon, doors open
Today we take a breath knowing that the lease is with our solicitors and they are negotiating the best deal possible for us.
Tomorrow we refresh our to-do list, look at all the offers of help we’ve had and start ticking the tasks off that list now that we’re getting ready to open the doors
But first one more massive THANK YOU
Sally Dyson
Trustee