On Friday 10th June small groups of people carrying large cheques popped up in various locations in Kirkwall, as the funds raised by the 2011 Orkneycommunities.co.uk calendar were disbursed.
The total funds raised were £1875, so CLAN Orkney, Macmillan, and CLIC Sargent as the three charities benefitting each received £625.
In an homage to the calendar itself, the pictures recording the handover of cheques took place in locations that featured prominently on it, namely the Corn Slip (June), Bridge Street (January), and the King Haakon Street playpark (March).
David Tullock as Chair of Macmillan in Orkney received their cheque on the Corn Slip, appropriately so as his childhood misadventure in falling into the Basin from it is recorded in the Orkney Image Library, the source of the calendar pictures.
The CLAN Orkney cheque was received by Karen Scott, CLAN’s Islands Co-ordinator, who also runs their drop in centre in Victoria Street, Kirkwall, where people affected by cancer can speak one-to-one with their trained Support Volunteers. The donation from the calendar proceeds was handed over on a much changed Bridge Street, and will contribute to supporting weekly yoga classes for anyone affected by cancer.
Kenny Thomson is Coordinator of the CLIC Sargent Orkney Supporters Group, who received the cheque on the exact site of the swings being played on the March picture- sadly the swings have now gone. The money raised will go towards the facilities and services in Scotland used by young cancer patients from Orkney provided by CLIC Sargent.
The cheques were handed over by Steven Heddle and Leslie Burgher from Orkneycommunities.co.uk.
Steven is the Orkneycommunities webmaster, who put together the calendar project and compiled and edited it. This was done with the indulgence of the Orkneycommunities.co.uk committee who agreed to fund the upfront costs of production. He was understandably relieved that it made a profit:
“It’s great that we managed to raise a reasonable amount to give to each of the chosen charities- in the end we sold about 600 calendars, but it was tense until we passed the breakeven point!
“All the time spent on this by everybody, and all the use of the pictures has been given for free, so I’d like to thank the contributors of pictures, our sponsors, and all the shops and individuals who sold copies for the benefit of these good causes.”
Leslie Burgher is the chair of Orkneycommunities.co.uk, and he backed up Steven’s comments:
“It was a project we were glad to support, because of the good it could do, and also because it brings attention to the excellent pictures and stories that the Orkney Image Library contributors send in.
“We’re delighted that so many people bought the calendar, and hope that they keep them for their next usable year in 2022!”
Picture credits:
2011 pictures- Cath Russell for Orkneycommunities.co.uk
Bridge Street pre 1938- contributed by Peter Burges
Playpark 1965- Dougie Cooper, contributed by Orkney Archives and Karl Cooper
Kirkwall Basin 2008 – Steven Heddle
About Orkneycommunities.co.uk and the Orkney Image Library
Orkneycommunities.co.uk launched in October 2003, with the aim of providing community groups with low-cost, fully featured, easy to manage websites. These websites were to be linked to a central homepage that gathered together events posted on the individual sites, and also was home to other useful features such as an online version of the VAO Community Directory, Radio Orkney Daily Diary a newsfeed from The Orcadian, and a library of user contributed images- the Orkney Image Library.
The project has realised these aims and now hosts about 120 websites, and attracts about 1200 visitors per day who can immediately find out what is new from the groups with websites. It has developed continuously over the years, with the websites now offering many more features, increased facilities for interacting with members, and the ability to post news stories directly on the Orkneycommunities homepage.
As the project has grown according to initial projections its structure has changed to that of an independent, sustainable community enterprise. Originally developed and funded by Orkney Enterprise and LEADER+, Orkneycommunities.co.uk is now funded fully from membership fees and other self-generated income, and controlled by a management committee made up from its members, the groups with websites.
The Image Library has also taken off, and as of July 2010 hosts more than 8000 pictures, with more than 12000 comments posted by viewers. Pictures range from the extremely topical, such as near real-time posting of pictures from the October 2006 floods, to historical pictures from the century before last, including what is thought to be the earliest Ba picture showing Kirkwall Town Hall under construction in the background.
Visit the site and find out more: http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk
Visit the Orkney Image Library: http://www.orkneycommunities.co.uk/imagelibrary/
About the calendar
The calendar features pictures from the hugely popular Orkney Image Library, and all profits went to local cancer charities CLAN, Macmillan and CLIC Sargent.
All pictures have been contributed freely, as has all the time spent working to produce it prior to printing. Print costs are partially offset by the sponsorship of the months by local businesses and organisations. Businesses approached for sponsorship have been extremely supportive with very few exceptions. Remaining print costs have been underwritten by Orkneycommunities.co.uk. All profits above these costs will go to the local charities.
Pictures have been selected from the 8000+ on the Orkney Image Library, to represent the pictures and themes found most interesting by the Image Library users and contributors.
Comments are an important part of the library and bring many of the pictures to life- again a representative selection has been chosen.
Copies are still available from CLAN in Victoria Street, Macmillan (John Muir), CLIC Sargent (Kenny Thomson) and VAO.
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