Ireland Air Ambulance

[pintsofguinness]

I wouldn't give anything to those charities. Waste of money.

I know someone that works for a company and all the employees donate 2 quid a month out of their wages (there's over 100 employees so it comes out as a nice sum), the company adds to it and they look for causes.  At the moment they're effectively running orphanages in India, they pay electric bills, buy shoes for the kids, food etc - they top people go and visit every so often to. Every penny goes to the place it's suppose to! Fantastic idea. 
All those established charities are bullshit.

[bodyprojectliverpool]

Just want to post on here.  I'm advising ireland Air Ambulance and can I just suggest everyone posting on here takes a look at http://irelandairambulance.wordpress.com then has a read of the BBC stuff and then spots the difference.  Its easy to post a link from the BBC and believe it but journalists have reasons for reporting in the way they do - they never let the facts get in the way of a good story.  So don't take all this as read and we need the GAA support to continue.

[The Subbie]

So there was nigh on £700 k raised and of that £65k will go towards the cost of the chopper mmm

then this "Ireland Air Ambulance (the Association) announces that it is to dissolve with immediate effect.

All staff employment will cease without notice on Tuesday 13th April, and other costs such as premises, utilities and other contracts will be ceased as soon as practicable." from the statement given in the link above.

Sounds to me like a lot of people were taken for mugs, unfortunate though true from where I'm standing.

How long before the people behind this (and i don't mean the Fearons who had very noble and explainable reasons for backing this and hoping for its success) morph into a different charidy that is "hey,doing like, really good work ya know, give generously guys" and people pony up when really all they are giving to is an overinflated wage for a "fundraiser" and 2 or 3 others.
It seems to me that nowadays a lot of these so called charities are there to make enough money to pay a few pr1cks to sit in an office, get a PR co in twice a year to raise the profile, have a bit of a press splurge to raise the profile then sit back and watch the shekels roll in, wages sorted for another while sorry administration fees sorted for another while.

[bodyprojectliverpool]

I agree with The Subbie that is what can come across here but the reason all the new people at the charity are involved is to tackle  the issues that you are raising.  Peter Fearon has become involved as he and his wife and their community and the GAA and indeed with full cross county support raised £65k towards this project in memory of Gerald Fearon.  We have to get this project for that alone.  There is nothing wrong with charities paying people as long as those people put in some serious work and deliver and are held to account for every hour of their work.  I got involved because I am the Chair of the North West Air Ambulance which is one of the biggest ones in England.  We have to raise £4m a year and that is a serious size business.  But it works and every day we fly and make a difference - check out http://northwestairambulance.wordpress.com - we also virtually every week fly to one rugby or football injury and land on the pitch.  Normally the injuries are spinal or neck and so being able to lift someone gently in the air and get them to a hospital in minutes without having to be carried off a field into a van over speed humps and roundabouts etc.  This helicopter will be a great help to the GAA.  But what The Subbie says is right - this has to be by the book, above board, every penny accounted for, Government behind it, public reassured and supporting.  Just give the new guys a chance.  The likes of Peter getting involved is because he has met the new people and they are all serious players so I am sure they can turn this around.

[hectorsheroes]

Just because the Air ambulance situation has been badly run doesn't mean all charities are. All NI charities have to be legally constituted and run in the proper legal way. One bad apple such as the air ambulance should not ruin the barrel and it is very very very shortsighted for comments to this effect. Charity workers are in the most part volunteers and they work very hard. Those that are paid work just as hard and the charity sector has to be run every bit as professionally as a business or else the funding would cease. Try talking to someone from a charity who has ever been involved in fundraising or filling in a funding application form and you'll be made fully aware of the monitoring and evaluation regulations which are over beaurocratic to say the least.

Many businesses and businessmen go bankrupt in more suspicious circumstances than charities do but they don't get the same amount of publicity as a badly run charity of which there are very very few. Crass and unintelligent statements about people sitting in offices and getting a PR company in every so often are ignorant in the extreme. There are about 4000 + registered charities and community groups in the North all of which adhere to fundraising standards protocol and legislation so when one goes by the wayside and is publicised like this it is only those without the clarity and wit to look at the bigger picture that judge a whole sector like this. Look at your local gaelic club and community group and how they are run and cop on to the fact that these people put in time and effort almost like its a vocation  before ignorant statements are made demonising a whole sector.

[Minder]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12139300