At last, the fund-raising campaign has begun. The campaign got off to a flying start with the contribution of $1,270 within the first two hours. Today, at the start of Day 2, with 59 days to go, donations have reached $1,570. Please keep them coming!
We're using 'crowd funding' via Pozible Project No 177971 to solve the problem of soliciting the public for money. This is a very innovative approach to the restoration of historic graves, an activity which generally-speaking is not eligible for government grants, even where heritage status applies. And our approach is a trail blazer, proved by its front-page listing on Pozible's Community website.
We've solved another hassle, and relieved the Committee of the burden of setting up and administering a Trust Fund, by making an arrangement with the Hawkesbury City Council to accept the donations into a specially-designated account.
Even better, since the Cemetery has Heritage listing and the Council is the management authority for the Wilberforce Cemetery, Council will act as project manager, will pay the bills out of our account and will accept public liability risk. Their welcome involvement solves many of the problems of a volunteer Committee, including the problem of what to do with any surplus funds, which will stay in the kitty for similar projects in the future.
It should be fun to visit the Pozible site regularly to check on our progress as the countdown proceeds and the funding promises grow. Make sure you watch our short video on the Pozible website - just click on the arrow in the bottom left hand corner of the header picture. Feedback on our campaign is always appreciated.
We urge you to visit our Pozible campaign site, make your donation using your credit card, and then tell your family and friends about this worthwhile campaign, encouraging their support for it. (Sorry, we are not a registered charity so donations are not tax-deductible.) If we don't reach our target, Pozible will not collect on the promised donations and the project will lapse. Completely. We're anxious not just to reach our target but to zoom past it, into the stratosphere even, as any surplus funds we collect will be put towards the next historic grave restoration project in the Hawkesbury.
Remember, you don't have to be a descendant of the Bushell and Brown families to help with a donation. As the last resting place of 34 people who came on the First, Second and Third Fleets, the
significance of Wilberforce Cemetery within Australia's modern history makes this project worthy of support
by anyone, living anywhere, with an interest in protecting Australia's heritage
for future generations.
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