Buying a real Christmas Tree?

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 08 Nov 2005, 13:15

Then please, please think about buying it from Bethany; and just in case anyone wants to help out in any other way, here's the whole message:

Hi everyone

Ok, here it is. My plea for help. Please read carefully.

The problem
- Bethany runs a Winter Care Shelter for rough sleepers in Edinburgh. We don't receive any kind of funding for this except from kind individuals and last year we ran at a loss of Â£28,000. We can't afford to do this again but we know that people die if they sleep rough over winter in Scotland. (610
people had nowhere to go over the winter months last year and received shelter, warmth and love from Bethany)

The solution
- this year we're going to sell Christmas Trees to raise money to fund the shelter! The approx cost of a tree is the cost of giving somebody a bed for the night, a hot meal and some help getting off the streets. The trees are the same price as you would pay elsewhere (Â£5 per foot) and good quality (non needle drop, environmentally sourced Nordman Firs).

The deal
- We need people to order their trees in advance (before end of Nov). You just place your order; pick your size, the date you want to pick it up and the place you want to collect it from. Then on the day, turn up, take your pick and take it home.

Where you come in
- We really need help to make this work. We need to sell lots and deliver lots (Â£28K is a lot of trees!)..

Can you please do any combination of the following-

Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â· Send emails to everyone you know (friends, colleagues anyone!) in Edinburgh to promote the Caring Christmas Trees Campaign.

Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â· Give leaflets to all and sundry - neighbours, canteen, local sandwich shop....

Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â· Donate 4 hours to promote the scheme at a stall in the Gyle or Ocean Terminal for a 4 hour slot (10-2pm or 2-6pm or 6-8pm) any Thurs, Fri or Saturday in November

Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â· Donate 4 hours - we need 100 people to donate 4 hours to help distribute the trees. That's either checking paperwork, netting trees or just
chatting to people. You can choose your slot from: Fri 9th Dec 4-8pm, Sat 10th 10-2 or 2-6pm, Fri 16th 4-8pm, Sat 17th 10-2 or 2-6pm.
Location choice: Liberton, Leith, Comely Bank, Corn Exchange, Gyle. Groups of 4 would be ideal, so why not get a group of your friends together and do it as a team..

The website (www.caringchristmastrees.com) is up and running for people to place their orders.

For now if you could think carefully about it &/or how you can help I would be very very grateful indeed.

Looking forward to hearing from you when you sign up!

Thanks
Claire

PS. Buy a Caring Christmas Tree and help a homeless person this winter.
Click on www.caringchristmastrees.com to make a difference.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Nov 2005, 14:05

Brilliant post BB and thank you for bringing this to our attention. We will order our work and home trees from Bethany.

"Where you come in
- We really need help to make this work. We need to sell lots and deliver lots (Â£28K is a lot of trees!).. "

I think its a do-able target. If the average tree is 6ft then Bethany must sell 933 trees to raise Â£28k.

I suggest we all cut and paste BB post and send it to as many folks as we can, asking them to send it to 5 folk each.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Nov 2005, 14:39

I emailed it to about 60 people and zing..... got these back straight away:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for this, it looks like a great idea We will definately order our trees from them.

Fi & Arlene

Hi,
this is getting around - hope it does well.

What about a Sticky?

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 08 Nov 2005, 18:19

I have just forwarded this to Lawrence and Maureen, who both have extensive email distribution lists.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 08 Nov 2005, 20:09

Xmas tree ordered - thanks for that BB.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Nov 2005, 23:08

Bob Jefferson wrote:I have just forwarded this to Lawrence and Maureen, who both have extensive email distribution lists.

You are a good boy.

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 09 Nov 2005, 08:23

A very good idea, I will do my best to get our tree from Bethany.

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 18 Nov 2005, 11:14

This is being featured on the news page of Scotland On Sunday's At Home magazine this sunday (20th November), by its editor, the very beautiful and lovely and delightful Lynn O'Rourke, so hopefully lots of people will read it and buy trees.

JP.

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 18 Nov 2005, 14:43

Jackson Priest wrote:This is being featured on the news page of Scotland On Sunday's At Home magazine this sunday (20th November), by its editor, the very beautiful and lovely and delightful Lynn O'Rourke,
JP.

You forgot to add that Lynn is also a goddess of taste, charm and intelligence.

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 18 Nov 2005, 15:15

ecm wrote:You forgot to add that Lynn is also a goddess of taste, charm and intelligence.

You're right. I've heard her husband is a bit of a toss pot though.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 18 Nov 2005, 15:22

You know who I don't like? Gillian Glover (Evening News restaurant critic) - and it's nothing to do with restaurants.

She runs a B&B but get this - she doesn't like *babies*.

I had a booking at her B&B for a couple of friends coming from Germany for my wedding in 2002. When she found out they had a young baby she cancelled their reservation.

Happy Christmas Gillian. NOT.

Definitely the second worst thing that happened to my wedding, next to our photgrapher embezzling everyone's money and running away to Australia.

G'dae !!

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 18 Nov 2005, 15:29

Jackson Priest wrote:
ecm wrote:You forgot to add that Lynn is also a goddess of taste, charm and intelligence.
You're right. I've heard her husband is a bit of a toss pot though.

You don't say?
Isn't it funny, i'd heard he was a bit

. But, of course, that's just gossip.

Or is it?

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 18 Nov 2005, 15:35

ecm wrote:You don't say?
Isn't it funny, i'd heard he was a bit . But, of course, that's just gossip.

Or is it?

Wouldn't surprise me. He looks like a b ummer.

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 18 Nov 2005, 15:36

Dadaist wrote:You know who I don't like? Gillian Glover (Evening News restaurant critic) - and it's nothing to do with restaurants.

She runs a B&B but get this - she doesn't like *babies*.

I had a booking at her B&B for a couple of friends coming from Germany for my wedding in 2002. When she found out they had a young baby she cancelled their reservation.

GG probably cancelled to remove the temptation of eating said baby. She looks the sort who'd eat anything and everything, imo.

I say your friends, and in particular, their baby, had a lucky escape.

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 19 Nov 2005, 11:59

that idiot Jackson Priest wrote:This is being featured on the news page of Scotland On Sunday's At Home magazine this sunday (20th November)

Silly me. It's featured in the 27th, not the 20th.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 19 Nov 2005, 13:54

Jackson Priest wrote:
that idiot Jackson Priest wrote:This is being featured on the news page of Scotland On Sunday's At Home magazine this sunday (20th November)
Silly me. It's featured in the 27th, not the 20th.

Still good news JP. Folk will be able to catch last orders (30 November). See that they've sold 850 trees so far

PS
If the lovely Lynn ever wants to do a 'special' where a untidy, badly decorated Portobello home is transformed into a haven of good taste and comfort,you'll be sure to point her in my direction, won't you?

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 19 Nov 2005, 19:02

Marya wrote: If the lovely Lynn ever wants to do a 'special' where a untidy, badly decorated Portobello home is transformed into a haven of good taste and comfort,you'll be sure to point her in my direction, won't you?

Great idea, Marya. We better form an orderly queue.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 21 Nov 2005, 17:15

1014 trees now sold

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 21 Nov 2005, 17:55

That better not be a xmas related smiley.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 21 Nov 2005, 18:03

Porty wrote:That better not be a xmas related smiley.

bah...well you are posting in a Christmas related thread. Don't tell me you haven't started planning your Christmas Avatar

:reindeer:

:reindeer::

:reindeer:

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 21 Nov 2005, 18:04

The horse has bolted.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 21 Nov 2005, 18:20

Porty wrote:The horse has bolted.

Think you'll find that's a reindeer dear

Jackson Priest · Post by **Jackson Priest** » 25 Nov 2005, 12:19

Marya wrote:If the lovely Lynn ever wants to do a 'special' where a untidy, badly decorated Portobello home is transformed into a haven of good taste and comfort,you'll be sure to point her in my direction, won't you? .

Huh. I'm still waiting for her to transform my untidy, badly decorated Portobello home. But she just tells me to "do it yourself."

Ho ho.

JP.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 10 Dec 2005, 15:51

As I am away on our work Xmas function next weekend, I had to pick up my Xmas tree today. Absolutely superb service from people who are caring volunteers rather than hired hands. And the tree is lovely.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 07 Nov 2006, 11:18

Caring Christmas Trees is ready and waiting for you

Iâ€™m delighted to tell you that Caring Christmas Trees 2006 is now open for business.

About the Trees

The trees are fantastic quality, the same price youâ€™d pay elsewhere and are as fresh and environmentally friendly as you can get. Choose your size, date and location, then just turn up and take your pick from the selection of trees on the day.

A few changes

Due to popular demand weâ€™re trading in Edinburgh and Fife this year. We're also selling tree bases.

Where do we go from here?

The Care Shelter costs around Â£100,000 a year so we need to sell a lot of trees to completely fund this amazing service.

All trees sold in Fife will fund Bethanyâ€™s work with homeless and vulnerable people in Fife. Over 4,000 people came to Bethany for help in Fife last year. We recon that Fifers are well up for a bit of festive kind-hearted support.

What you can do next

Visit www.caringchristmastrees.com order your tree and give yourself a pat on the back.

We need 400 volunteers to give 4 hours, so please look at the volunteering page on the website.

Finally but perhaps most importantly, please forward this email on to everybody that you know â€“ that's everybody!

Remember

Every person that buys a Caring Christmas Tree makes a genuine and lasting difference in somebody else's life.

We really need everyone's help this Christmas.

Email : info@caringchristmastrees.com

Telephone: 0845 111 TREE (8733)

Don't be disappointed; remember to place your order before 10th December

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 04 Dec 2006, 21:35

Just a reminder in case you have not placed an order for your Christmas Tree this year.

The last day for ordering is 10th of December, with pick up on either 15th or 16 December. They were lovely trees last year and it is a very worthy cause. Come on - you know it makes sense.

Cleopas · Post by **Cleopas** » 04 Dec 2006, 22:24

No Christmas tree OR decorations in THIS house, I assure you!

I have a sanity clause that stops that kind of mess.

Izzie · Post by **Izzie** » 04 Dec 2006, 22:32

I can't get a real tree,the cat likes to see all the needles fall as she goes up the middle of it and walks along the branches

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 04 Dec 2006, 23:41

Pal of Porty wrote:Just a reminder in case you have not placed an order for your Christmas Tree this year.

The last day for ordering is 10th of December, with pick up on either 15th or 16 December. They were lovely trees last year and it is a very worthy cause. Come on - you know it makes sense.

do you want to deliver us a non-shedding tree?? (ones from Mica are all very well but shed like crazy, wait till after tomorrow before you reply as we "might" be getting one delivered from a contact at BC work).

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 04 Dec 2006, 23:42

Izzie wrote:I can't get a real tree,the cat likes to see all the needles fall as she goes up the middle of it and walks along the branches

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 05 Dec 2006, 16:13

From today's EN:

Homeless shelter faces crisis as Christmas trees fail to sell

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 05 Dec 2006, 16:19

Think its time for Izzie to ditch the cat and get a tree, don't you?

Izzie · Post by **Izzie** » 05 Dec 2006, 16:23

She is my baby

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 05 Dec 2006, 16:30

But there's people homeless, its only a cat. Cats are not for xmas. I'm sure that's how the saying goea.

Izzie · Post by **Izzie** » 05 Dec 2006, 16:32

But then I would have a homeless cat