Unless perhaps you’re high up in the Post Office, Fujitsu and, I’m guessing worryingly, maybe our own government, if you’ve watched the incredible real-life drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, you can’t help but be deeply moved by the shocking revelations and ongoing travesty that is the Post Office Scandal.
Some of the wrongs can never be righted because tragically people took their own lives over the lies and corruption, some have died, while others have had their lives torn apart and destroyed. It’s still dragging on after 20 years which as an observer is heart-breaking, but must be unimaginable if you are one of the hundreds of subpostmasters this is still effecting.
I do try very hard not to be too serious here at THLAS but for us letter writers our local Post Offices, and especially the people that run them, have a definite place in our hearts which can’t be overlooked. Our paths will have crossed somewhere with those who have suffered, and who are still suffering at the moment. I thought organising a little postcard fundraiser to try and raise a few pounds to “help subpostmasters rebuild their lives” was something I could do.
So here’s the idea:
- 100 THLAS postcards with the new logo.
- 100 2nd Class stamps*.
- 100 exclusive** Alan Bates stickers to add to the postcards.
- People donate £10 to the Horizon Scandal Fund in return for a postcard (plus sticker) handwritten by the Founder of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society (me) to anywhere in the world. This will have to be on trust and honesty because I can’t check whether people have, but equally it was to try and put some of that back into our lives. All you need to do is email (via thlas@outlook.com) saying you’ve donated £10 to the official fund and a Society postcard will be sent out to you. Please include the address it’s going to as well. Do feel free to gift them to someone if you would like to.
- It’ll be on a first-come first-served basis but if popular more postcards and stickers can be ordered.
Click HERE to donate to the Horizon Scandal Fund. Email thlas@outlook.com to let me know and I’ll send you a postcard with an exclusive “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” Alan Bates sticker! If you put “I’ve donated to the HSF” in the subject heading that would be fab!
Thanks everyone!
Dinah
* The English Stamp Company have kindly given THLAS 10% commission on the logo stampers that have been sold (£76) which I have put towards 100 2nd Class Stamps for the fundraiser but if anyone wanted to donate some to THLAS that would be hugely appreciated. Send to THLAS Postcard Fundraiser, PO Box 9347, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 9BG. Thank you so much!
** I am over the moon to have been given special permission by Nick Wallis (one of the journalists at the centre of uncovering the scandal) to use his photograph of Alan Bates for the exclusive stickers. [NB: Copyright belongs to Nick Wallis]
You could ask people to screenshot their donation receipt as proof. If you were so minded.
I thought hard about requiring proof and just wanted to see if there was a way of putting a bit of trust back in the world. Would people lie and send me their address? Also they get a postcard which will be full of irony as in it was all about helping people who were lied to. If anyone is that desperate for a postcard from me perhaps they need some love and help too. I’m not sure. Some people might be inspired to just give to the fund and not request a postcard so hopefully it will even out. Thank you for thinking about it though. It was to spread the word about the official fund as much as anything. Dinah
What a brilliant idea. A worthy cause. Post Masters matter so much to letter writing. Thanks Dinah.
Thank you so much, Ruth. It’s important to feel angry about the situation but I wanted to try and channel it somehow. Still up for a march if there is one, but in the meantime I thought I could write postcards to try and help. Thank you as always for all your support and enthusiasm. Dinah
Great idea, Dinah, & hopefully will make people more aware of the Horizon Scandal Fund. Many must have either heard about the Post Office scandal or watched the series, but nevertheless may not have been aware of the fund (I certainly was not). Have just donated, so will email you now! Hope I’ll be the first in a long line of other like-minded souls! Thanks so much for setting this up 🥰📝💌💞🌟🙌💒
Thank you so much for donating, Vanessa. It felt difficult to know how to help but writing postcards is something I can do, and it was extra special to be allowed to use Nick Wallis’ photo of Alan Bates for the exclusive sticker. Thanks everso again. Really kind of you. Dinah