Thursday 25 February 2021

Crowdfunder 2: Special Incentives



UPDATE: This crowdfunding campaign is now closed. Thank you to everyone who has contributed. If you would like to read an update and/or buy my forthcoming book and get on the still active mailing list - click here. All the links below remain active.

ORIGINAL POST FOLLOWS:

In 2018 I tentatively launched a crowdfunding campaign to see if there was enough interest in this story to fund my presence at the first Bates v Post Office High Court trial. My target was £3000. Within ten days I had been entrusted with more than £6000. The money allowed me to sit through every day of that first trial. 

Since that initial crowdfunding campaign I have maintained a virtual tip jar. Without the contributions I would not have had the time to find the documents and make the contacts which led to last year's Panorama, File on 4, the Radio 4 series and the Private Eye Special. So - thank you.

Now I am launching another short crowdfunding campaign. I would like your support to allow me to cover the week long hearing at the Court of Appeal from 22 - 26 March, the government's Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and the activities of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance in their continuing quest for accountability and redress.

The reason this is slightly different from my first campaign is that there is another incentive on offer. As well as posting on this blog, live-tweeting from court and sending out regular secret emails, I am delighted to tell you there will be an option to get a book in return for your kind donations.

On Wednesday I signed a deal with Bath Publishing to write The Great Post Office Scandal - the story of the entire Horizon debacle from the mid nineties to the present day. It will be the definitive account, told in a (hopefully) page-turning style.

If you can afford to donate £25 you can join the secret emailers, support public interest journalism and get an ebook. If you can afford to donate £40, you can join the secret emailers, support public interest journalism and get a signed hardback book, with free UK shipping. 

If you can't afford these sums there are options to donate less. If you don't want to donate anything and just want to get your hands on the book/ebook, wait until April/May. Then both formats will become available at their full price of £25 (+ £3.50 UK shipping) or £8.99 for the ebook.

So many people have been so generous in the past, I realise there are only so many times you can go to the well. But if you have been thinking about donating, or have actually been waiting for a formal campaign, or just fancy a book and don't mind chucking one final donation into the tin, believe me I would be very grateful. 

You might actually be able to make a donation directly from this webpage via the donation options below. If you can't see it, this link should take you there.