My first (finally!) HU meeting...

and what a great event it turned out to be.

Thanks to all.

I was astounded at the number of earplugs you all bought from me! Thanks to all who did for your patience and understanding as things got more and more chaotic! I think you all went away happy though

My 2p on the Scratch Table thing...

I sold a second hand set of waterproofs (the weather worked in my favour for this) which I wanted to donate to Riders. There was, at the time, no pot for the charity so I bought £20's worth of raffle tickets and tore them up. This contributed to the number of unclaimed winners being called. Had the pot been on the scratch table I could just have put the money in there (as I did when I sold some waterproof gloves later in the day).

I also put about £20 worth of earplugs on the table hoping this would help Riders for Health. It wasn't surplus kit I didn't need. It was all perfectly saleable stock. I'd like to think it didn't all just go into people's pockets or on eBay... not the spirit in which it was donated.

The idea that the charity pot was 'trying to get money out of people' doesn't really ring true for me.

I see the spirit of it as give and take. I was in a position to give, so I did.
Others may not have had items to donate but may have wanted to give back as well as take, and the charity pot seemed to me an ideal way to provide them with an opportunity to do so.

Nothing on that table ever had a price tag on it and there was no obligation to put money in.

Maybe next year some different wording could be used so people don't feel pressured but I think the idea was a great one and I hope to see it again next time.