Socialholic

I have put my head above the parapet on something and it seems from my inbox that I am not alone on it!

Over the past few weeks, a campaign has been running to raise money for the Christmas lights in Exeter City Centre. The main focus of the campaign is to get money out of city centre businesses – and, in particular, the banks.

On Twitter, the City Centre Manger, John Harvey (who, I want to put it on record, I like a lot) has been attacking various targets for not putting money in to the pot.

Due to the deficiencies of Twitter (140 characters and all that), it’s not easy for me to put my point across on this and I feel a bit like I’m talking in soundbites. So I thought a blog might be in order to put some flesh on the bones. So, here we go…

This year, for various reason, there is no money for Christmas lights. Traditionally, this was something paid for out of the Council’s budget and it appears to cost somewhere in excess of £50,000 to put on. The lights are lovely.

Exeter City Council is, at the moment, making some big cuts to services. The pressures are coming at them from all angles – losing money in Icelandic banks, general Government cuts, spending on failed unitary bids and so on. But, at the same time, they are also writing off over £600,000 of unpaid rent and Council Tax. So they are obviously in no position to put their hands in their pockets.

Neither is Devon County Council. They are under pressure too.

So, the campaign is targeting the city centre businesses.

Now, maybe I’m looking at this a bit too simplistically but, if the Councils have no more money, why go after the businesses? Why assume they have money? Or that we are somehow entitled to it? Given how difficult it is to walk through Exeter without getting attacked by dozens of chuggers, it is possibly not surprising that they same tactics are being used now against the city’s businesses.

The level of vitriol being directed to these companies is simply wrong. They have already paid what has been asked of them. They have put in their contribution and now they are under attack.

I also do have a problem with a non-elected, predominantly publicly funded person attacking private companies for not donating money to something – whatever it is. It is their decision and they are not required to donate – respect that and don’t call them out. To read “Unacceptable that other #HighStreet banks haven’t yet come forward to support” on Twitter from the City Centre Manager is, I think, really unacceptable.

It is not right that organisations in Exeter do not feel they can speak out about this for fear of getting cast as the bad guy or somehow mean-spirited. And trust me, from the contacts that I have had that is exactly how they feel. They should feel free to speak and feel free not to contribute without fear of retribution.

I am now going to say something really unpopular but I hope that the illustration I give makes the point:

It is not mean-spirited to say that we have priorities and, when times are hard, maybe a few Christmas lights aren’t that important.

We are in the middle of an economically difficult period – possibly the worst there has ever been – and there is not an awful lot of money floating about. If we cannot afford Christmas lights, it will not kill us to go without them until there is enough money to pay for them. And if we can afford them, in the circumstances, maybe giving the money to one of the many organisations who are facing cuts that protect and support the most vulnerable in society would be a better use of it.

In fact, wouldn’t not having the lights and giving the money to the most vulnerable be in the real spirit of Christmas?

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This attack on Exeter businesses has been very public so far and, therefore, I think it is only right that this discussion of the counterpoint is in the public domain too. I would welcome your contributions to this – especially from you, John! This is a discussion and I hope that you will take it in the manner in which it is meant. Your right of reply is absolute!

The Cherub at 11 Cathedral Close, originally uploaded by jamesmb.

This is one of a number of wooden carvings that appear above the door at 11 Cathedral Close, Exeter.

11 Cathedral Close is part of the set of stone buildings that form the northern edge of the Cathedral precinct. It was formally the residence of the Archdeacon of Barnstaple

The building is Grade 1 Listed.

(Apologies if the pic is wonky – so is the door!)

Exeter St Davids – Bigger than you’d imagine, originally uploaded by jamesmb.

Exeter St David’s Station. It is a very big station, as you can tell. Fortunately, some of the trains passing through are quite small.

St Davids Church, Exeter, originally uploaded by jamesmb.

It snowed in Exeter. Everything stopped. What more can I say?

This is St David’s Church in the snow.

Breaking through, originally uploaded by jamesmb.

Right, this is my first photo. Which is a bit daunting when you’re followed by lots of photographers.

So, here are some things I know:

1 – It’s not as good as yours. I can live with that. But I will improve!

2 – It’s a bit dark.

3 – The horizon’s not quite right.

But I quite like it. Y’know. For a first effort.

And it was taken from a train at speed.

So there!

See ya!

Socialholic x

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Just been on the panel discussing community building in social networks at the LikeMinds Conference in Exeter.