Caring with cars

[garycab]

Is this event on , great day out last year ?

[escortcab]

garycab said:

Is this event on , great day out last year ?

Postponed till 2k16. AFAIK people still have not got raffle prizes won. And the total amount raised was way lower than expected.

I wont go again, something was v iffy from that meet. Wont pay money to go.

[V8S]

escortcab said:

Postponed till 2k16. AFAIK people still have not got raffle prizes won. And the total amount raised was way lower than expected.

I wont go again, something was v iffy from that meet. Wont pay money to go.

Hi.

I thought I'd address this comment as it's slightly alarming.

I'm the main organiser of CWC. We started it back in 2011 and it's been a struggle to put on such a big event. We decided not to run it in 2013 because of lack of spare time, and in 2015 because we didn't have a big enough team together to make it what we wanted it to be. Each year it takes thousands of man hours to pull 600+ cars together, for free, in a nice place, with good food and music, and we do this in our spare time and are not paid. Luckily we have had great sponsors to foot the bill for insurance, ambulance and other necessary purchases.

I'm not sure what you mean by raffle prizes not being 'got'? We spend months tracking down possibly the best raffle prizes of any free car meet in the south west. At the point that a raffle prize is won at the event, it's really in the hands of those who have donated the prize and those who have won to get in contact with each other. All the contact details are given to the winner in the prize envelope. If a prize isn't subsequently claimed (as some prize givers have told me) or the giver doesn't back it up, there's not much I can do and I haven't heard of any givers doing this, thankfully.

Most charity car events have an entrance fee to enter. We have never asked an entrance fee, though donations on the gate are very welcome. All of the money raised is people buying raffle tickets and putting money into buckets, and a small amount of online donations though it is usually a LOT of work to get those. If people don't put money in buckets then we don't raise as much as we hoped. I was slightly disappointed by having our largest turnout of 600+ vehicles in 2014 but not belting it out of the park with funds raised, but I think all three CWCs so far have been enjoyable for almost everyone and it was started and remains an event for Pistonheads members, with charity fundraising on the side.

We want to raise more money for the CHSW, but it's a private event with limited parking so we'll will never rake in tens of thousands unless we charge gate entry and make the atmosphere a lot less relaxed. I think we struck the right balance and I'd hate to change it.

If you know of any problems or issues from any of the CWC events, I'm an approachable bloke. Let me know and I can close loops and fiddle with knobs. Things went wrong in each of the events, and we learn as we go. As I say, this isn't our jobs.

Email me through my profile if you like.

[ChrisFitz]

I can second that.
Graham is more than an approachable bloke, he is one in a million and a "top" bloke.
The event is a monster to put on and organise and you would be hard pushed to find a better cause to raise money for.
I don't know why you would say something was "iffy" as I'm not privy to why you think that, but drop Graham an email as I'm sure you have gone away with a perception that couldn't be further from the truth... And it would be good for you to not feel that way about CWC.

Edited by ChrisFitz on Friday 17th July 16:15

[CobraChris]

Here here, I for one have a healthy respect for the organisation involved in creating an event such as CWC.
Last years event was superb and I look forward to supporting more in the future - should we be lucky enough for an event to be organised.

[carreauchompeur]

I'd echo these comments. Making a throwaway remark about it being 'iffy' is well off IMHO, Graham and team put an enormous amount of effort into organising the last ones and it's a shame last year's fundraising didn't quite meet the expected heights.

In future I think it would be well worth charging a small entrance fee. Nobody would mind paying a fiver, and it provides a bit of a starter for the fundraising.

If anyone's in doubt CHSW are a brilliant cause and I've just finished a 200 mile sponsored bike ride for them, if anyone would like the Justgiving link please PM me.

[gmarsh]

Just read an early post and relieved that a 'modern' won't be at the next CWC(2016)event with a tape measure in hand and a heavy right foot. Been to the last 2 events and enjoyed both and will happily make any contribution, including a pre-paid entrance fee, even if the weather prevents my car attending. Most of the people to whom I spoke to in 2014 valued and appreciated the hard work the team put into making the event happen, so good riddance to those who have a different view, to which of course, they are perfectly entitled to have. Looking forward to 2016 and good luck to the Graham and his helpers!

[Daston]

Went to the first one when we had the TVR, despite not looking at the weather forecast and getting drowned whist only having shorts and t-shirt, we had a great time! Will certainly be there next year

[Midlifecrisis71]

escortcab said:

Postponed till 2k16. AFAIK people still have not got raffle prizes won. And the total amount raised was way lower than expected.

I wont go again, something was v iffy from that meet. Wont pay money to go.

And the prize for the oddest post goes to.........

How can a 100% charity based event organised by kind hearted volunteers be iffy ? I actually wonder if he is confused about which event it was ? Particularly as there is nothing to pay at the event, so maybe he's mixed it up with another show.

V8S - Im sorry that you have to waste your time justifying your actions

[V8S]

I absolutely don't mind anyone questioning things about CWC.

As far as I'm concerned, everything is above-board. If you think about it, if it wasn't we'd literally be stealing from dying children.

I hope escortcab is thinking of another event, but if not I'd love to know where we went wrong.

[jason900]

wow,m strange comments. CWC was probably one of the best meets last year, the cars were fantastic and the organisation was spot on.

[Pints]

Another massive supporter here of the excellent effort Graham and the team makes to put on the day.

Hugely appreciative of it all and only wish I was able to offer my time. Looking forward to the next one and really hope people dig deeper into their pockets.

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

escortcab said:

Postponed till 2k16. AFAIK people still have not got raffle prizes won. And the total amount raised was way lower than expected.

I wont go again, something was v iffy from that meet. Wont pay money to go.

A someone who has donated prizes over the last couple of events, only one person from the three who won subsequently contacted us on the numbers provided to claim their prize. ( 2 balloon flights, one day at the track with race team). the balloon flights have always been difficult to organise due to weather and peoples availability, however we have remained in contact with the prize winner since the event.

This comment is bang out of order for something into which so much work has gone into for such a good cause. If you have any real concerns you would be better off addressing them directly with the organisers on here rather than making ridiculous posts which could discourage others for no good reason in the future.

[garycab]

Kind of regret asking the question now ! Like someone else said I thought it was the best event I went to last year and sorry it's not on this. I for one would be quite happy to pay to enter next year. To make the remarks that someone has then you have to back it up, but it seems they have gone missing ??

[wessexrfc]

I for one would also like to back Graham as a top bloke. I feel a poor choice of words maybe to blame in Escorts post. I couldn't make the event last year, but a price was put together and bid on and won by http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?mem... Paul and his family came to one of our races (Oulton park I think) and I hope he had a good time seeing behind the scenes at a race day. He was a lovely chap and to me typified what being a Pistonheader is all about. He and his family made the effort to come along, he paid his money and we had a good chat and I hope they enjoyed it!!
As someone who has helped organise a car meet there is so much work that we've only been able to do one!! If there were more people like Graham and team the we would have lots of free meets to go too, but there aren't so let's support rather than criticise. Long live Pistonheads and long live CWC's 👍👍😀😀

[ChrisFitz]

wessexrfc said:

I for one would also like to back Graham as a top bloke. I feel a poor choice of words maybe to blame in Escorts post. I couldn't make the event last year, but a price was put together and bid on and won by http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?mem... Paul and his family came to one of our races (Oulton park I think) and I hope he had a good time seeing behind the scenes at a race day. He was a lovely chap and to me typified what being a Pistonheader is all about. He and his family made the effort to come along, he paid his money and we had a good chat and I hope they enjoyed it!!
As someone who has helped organise a car meet there is so much work that we've only been able to do one!! If there were more people like Graham and team the we would have lots of free meets to go too, but there aren't so let's support rather than criticise. Long live Pistonheads and long live CWC's ????????

Was a great event of yours as well, last year was it, or the year before? Would be great to see it ran again as a really good cause too.

[jkh112]

I was one of the volunteer marshals at the last cwc and can say that there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes and Graham and his team had been at it for a long time before the day. I was on the gate with a bucket almost all day and it was surprising the number of cars who did not put their hand in their pocket (although I assume they gave generously whilst inside the event ).

I know of one prize winner who is still waiting for the balloon ride, but they are receiving emails trying to organise a date. I presume this is with obiwonkeyblokey.

[RemaL]

My first time to CWC was last year and I really enjoyed it.

I am very surprised Escortcab posts something so damming them can't be arsed to put a reply to others comments.


I went, it was free to enter. I wanted to put money towards a good cause. No one held me at gun point to pay money. I did not wish anything. I was not fussed at all

Always a shame when a member posts like they are a troll or most likely very uninformed and writes before thinking.


I will be going in 2016.


removed but unable to from the quoted post sorry

Edited by RemaL on Monday 27th July 19:46

[GloverMart]

RemaL said:

My first time to CWC was last year and I really enjoyed it.

I am very surprised Escortcab posts something so damming them can't be arsed to put a reply to others comments.


I went, it was free to enter. I wanted to put money towards a good cause. No one held me at gun point to pay money. I did not wish anything. I was not fussed at all

Always a shame when a member posts like they are a troll or most likely very uninformed and writes before thinking.


I will be going in 2016.

And strange both the OP and first reply have a a similar post count as well as join date and both have cab at the end of their username

Edited by RemaL on Saturday 25th July 17:57

Hopefully tongue in cheek, RemaL, but Garycab (who I know quite well) is not escortcab. And he's posted twice as often in the same length of time... they are two completely different people.

Maybe that magnifying glass needs a bit of a polish....

FWIW, think the comments from escortcab are out of order too. I've visited CHSW and will never, ever forget my hour or so there. A wonderful place yet a heartbreaking place at the same time and I think anything that raises even a quid for the hospice is well worth it.

[RemaL]