Age Uk claim that by selling Woodcot it will help their wider charitable aim…. but what about the RNLI’s charitable aim? Does that not matter too? Why should Age Uk pull the drawbridge up on years of fundraising at Woodcot?
https://rnli.org/news-and-media/2019/july/13/mary-berry-cream-teas-and-rnli-salcombe
In the fifty years that Woodcot has belonged to charity it has raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes and charities. All that will be lost if Age Uk call time and sell Woodcot.
The event pictured above in 2019, raised £4069.73 for the Salcombe branch of the RNLI; it drew in huge crowds, all eager to meet Mary Berry, enjoy a cream tea on the lawn and listen to the jazz trio hired for the day - a yacht in distress even obliged by needing assistance on the very day! ….. that's quite a lot of goodwill when it's unpacked as a whole… one yacht and all souls aboard saved, three musicians paid, and just a quick read of the local businesses shows how much of a beneficial knock-on effect one local fundraiser has on the town.
The Bakehouse, Salcombe Dairy, Salcombe Coffee Shop, Salcombe Deli, Luscombe Drinks, Salcombe Co-op, Marchant Petit, & Salcombe Trading all were mentioned by the RNLI in their publicity - this is a charity that recognises and understands the importance of their role in Salcombe.
Not so Age Uk. Compare their contemptuous action towards Salcombe in stark contrast to that of the RNLI. To them, Woodcot is a 'drain on their resources' … when in fact they have been operating the charity at a loss, cynically running it down with this sale as the end goal.
And for why? Well Age Uk is now so vast a machine that it has huge overheads to match - Paul Farmer created over 110 Chief Executives remember - @ £65k per annum each according to job site Indeed.
When Woodcot is sold that is where the money will end up, just another nought on the Age Uk Balance Sheet. The only winners will be Age Uk - but that sale money from the proceeds of Woodcot will be a drop in the ocean compared to the running costs of AGE UK PLC.
Whereas the loss of Woodcot will be felt forever by Salcombe. Forever.
There is a way forward. If Age UK did the honourable thing like the other charities who owned Woodcot before them and respected the wishes of the donor - reopened the house to provide more desperately needed elder accomodation, opened the gardens and woodland to the public then Woodcot could go on giving pleasure to people and providing fund-raising opportunities to lots of charities for many years to come.
If Age Uk ran Woodcot a bit more creatively they might realise what a little goldmine they are actually sitting on…
Please - keep signing and keep sharing.