Help save Worcestershire Archives!

[Ruskie]

I am not sure how well visited the Worcestershire board is, but I believe some people visit some boards but not others ..... so I wonder if it is worth posting another thread on the Worcestershire board?

Duplicate threads are normally discouraged, but if you just mention that you have this thread in the Common Room and provide a link to it I think it might be acceptable, because it is such a worthy cause. 

[Eastbury]

Hello Ruskie
Thank you for contacting me.

I have it on the Worcestershire Board as "Saving Worcestershire Archives" and rosie99 kindly put in the link to the Common Room board.

Best Wishes
Jack

[Andrew Tarr]

I've gladly signed, though I don't have much confidence in online petitions to public bodies.

It's great that Rootschatters rally round in response to calls like this, but I can't help a nasty feeling that the budget-pruners may sit back thinking 'it'll be fine to trim that, all the old folks will come to the rescue'.
Pity, but that may be the way it is.

[davidft]

I wonder how many signing up have done a basic bit of research on that site?

We have a FM reporting they were automatically forwarded to a paypal page asking for a $25 "donation". As that site is asking for 1,000 signatories even if only half cough up that is still $12,500. Nice work if you can get it.

That site is part of  Angle Three Associates, LLC. An American company whose filing status is apparently concealed "The company's filing status is listed as Concealed and its File Number is 201317510260"

etc etc


Ever feel you have been duped ?

[smudwhisk]

I've gladly signed, though I don't have much confidence in online petitions to public bodies.

It's great that Rootschatters rally round in response to calls like this, but I can't help a nasty feeling that the budget-pruners may sit back thinking 'it'll be fine to trim that, all the old folks will come to the rescue'.
Pity, but that may be the way it is.

Unfortunately I also think the fact that many people signing the petition are not from Worcestershire or the surrounding regions may also reduce the impact with the council just thinking well they're less likely to use the facilities anyway.  I know people do travel further afield for research, but perhaps less now than in the past.  The Northamptonshire Archives campaign the other year I think was successful because they managed to galvanise the help of academics and students who would have been very much impacted with a reduction to two half days per week, that along with people from the wider region, and the publicity it generated.  Sadly a petition on a website such as that isn't likely to have as much impact, although I accept its a start and something needed to be done.

[Regorian]

It's one of those commercial petition companies. Don't know how much notice is taken of them.

Otherwise, everyone is aware of cuts, both Central and Local Government. It's not finished yet either.

Brutal truth is the British people generally don't work hard enough to earn enough to pay enough tax to pay for all the goodies we take for granted.   

[Eastbury]

Hi
It’s been interesting and depressing to read the pros and cons for creating a Petition using a commercial website, and your opinions of the Petition’s likely success or failure.

Your comments have been noted and will be passed on.

Unless people use their Rootschat name it is difficult to tell how many are in the 900+ who have signed the Petition. Certainly the 400+ positive comments to the Petition seem to me to be mostly from people who have used the Worcestershire Archives.

Your votes are not wasted the Petition forms part of the overall campaign to save Worcester Archives and its data and comments are being presented to the Council. I believe that you can make a positive difference.

Jack

[rosie99]

Sadly if the council have got to cut budgets then they have to prioritise what they spend money on.

There is also the choice of not making your name public on the online petition so you would also those people 

[Eastbury]

Hi rosie99
Yes, you're right you can comment on the petition on-line as "anonymous",  but all the petition signers have a name. 

We do realise that County Councils generally are severely stretched. Much of the Worcs. County Council budget goes on statutory duties for Adult and Childrens Services (I've been paying attention to Council meetings since the Campaign began!)

Talking numbers - the Worcestershire Archives budget is just 0.12% of Worcestershire County Council's overall budget. So a proposed 36% cut to the Archives budget is a disaster  for the Archives and its staff. The decision rests with the full County Council meeting on 14th February. I'll be there as a member of the general public and will let Rootschat forums know the outcome

Jack