Monday 20 July

Did you read Alec's story yesterday? If not, go straight there (nothing about to be written here needs detain you). If you did, was there one of those wobbly feelings in your stomach, and perhaps a slight prickling behind the eyes? That's what it's all about, and it leads me to:

The Magic of Fairbridge (6): Where the money comes from

Donors, funders, commissioners of services: we have them all and more. The state in all its richness and colour, from the European Union, through central government, to local authorities to individual schools. Hundreds of them overall. Things are different between England, Scotland and Wales, with their respective national parliamments, assemblies, languages and laws. Things vary widely between local authorities in each country.

Other sources, equally rich and colourful: the National Lottery; charitable trusts and foundations; companies (which often give more than just cash, and which often (quite reasonably) seek a return in staff involvement, staff development, public relations); individuals both in life, and in their wills on their deaths.

This diversity is vital. It keeps us independent, flexible, gives us some security when one group or another is suffering or changes its priorities. Overall the state gives us about 45% of our income, but no one funder, state or private, accounts for more than 10%.

Some money comes with strings attached (spend it on this specifically or you can't have it. Report back to us in detail before we pay you). We have to be careful here not to be tempted to take money for things outside our central purpose: sometimes hard to resist when trying to make ends meet.

Fundraising is tough, even when there isn't a recession, and lack of funding is the main obstacle to growth. We need roughly £10 million a year, much of it raised from scratch each time. Donors who commit for a longer period (for example through annual standing orders) are particularly valuable, giving us some certainty of future income and making it possible to plan. By comparison with many charities we are fortunate in having relatively strong reserves to cover short term deficits, giving us time to adjust to sudden changes in circumstances.

What could we do if we had £20 million a year rather than £10? The subject of the next Magic...

Cornish update. We've had weather. Lots of it. Some of it quite absurd. Apollo has largely done a bunk to France or somewhere, while Hebe and her mate Notus have been having a great time. Luckily you can't tell the difference when you're surfing, and there's a lot more beach for grandiose schemes when the ice cream vans are back in the garage and wind breaks aren't really the point.

Today we took over about two acres of deserted strand and built Northern Italy, complete with Vesuvius, the Colosseum and a mini Venice, complete with canal network (flooded from a nearby stream) St Marks, the Rialto etc. The Lido looked rather bleak under the grey and open sky, as it can, and T Mann sprang to mind.

Confession: ate some chocolate, a couple of biscuits, otherwise committed minor dietary sins. No alcohol, nicotine, caffeine though. Training: been on one long run to St Enodoc (J Betjeman buried there, lovely headstone) and beyond. Kept an eye on Achilles, easily provoked. Mucked about with a body board in the waves. Shifted a lot of sand building Italy etc

Just as I was beginning to get worried you came flooding back: £385 today, thank you, total to £11,213.33.