[Dunwa]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7057299.stm

In December there will be a public vote to allocate £50 million pounds of lottery money to one of four charities.

So which one would get your vote and why ?

The contenders are :

National Cycle network
The sustainable transport charity Sustrans has asked for funding for 79 projects linking up its national cycle network in the UK.

The Eden Edge project
The Eden Project in Cornwall wants to create a project called Edge, which would explore the problem of climate change and examine how plants have coped with change in the past.

The Black Country Urban Park
The Black Country Urban Park aims to improve the lives of one million people by reviving canals and developing a 12-mile corridor linking Walsall with West Bromwich.

Sherwood: The Living Legend Project
This hopes to protect what is reputed to be Europe's oldest collection of oak trees. It would plant 250,000 trees over 350 acres to fill the gaps created through neglect, and also build a visitors' centre.

Let try and keep this on topic and discuss the four nominations and how you would vote rather than coming up with new entries.

[JohnG]

Sherwood Forest for me as the visitors centre is about 6 miles away from where I live

[nheather]

My choice would be the cycle network though I dubious whether £50M would be enough to make a difference.

So perhaps it would be best spent on one of the others, though I still sticking with the cycle network.

Cheers, Nigel

[sore napper]

I wouldn't give it to any of them. Can't they think of a better way to spend the money?

Why not give it to schools or hospitals or something that needs it.

EDIT

I just seen the bottom of the post.

"Let try and keep this on topic and discuss the four nominations and how you would vote rather than coming up with new entries"

Sorry for going of topic

[Razor]

None of them. Build housing for the homeless and orphans.

[nheather]

Why not give it to schools or hospitals or something that needs it.

Nice sentiment but its a slippery slope of relieving the Government of their duty to provide these services.

The vote seems a bit silly to me because the majority of people don't live near the last three so human nature (how do I benefit?) will drive them towards the cycle network.

A better argument is that the number of people who would potentially benefit from the cycle network is much higher than the other three.

Still a silly vote in my opinion though.

Cheers,

Nigel

[Dunwa]

I went with the cycle network for that exact reason.

nheather : I hope you're not trying to suggest in anyway the Lottery comission are trying to rig this so that there is only one candidate which would benefit the vast madjority

[sore napper]

Originally Posted by nheather

Nice sentiment but its a slippery slope of relieving the Government of their duty to provide these services.

The vote seems a bit silly to me because the majority of people don't live near the last three so human nature (how do I benefit?) will drive them towards the cycle network.

A better argument is that the number of people who would potentially benefit from the cycle network is much higher than the other three.

Still a silly vote in my opinion though.

Cheers,

Nigel

True, its a slippery slope. I know its the governments duty to provide these services, but they do it with the peoples money. People elect the government to do their job for them, so I believe that its the peoples duty also to do something about it instead of always blaming the government when these services aren't good enough.

£50,000,000 is a lot of money. The lottery produces a lot of money. I feel that people should have a bigger say as to where the money should go. We know that schools and hospitals don't have enough money and they are things that we can't live without.

Why go spending money on things that the majority of people will not benefit from?

The lottery does do some good with the funds that it spends, but I believe that a lot of it goes to waste.

[Razor]

Originally Posted by sore napper

True, its a slippery slope. I know its the governments duty to provide these services, but they do it with the peoples money. People elect the government to do their job for them, so I believe that its the peoples duty also to do something about it instead of always blaming the government when these services aren't good enough.

£50,000,000 is a lot of money. The lottery produces a lot of money. I feel that people should have a bigger say as to where the money should go. We know that schools and hospitals don't have enough money and they are things that we can't live without.

Why go spending money on things that the majority of people will not benefit from?

The lottery does do some good with the funds that it spends, but I believe that a lot of it goes to waste.

Well put sore napper. I think the 4 above choices are really rubbish. Spend the money in places where it will save lives and greatly improve lives (homeless, hospitals, orphans etc...) I wonder which idiot decides to spend the money like this.

I also wouldnt be surprised if a back handers are involved some where along the line.

IMO you should save lives first then look to other schemes. Not the other way round.


Can we have an option on the poll for none of the choices?

[danaldinho7]

I voted for the forest, however should really be an option to buy me one of each of the following along with an underground car park in London

Gulwing SL
Bugatti Veyron
Bugatti Veyron Targa
BMW 507
BMW M1...LIST GOES ON

[daveleeuk]

I won't vote, as the winner has already been selected

[Wild Weasel]

Originally Posted by daveleeuk

I won't vote, as the winner has already been selected

Ha! cynic.

Probably right though.

I voted for the trees because I like them. The Eden Project will win because they used the magic phrase 'climate change'.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by BBC link

As the public were the lottery players, it was only right they should have a say in where the money went, he went on.

Money where his mouth is then! (no pun intended)

As above, schools, hospitals or cancer research etc. I am all for the environment but I personally feel others are more deserving

[Hi-Def]

definatly the forest for me planting new trees and looking after old ones is of great benefit to everyone in the UK not just those few that live near the forest. yep its only 350 acres of trees but the more planted and saved the better.

[Woodywizz]

Agree with others' sentiments - what a waste of money. Give the money to the NHS so they can stop closing down maternity wards and "A&E Departments".

[Logo Hater]

Originally Posted by woodywizz

Agree with others' sentiments - what a waste of money. Give the money to the NHS so they can stop closing down maternity wards and "A&E Departments".

They have already been given many more times this amount of money but are still closing wards and A&Es. Until they cut out the waste no amount of money will prevent it happening, but this is now going way off the original subject, for which I apologise.

Of the choices listed I would have to select the cycle tracks, for no other reason that it is likely to benefit the most people, from all over the country. I do however love the idea of planting loads of trees.

[Wild Weasel]

Yeah, exactly - world's smallest violin. The NHS budget is £90 BILLION this year and growing. If they can't manage with that then there is something seriously wrong with its' management. (don't answer that)

Besides, the lottery is not supposed to be a substitute for state spending.

[anna the dub]

I will vote for the Black Country project. Mainly because I live there, and the region does really need some investment.

[JohnG]

I'd much rather see lottery money go towards community projects and facilities for teenagers to keep them off the streets and give them a purpose in life.

[Ethics Gradient]

Originally Posted by JohnG

I'd much rather see lottery money go towards community projects and facilities for teenagers to keep them off the streets and give them a purpose in life.

Agreed - maybe the 50Mil could be used to buy back some of the land thats been sold off from schools ... ie playing fields.

[Decadence]

I voted for the Black Country Urban Park...I like the idea of it.

[sim667]

Originally Posted by Ethics Gradient

Agreed - maybe the 50Mil could be used to buy back some of the land thats been sold off from schools ... ie playing fields.

Agreed again

But out of the list available I want it to go to improving cycling facilities

[Praxidike]

No "Give it to Praxidike" option?

Why cant the money be given to a deserving charity that actualy helps people, i dont have anything against the nominated organisations, i just cant help think that 50 million would make a lot of, say fostered kids or kids in care have a great xmas.

Failing that a couple of grand my way to help with my new cinema project lol