Broadland Memories is a not for profit archive which, until the beginning of 2015, has been funded solely out of my own pocket and from the sale of a handful of the two Broadland Memories DVD’s. As many regular visitors to the website will know, I have always been very reluctant to introduce advertising, or to ask for donations to help towards the costs involved in running and maintaining the archive and website, but I am now in a position where I need to ask for help.
As of last year, a change in personal circumstances means that I am sadly no longer able to fund the website on my own – I simply don’t have any spare personal funds anymore. The software that I use to create the main website is now massively outdated and I am still working on a computer which is running Windows XP. Having recently acquired a new notebook, I’ve begun to notice some major display issues in Windows 8 and on android tablets. The main website is also pretty much unusable on smartphones. I want the archive to be accessible to as many people as possible, so it is important that I upgrade to the latest software as soon as possible and that I keep up with future upgrades to ensure the website runs smoothly. In all honesty, the website is long overdue a redesign, so a major rebuild is required. I also need to upgrade the computer I use to create and maintain the website at the same time.
I really don’t want to have to put advertising on the website as I am keen to avoid any hint of commercialism about it. It is, and will always be, run on a not for profit basis. To be honest, the revenue provided by the likes of Google ads probably wouldn’t bring in more than a few pounds anyway. Sponsorship by local businesses may ultimately be the route that I have to take in the future, but I am reluctant to do so at this stage. It has been a very difficult decision to make, but I have had to swallow my pride and have created a donations button for the website. I have always been adamant that I should cover the website costs on my own up until now. I have never actually totted up just how much I have spent on software, hardware, materials and the purchase of photographic collections, ephemera and cine films (plus associated transfer costs etc.) over the last 9 years, but I reckon it must be at least £500 a year. The time I spend on working on the website is given freely.
My immediate concern is the upgrade of my PC and necessary software so that I can get the website rebuilt and (hopefully) running properly for as many visitors as possible. Obviously, I will put in what funds I can myself, but I can’t do it all on my own anymore. If you get any pleasure or have found the website of use and are able to make a small contribution towards the cots involved in running and maintaining the archive then I would be extremely grateful. Please use the donations button which you will find on the right of this page, or on the About and Archive pages of the main Broadland Memories website The link will take you to a secure PayPal page – you don’t need to have a PayPal account as donations can be made via any credit or debit card. Your donation will ensure that I can continue to keep on top of the necessary upgrades needed and will also assist towards future purchases of historic photographs, films and ephemera for the archive.
Many thanks!
