A Note to Readers 2

I would like to tell all my subscribers of a change that I will be making to my Substack arrangements, starting in the New Year.

As you may know, Substack allows any writer to use its platform, with lots of advice and assistance, at no cost. But it also enables writers to set up a paid option (whereby subscribers pay a small sum for their subscription) and, in this case, it takes a 10% commission of the resulting earnings. This is how Substack makes any income.

I didn’t set up a paid option in the first year because I wanted to see if i) I enjoyed writing regularly and ii) others took an interest in what I wrote. Amd one year on, I have enjoyed it immensely and the response to my newsletter suggests that you like it, too. 

But it seems only right to compensate Substack for my use of its platform and I have therefore decided to set up a paid option, starting in January 2024.

Along with some other Substack writers, I will not take any of the income earned for myself, but will donate all the earnings I make from Substack to charity (minus the 10% which Substack receives).

My chosen charity, Shelter from the Storm, helps the homeless in London (of which there are far too many). It offers the following description of its services:

Shelter from the Storm is a completely free emergency night shelter in London providing accommodation, meals and support services to 36 homeless people every night of the year. We receive no government funding, depending entirely on voluntary donations to operate. Our mission is to house and support people experiencing homelessness 'whoever they are, wherever they come from'.

But we provide not simply a safe place to sleep. Every evening, we prepare a home-cooked meal and serve as a place where people can socialise, play pool and watch TV together. We also provide casework, laundry, showers, clothing, IT, art and craft classes, poetry and music nights and much more. 

You can read more here: https://sfts.org.uk/

Please note that you may continue to subscribe in the usual free manner. I will make no distinction between paid and unpaid readers. (I hate those emails that tell you what you are missing as a free subscriber or where a paragraph is cut off in its prime because you need to subscribe to read the rest.)

But if you have found what I write to be pleasing or stimulating, I would be truly delighted if you would sign up for the paid option and thereby make a contribution to Shelter from the Storm.

You can choose to pay an annual subscription of £40, a monthly payment of £4 or what Substack calls a ‘Founders Subscription’ of £100 (or more if you like).

To give you an idea of how any payments will be used

£40 - covers food and toiletries for one week for two people

£100 – covers four hours of one-to-one English lessons, which will help people gain employment and thereby get back into society.

Thank you so very much for any support you can offer. You will see all the details in January.