Fundraising Book of Poetry

31 August 2021

Dear Friends

In sending you my warmest good wishes, I would like to introduce myself to you all. My name is David Bransby, and my darling son, Elliot died very unexpectedly, in November 2019, Elliot will be, Forever 30.

Following on from this awful experience, I expressed my feelings into verse, and penned three poems, My Beautiful Son, My Darling Boy & The Saddest 100 Days Of My Life. My wonderful and most compassionate partner, Helen wrote for me a most beautiful poem, And Here Your Boy Will Wait.

When I submitted my poems for consideration to be included in, the Compassion magazine, I enquired if it was okay to create a compendium of similar poems that could go on to be a fundraising book.

As I’m not alone in putting my feelings into verse, I am looking for around 100 of the most beautiful, yet often heart-breaking poems that have been written by, or for bereaved parents. Once completed, the book will be sold throughout the UK by The Compassionate Friends. All proceeds from sponsorship and sales (after design, typesetting and printing costs) will go to The Compassionate Friends.

For this project to be nothing other than a success, I would like every poem that is submitted to be sponsored. Over the last few weeks, I have been working away in the background to check on the feasibility, and I am delighted to say that the signs are that the project will be the success that we would all want it to be. So, how can you get involved?

1. Send me your poems, and in doing so, please let me know.

a. Who the poem was written about.

b. Who wrote it, and their relationship to the person that the poem is about.

c. I’d need a clear and hi res photograph of who the poem has been written about.

2.The poem

a. Will featured on a full B5 (165 x 240mm) page, and the facing page will be the full colour photograph that you’ve sent. It needs to be a photo in as high resolution as possible so that it prints well.

b. Then beneath the photograph, will be the logo or name of who is sponsoring your poem.

3. Sponsorship

a. The invited donation is £250 per poem. Together, let’s raise over £25,000! In honour of our loved ones, we really can do it.

b. n the ideal world, we would all have a number of contacts (family, or business) that would make a donation. However, your poem will still be included without a donation. All that I would ask, is to do all that you can to have your poem sponsored.

c. If you can have more than one poem sponsored, you would be helping your fellow members, with a ‘plus one’. As an example, my four poems are sponsored, and I’m pleased to offer four additional sponsors and I’m still looking for more. It would be lovely if we could help one another and make this project an overwhelming success.

4. Additional sponsorship ideas

a.You could offer the sponsorship of five poems for £1000.

5. Still further

a. There will be eight full pages available to advertise a business. Presently, two of these pages are now reserved.

b. To mark my son’s second heavenly birthday, I’ll be creating a JustGiving page, and inviting friends and family to make a token donation on the ‘Friends of Elliot Bransby’ page. This will raise £1000.

6. Book name and cover designs

a. The book requires a name and a design to go on the front and back. The design only needs to be a very simple drawing, so you don’t need to be a graphic artist that’s for sure! Over to you to express your feelings.

In summary, your poems, photographs, logo, and/or sponsors names, cover designs, suggested book names, and any further questions can come to me, David Bransby at forgetmenotpoems2021@gmail.com

Sponsorship donations should be by cheque, and payable to,The Compassionate Friends. For me to keep a track on sponsorship and expenditure, we would like the donations to be sent by post to my home address: David Bransby, 62 Blackmoor Court, Alwoodley, Leeds LS17 7RT. Please include an email address for me to acknowledge its safe receipt.

Cut-off date: Please can all submissions and donations be sent to me by 31 August 2021.

JustGiving: Should you set up a fundraising page using JustGiving, kindly send me an email just to let me know.

My warmest good wishes

David