Folks, we’re nearly halfway to out £100,000 target. We’re within sight of buying back 3 Bristo Place and reopening the Forest there. (If you’ve just landed on this site and what to know more about the campaign, read on here.) The support we’ve had so far from all quarters, from artists to MSPs, has been overwhelming. But we still need your help to run that last stretch to the target.

So we’re recruiting for a crack squadron of fundraisers: the Forest Burrito Squad. We’re giving 50 individuals a personal £1000 target to reach – breaking down the cash into manageable chunks of large. You can raise this through appealing to friends and family (there’s nothing more powerful than a heartfelt person letter), you can do one of those sponsored skydive things, you can use some wild innovation to raise the cash. And if you hit your £1000 target, when we reopen we’ll give you free coffee (or the hot beverage of your choice) for life, plus some special Foresty gift. Here’s what Debbie Pearson, who came up with this idea, has to say:

So as you all know, the time has come for us to save something we care about. Together we’ve got to save the Forest. Last week I designated myself the first Forest Champion and wrote to 100 people I knew - close friends, family, people I’ve worked for etc. I sent them each a personal email explaining what Forest is and why it has been unbelievably important to me, and I asked them each to contribute £10 to help me reach my £1000 goal. It’s been a really heartwarming week. We’ve had dozens of contributions from people who have never even set foot in the building. So far this has raised over £500, and every day someone new seems to decide to contribute. The other thing that this has done is raise awareness about what Forest is and why it’s worth saving. The Forest’s strength has always been community. We may not be rich but we all know a lot of people, and people don’t like to see the bad guys win. So we’ve got to target those people. They feel good for contributing to a genuinely good cause, you feel good because you’ve helped save something important, everybody’s a winner.

If you want to join this crack squadron, email fundraising@theforest.org.uk with your details. We’ll provide you with some more ideas, instructions and resources, and you can just get cracking with the fundraising!