We are pleased to bring you the itinery, for the year 2012, for our mud luving, frontytastic gatherings up our woods...
The new year brings some changes though, which both Sally and I hope we can count on you to support us with, so that together we can ensure the longevity of this venture that we have all worked so hard on.
The changes...
Over the past 2 and a bit years, Sally and I have subsidised the meets up the woods where the numbers attending have meant that we havent achieved the costs, or where we have needed stuff for the woods but there was no funds to spare.
Sadly we cannot afford to do this anymore and this venture, if it is to continue as we know it, needs to be both self funding and sustainable.
Self funding meaning that all the costs are met from the participation fees, and sustainable meaning that the costs need to cover hiring a machine for a couple of days each year to maintain the site and make improvements for everyone to enjoy.
We had a number of options which we discussed with members and considered...
One was to put the prices up, so that with less numbers there would always be enough taken to cover costs, but we concurred that this would be unfair to those who commit to supporting us on the most events, and in view of increased fuel prices this could make it unaffordable for those who have worked hardest on this project.
Another option was to involve another group to increase numbers, we considered Isuzu to start with, as our cars share the same heritage, but after studying activity on other forums it looked that this would not increase the numbers sufficiently on a regular basis, but our resident Isuzu ambassador, Ratcav, is aware should any of their guys want to join in.
We felt that involving any other marque in the venture (ie shoguns, suzuki) would loose the identity of what we have up the woods, and the atmosphere generated by a bunch of friends who enjoy each others company as much as getting muddy, and could also leave us fronty owners being in the minority.
We cant do less meets, I entered into an agreement with the landowner to do sufficient meets each year to make it worth his while having us take over his woodland and the disruption, albiet small thanks to everyones consideration, that we cause him.
Also it would be a shame to do less meets as we all look forwards to meeting up and doing our kind of fun.
We concluded that the best option for the continued success of this venture, is to call upon the members, our friends for your support.
We are not asking for donations, as I know you all supported us for digger weekends before, but we need a solution that is going to be sustainable going forwards, not a short term fix, and that means a way of ensuring that each meet generates enough funding.
We have carefully worked out the costings for the year to come, and divided it by the number of meets...
These costings include everything from hiring the site, to digger hire and fuel, chainsaw parts, fuel for gennies, gas, FogBog storage etc etc ...
The digger is a big expense, but an essential one nethertheless, as we need to ensure that the woods and tracks are maintained (as agreed with the landowner) and we need to make improvements and modifications to keep things interesting, safe, do-able and yet challenging.
But we need to hit these target figures, or we will not be sustainable going forwards, and if it means that I have to make tough decisions to cancel meets because the numbers arent there, then thats what I am going to have to do...
But if we cancel too many meets we will loose the use of the woods as I will break the agreement with the landowner, and sadly it will be all over.
If anyone wants me to run though the figures for this with them, let me know when I see you next and we'll sit down, have a brew and I will go through them with you.
Rest assured though, that should we make extra at any meets then this will firstly go into creating a buffer, so that we have the funds to remain on target should someone be forced to drop out last minute, and then once a buffer is created then the funds will go into buying new stuff for use up the woods.
We would like to eventually get a position where we could perhaps discount the picnics for those and come and toil on the workdays, but we need to take this one step at a time and ensure the long term success in the first instance.
So here is what I am asking of you guys...
Firstly...Attendance...
Please, please, please come to as many meets as you can, I have tried for so long to avoid the phrase "use it or loose it" but it is a sad reality and it would be such a shame considering the amount of work that has gone into this, and the fun we have all had up there and friends we have made through this.
For the members further afield, please try and come to one of our weekenders. They are great fun with a great bunch of guys down here with an atmosphere and site that is quite unique. I know its a trek, and fuel isnt cheap, but we want to share with you what we have all worked so hard to create. Car share, however you have to do it, but come join in with us, it will be great to see you and have you as our guests and enjoying the fruits of our grafting.
Secondly, being proactive...
By this I mean for everyone to try and involve other FOG members in what we do, so if there is a newbie that springs up on the forum near where you live, please try and make the time to make contact and bring them with you for the day so they can get involved to.
Try and bring someone with you in that empty seat...friends, family, other mates who offroad...The extra £5 for adults attending can make a real difference and it always great to meet new faces, you never know they may get bitten by the bug like we all have and get a truck themselves.
Involve your other offroading mates, and bring them down...I trust your judgement guys, and your friends are my friends...so if you can get some of your other offroading buddies to come as your guests in their SJ's, Vits, landys whatever, then it will really help to make this work going forwards.
Sadly Louis has sold his daihatsu as cant afford the costs of being on the road and offroadin, and Lloyd is selling his rangerover again partly due to finances.
Having their "different" trucks there has been both entertaining and interesting, they will still come and see us, but thats 2 regulars sadly gone and that will also impact on the finances. So having some different trucks for us to tow out going forwards will be great.
So its over to you guys, I know by the determination and commitment that you have all shown to get us this far, that I can count on you all so that together we can turn this around and ensure the longevity of our fun days together.
Thanks for your support so far, and I look forwards to seeing you all soon for some of our kind of fun in our own playground...
The dates for this years events
Sunday 29th January..........workday
Sunday 12th February........ Picnic in the woods
Sunday 11th March ...........workday
Sunday 25th March ...........Picnic in the woods
4th-7th May ...................FOG Annual meet
Sunday 3rd June...............Workday
16th-17th June ...............Weekender in the woods (camping on fri 15th too)
Sunday 1st July ...............workday
Sunday 15th July ............. Picnic in the Woods and bring a virgin day!
25th-26th August B/H .......Weekender (fri eve, depart monday)
Sunday 23rd Sept .............Workday
Sunday 7th October ...........Picnic in the woods
Sunday 4rd Nov ..............Workday
Sunday 18th November ........Picnic in the woods (subject to numbers)
As you can see by the dates we have worked the National Meet into the plan, and have focussed more events in the summer when the weather is much warmer, and the site is drier and more favourable to less modified trucks, and less damaging to the site. We have planned 2 weekenders again, the latter being August bank holiday weekend, so members can depart on monday after breakfast not missing any of Sundays fun, and have a leisurely drive home. We are also gonna try a "bring a virgin" day at the July Picnic, where we are going to try to get all the members to bring a newbie to offroading in a standard 4x4 to experience offroading for the first time, under the watchful eye and guidance of the seasoned members/experts. Maybe some competitions too...
Please keep an eye open for the individual meet threads in the SE Section which will be posted as each event comes up and get your name down and come and join us for a great day out....
Sorry for the long post, I thought it was important that everyone was fully aware of our situation and options available to us, and how we can best move this forwards...
But thanks for reading this, and thanks/sorry to all those who's ears I have made bleed over the last few weeks/months trying to formulate a plan to ensure our venture continues into the future.
We look forwards to seeing you all soon, and thankyou for your support up to now, and going forwards....
Greg and Sally
what size digger do you need for the woods 
But for sure will be supporting the team this year! You can pencil me in for these meets Greg. I'm actually really looking forward to it too! Just have to get some Mud tyres asap 
