NATIONAL columnist and blogger Paul Kavanagh – aka the Wee Ginger Dug – has raised more than £21,000 to keep his pro- independence blog going.
Kavanagh launched an appeal for help in raising £10,000 on June 7 and he hit that target just a few days later.
Now he has more than doubled the goal, reaching £21,660, with £10615 donated via the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform and £9006 through PayPal. Individual donations ranged in size from £1 to £1000.
Kavanagh said the cash boost will help to support him for the next 12 months and would see the Wee Ginger Dug blog, which dates back to 2013, continuing for another year.
Kavanagh’s extensive campaigning efforts for Scottish independence will also be funded by the money raised, including delivering talks, attending pro-indy events and visiting grassroots organisations across the country once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted. He will also continue his Wee Ginger Dugcast podcast he records with National editor Callum Baird.
Kavanagh said the cash boost is “immensely appreciated”, especially because he wasn’t sure whether to launch a fundraiser during the pandemic.
He added: “It’s always an exercise in trepidation, asking people to put their money where my mouth is. It’s even more nerve wracking when the entire world is mired in the biggest crisis in generations.
“However as it turned out, the fundraiser not only reached its target of £10,000 within a couple of days of being started, it has smashed right through it.
“My huge and heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful readers of this blog for the support you have given.
“It is immensely appreciated. I promise that I will continue to be a thorn in the side of British nationalists in Scotland, and will keep on writing, podcasting, and – when circumstances allow it – return to travelling the length and breadth of this country of ours to spread the message that it’s only through independence that Scotland can reach its full potential.”
He went on: “You don’t really get much of a sense of whether you’re making an impact when you are a blogger. You sit and type away at home, and launch your articles into the ether. “During lockdown it’s an even more isolating experience. It’s both humbling and heartwarming to realise that so many people appreciate my work and that it has touched so many.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel