A New Mission

This blog was set up to make a difference, to Kill the Dragon.

Take action. Have real experiences. Make lasting difference to at least one person. Create change.

Well, it’s time! There are many many websites out there trying to get people to do something, to take a pledge. Almost without exception though, these sites are open to pledges about anything. It could be learning French, losing weight, make money and so on. Some of the sites allow you to make a pledge for something you want to do, but only if a certain number of people also sign up for the same pledge. Still more sites allow you to make a pledge and then get rewards for achieving it based on a points rewards system.

All these sites are great and if they get people to achieve something that they otherwise wouldn’t then that’s fantastic. What I want though, is a place where people can make a difference without the condition that others also need to commit, and where it is for the good of someone else. At the same time, a group setting can provide the encouragement people need, an opportunity to do group pledges if wanted and a forum where once you make the pledge you have to go through with it! A while ago I tried an internet experiment. It failed. But I still believe that the internet has better uses than Farmville and porn. It is a unique network of people, some (many? most?) of whom are good people and just need a nudge to make a difference. Kill the Dragon can be that nudge! I want this to be a forum for making pledges, for reporting on them, and then doing another one! For those joining, I imagine that

• You need to make a difference to at least one person
• This is a commitment by you for you to achieve, not on condition someone else will do it with you.
• This is a new pledge. If you already donate to charity it doesn’t count - you need to donate to a new one too!
• There is no limit to the number of pledges you can make, but they should be significant pledges
• One automatic pledge is to get additional people to join!

The ways in which you can make a difference are clearly numerous, but obvious ones include...

• Volunteer at your local school or hospital
• Work in your local soup kitchen
• Go and see your elderly neighbour in the heat wave/cold snap to check they’re ok
• Take on a pledge to raise money doing something that is really challenging
• Write a letter to your MP about a cause close to your heart
• Join a local volunteer group
• Group together for a spectacular pledge!
• Get more people to join Kill the Dragon to make even more difference

So, that’s the vision. How it will work is still up for discussion, but I’m thinking combination of website, blog and Facebook at least initially. Do expect things to change!

Ok, my pledges

• I will get this thing up and running to provide a forum to people to make pledges by the end of August 2010
• I will do my best to get 100 people to make a pledge by Christmas 2010
• I will do LEJOG before I am 40 to raise both awareness and funds for Bliss.

This is your call to action. Make a difference. Kill that dragon.

There will be a forum for discussion, making pledges etc ASAP but in the meantime, do please leave a comment with your thoughts. Thanks!