The Lifeline is a public interest non profit organisation that depends on public support and not on big corporations.
And that’s why we need you, lots of you, to help the Lifeline happen.
Through our sliding scale donation model, where anybody can donate small or large amounts, people across the world can join a global matrix that is working for positive change to create a Lifeline for our future.
Through this mass donating, sometimes called “crowd funding”, you will also have the power to influence what happens on the Lifeline journeys. We know you will only donate if you feel that what we are doing is worthwhile. In turn we will honour the donation you are making and pledge to you that we will do the best possible job we can.
It’s a promise!back to top...
What is the Lifeline going to spend the money on?
Rest assured we will not be spending your donations on frivolous and unnecessary ventures.
Your donations will be used to keep the 9 film-makers on the road from the 9th September 2009 to October 2010 and to pay for all essentials such as equipment, tapes, clothing, inoculations, visas, fixers and everything that a transnational filming shoot entails.
There will also be other production costs for research and fixing the shoots as well as the upkeep of the website, and some things we cannot avoid such as insurance and accounting which are all necessary for the successful running of such an ambitious production.
However, our overheads and travel costs are minimal as most of us work virtually, so we are keeping outgoings as low as possible.back to top...
How do I know what the Lifeline will spend my donation on?
We will keep an open and transparent accounting system where we will publish how much has been received and where the donations are going.
Wishbone Productions, who is producing the Lifeline journeys, have to present its accounts to Companies House in the UK, and revenue must be accounted for. These details are available to be viewed by members of the public online.back to top...
Who is handling the production of the Lifeline journeys?
Founder of The Lifeline Initiative, Phil Stebbing, has been making documentaries set all over the world for the last 20 years for National Geographic, Discovery and British Television stations. His company Wishbone Productions, which made the award-winning documentary about pirate fishing called The Deadline will produce the Lifeline journeys.
The film-makers are all experienced in making documentary films and using new technologies to edit on the road and upload their reports to the web.
In the background we have a wonderful and capable crew of researchers, web designers, legal representatives, scientific advisers and a small flock of volunteers helping us keep the show on the road.back to top...
How will the footage from the Lifeline journeys be used?
Our plan, when conditions and internet permits, is for each of the nine film-makers to uploading a report every nine days to their own blog spot about what they are doing and their thoughts. This means the Lifeline will have a new report every day on the website with the chance to ask them questions and to explore the things that you would like to see filmed.
In addition we will be filming and cutting the stories for our “Ultimate Guide to Sustainability” that will be available for download and as a DVD box set, hopefully by the end of 2010. This will be a practical hands on guide to inspire people to see how they too can incorporate sustainable solutions into their own lives and answer the question “What can I do to create a better future”.
We also plan to create a 6 part TV series that covers the three journeys from start to finish with all the highs, as well as the lows, of what happens to the crew at the places they visit. It’s part travelogue, part adventure, part reality show as well as an educational guide to the world of sustainable solutions - a kind of modern day Doctor Livingstone meets Friends with a dash of non-exploitative Big Brother.
The aim is to keep 100% of the rights and sell the fruits of our labour to an international distributor and inject ideas about the viability of sustainability into the mainstream.
By holding the copyright prevents the TV series sitting on a shelf in some TV station waiting for the “right” broadcast moment. This often happens in TV and is really frustrating if you have made a great programme that is trying to shout out to the world the need for change.
We will also look to form a deal which still allows us to distribute the film in schools, on the web and other forms of media.back to top...
Who owns the footage?
Wishbone Productions will hold copyright of all shot footage that will be based in one central archive. This footage will be available for sale to those who can afford it and for license to non-profit organizations, NGO’s and charities.
Each member of the teams going on the Lifeline journeys will be a director of Wishbone Productions with voting rights as to how the footage is used and licensed.back to top...
Who will benefit if the Lifeline and its productions are a success?
Any money received from our footage, the Sustainable Guide and the TV series will be paid to the production staff that have worked for deferred and in most cases a minimum wage. We will also pay the film-makers who have donated their wages to be on the road into the Lifeline as well as support the worthy projects and communities we have filmed.
Wishbone Productions articles state that it is a not for profit company, so after all production costs have been met and the film-makers have been remunerated all extra revenue will be handed over to The Lifeline Global Initiative. This is a charitable foundation that we have set up in the United States to support and connect the network of sustainable communities and individuals all over the planet.back to top...
How much will the Lifeline cost?
We have broken the journey down and the production costs and the budget comes to £450,000 which is a drop in the ocean when you compare it to a feature film or a major company’s advertising campaign.
It is hard to estimate how much an equivalent production would cost if it was being funded by a TV station, but safe to say probably in the region of £2million.
We are able to do this, without loss in the quality of the final product, because:
- Our experienced Crew has all opted to volunteer to go on the road. To travel 6,000 miles, 13 months all expenses paid was a big incentive here!
- We have cut our production costs right down by travelling as sustainably as possible. We will not be spending small fortunes by flying everywhere, nor we will be staying in fancy hotels or eating at expensive restaurants.
- Many of the places we stay at will be offering free accommodation and food in return for the publicity and for getting our hands dirty by helping out as best we can at their projects.
- The production company, Wishbone Productions will not take a production fee.
- We’ve had a lot of practice making documentaries on low budgets.
However considering the scale of the project and the nature of the journeys and although we will do our utmost to stick to the budget there are unknown quantities and situations that may arise that may affect the budget.back to top...
If I donate can I get my money back?
This is a straightforward donation and cannot be returned. In return we offer the chance to join the Lifeline Matrix and other benefits as outlined below as a way to say thank you for your generosity.back to top...
Will the Lifeline consider a loan option for large amounts?
Yes we are planning to offer a loan scheme for people who want to help save the planet and “get their money back”. This will happen further down the line and will be to help finance the TV series and “The Ultimate Guide to Sustainability” DVD box set.
These loans will be paid off once all production costs have been met and the film-makers have been remunerated for their time on the road. So it may be sometime before you see your money returned. There will be not be a yearly interest being paid on this either, however there is a good chance that, with the Lifeline being a success, you will see your money returned.
If you want to know more about this please contact our finance officer Bertrand bbeghin@thelifeline.tvback to top...
What will I get in return if I donate?
By donating you can choose to join an ever expanding matrix of individuals and communities who are creating the Lifeline for our future.
The Lifeline Matrix
So everyone can afford to be part of the Lifeline, donations start at 99p. If you donate £9.99 your name will appear on the Lifeline Matrix, and the more you donate the larger you name will appear. For £99 or more we will add a link to your website or the favourite site of your choice.
| Individuals |
99p
|
£9.99
|
£99.00
|
£500 +
|
£999 +
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Deed of the Day |
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
| Small size Name on Matrix |
|
YES
|
|
|
|
| Medium size name on Matrix |
YES
|
||||
| Large size Name on Matrix |
|
|
|
YES
|
YES
|
| Link to your Web Page |
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
||
| Credit on DVD |
YES
|
In addition, The Lifeline is offering sponsorship to a limited number of companies that are already working hard to make life on this planet more sustainable.
| Companies |
£999 +
|
£5000 +
|
|---|---|---|
| Good Deed of the Day |
YES
|
YES
|
| Small Logo on Company Matrix |
YES
|
|
| Large Logo on Company Matrix |
YES
|
|
| Link to your Web Page |
YES
|
YES
|
| Credit on DVD |
YES
|
Credit on DVD
For individuals donating £999 and companies donating £5000+ the Lifeline is offering a credit on the Ultimate Sustainable Guide DVD. You can decide what name you want credited. For example you could buy a credit for a child, a friend or family member as a gift so they can see their name on the DVD or get your company logo seen by an ever expanding matrix of the some of the most sustainable people on the planet.
We hope that whatever you can afford you will join us and be part of the global movement for positive change and create the Lifeline for the future.back to top...
If I don’t want to use the internet can I pay by cheque?
Yes we can take cheques, please make them payable to Wishbone Productions and post to The Lifeline, Wishbone Productions, 30a Grove Park, London SE5 8LG, United Kingdom.
Please inform us, if you are donating over £9.99, of the exact name you would like to have on the Matrix and the weblink of your choice.
If you’d like to donate by bank transfer our details are:
Bank Name: The Co-operative Bank
Account Name: Wishbone Productions
Sort Code: 08-92-99
Account Number: 65292099back to top...
Can I speak to someone before I donate?
Please do.
Contact our Finance Officer, Bertrand bbeghin@thelifeline.tvback to top...
Please Note: the small print!
This web page is for your information and is subject to change and does not bind The Lifeline Global Initiative or Wishbone Productions to any of the content herein. This web page does not constitute or form part of any loan or donation agreement nor shall it or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefore.
No advice on investments is given on this web page or by the promoter in relation to it. If any person has any doubt about the suitability of the donation which is the subject of this web page they should contact a legal expert for advice. No responsibility is accepted by The Lifeline Global Initiative or Wishbone Productions for any errors, mis-statements in, or omissions from, this web page nor for any direct or consequential loss howsoever arising from any use of, or reliance on, this web page or otherwise in connection with it.back to top...
For terms And Conditions For Donating
Please click here.