Hi Matt,
Thanks for the chat today. As I have already said I completely understand your position and reasons for pulling out of F4J at the moment.
What I simply don’t understand is why you feel the need to pull the plug on it completely.
You have built a brand that is synonymous with the fight for fathers rights and you have passionately done more for the cause than probably any other single person. I know the brand is yours, I know it is a trademark etc etc, but why does it have to fold just because you need to take time out?
You say because you’d be hounded by the press etc
I don’t think so – Not if you handle it right (and you’re more than capable of doing that) You are already known (I think) more as being the founder of Fathers 4 Justice than anything else and this would obviously continue. If you were to let out a good press release next week, that you were standing down as leader because you are simply burnt out with the 6 year battle that you and your family have had to go through etc etc, you could actually make good press for F4J at the same time.
I think there are the skills here to keep the whole thing running. For instance I spent my last 3 years in the military as a webmaster and I am sure I could continue to keep the website up and running. The website is a great one and details the struggle very well. It is also a portal for merchandise, which of course includes your book. As far as someone to face the press instead of you, I have no ideas at the moment, but there must be the skills and willingness among the membership somewhere to keep things going.
No one is going to run off with your brand or damage it and as far as I am aware you would still own it in any case.
Even if the name goes here and you don’t allow us to continue using it, this thing (because of YOU!) has gone global. Our actions here in this country have inspired other continents to take up the fight and use the same brand to do so – Why would they want to reinvent the wheel?
Matt - this thing is your legacy, please don’t switch off the light as you walk out the door. Have something to come back to. I think I have some decent ideas and I’m sure you still have many buried in your head. Let others continue what you have started and save us the trouble of having to reinvent ourselves.
Please think about it. I think the next 18 months are the most critical since you started this. Labour are fucked and only interested in trying to save their political necks. If we can’t get anywhere with the next government BEFORE they get into power, this struggle will get nowhere IMO during their first term in office.
Reinventing ourselves is going to waste energy at a time when we cannot afford to waste any.
Please don’t make that necessary.
Best regards,
Tim
