Yahoo – AFP,
Ruth Holmes, 30 June 2015
 |
Thom
Feeney, pictured on June 30, 2015, has launched an online crowdfunding
campaign
to raise the money for Greece to meet its IMF debt repayment (AFP
Photo/Niklas
Halle'N)
|
London
(AFP) - A British shoe shop worker has launched an online crowdfunding campaign
to raise the money for Greece to meet its IMF debt repayment due on Tuesday,
saying he just wanted to help austerity-stricken Greeks.
Thom Feeney
told AFP outside his shop in London's Covent Garden that he had been
overwhelmed by the response and the messages of support, raising 209,000 euros
($233,000) by 1600 GMT after just two days.
More than
13,000 people have donated to the IndieGoGo project "Greek Bailout
Fund" so far but it was still a long way from the final target of 1.6
billion euros that Greece needs to make its debt payment.
 |
A woman walks
past a wall bearing
graffitti concerning Greece's possible
exit from the euro
in Athens on June 28,
2015 (AFP Photo/Aris Messinis)
|
"I
think the people of Europe can do that much quicker than the politicians can...
The amount that we need per person is only 3.19 euros per citizen of the EU, so
it's just a small amount," he said.
Feeney said
it was his first attempt at crowdfunding and he spoke enthusiastically to AFP
about his project, rejecting any talk of it being a joke.
The creator
said he had no personal links to Greece but wanted to help Greek people in a
time of hardship.
"I
just thought perhaps a better way to help would be to do something
immediately," he said.
'Real
people do care'
Since
setting up the webpage on Sunday, Feeney said the reaction has
"snowballed", with "hundreds, if not thousands of godwill
messages" flooding in from across Europe.
Surprisingly,
the bulk of donations in the first 24 hours came from Britain, which is not a
eurozone member, and Germany, which has taken a hard official line on Greece's
debt repayments.
Should the
project be successful, donors will receive perks ranging from a postcard of
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, a feta and olive salad or a Greek holiday
for two, depending on the size of the contribution.
Initially, there was a small Greek island on offer for anyone who stumped up the full total, but IndieGoGo asked Feeney to remove the offer as the Greek government had not agreed to it.
 |
Tourists
taking 'selfies' at the Acropolis in Athens on June 30, 2015 as the country
appeared set to default on a key repayment to the International Monetary Fund
(AFP Photo/Louisa Gouliamaki)
|
Initially, there was a small Greek island on offer for anyone who stumped up the full total, but IndieGoGo asked Feeney to remove the offer as the Greek government had not agreed to it.
"I
hope it can reach the total. It would be fantastic if it could," said
Feeney, from York in northern England.
"Regardless,
it has made a bit of a statement that real people do care about other people
across Europe."
Under the
terms of the crowdfunding site, donations will be refunded if the target is not
reached within seven days.
But Feeney
hopes a way can be found to put the money to good use if donors are willing.
"It
would be lovely if we could find a way for people's donations to still count
and go towards something -- perhaps some kind of initiative to help Greek
people get into work or sell produce abroad."
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