Earlier in the week we were hit with a bill that we knew was coming, but it landed heavier than expected. That is the reality of running something small and independent like IGigs. We operate pretty hand to mouth, and sometimes the timing just catches you out.
IGigs has never had any funding behind it, and a while back we switched off Google ads because we did not want the site experience to suffer. That does mean we rely a lot on goodwill. A huge thank you, as always, to Gordon Doherty Photography and OFB Images, who have put in an incredible amount of work over the year, often quietly and without fuss, documenting gigs and events across the Highlands.
I have never been comfortable asking for money. I still am not. But there are overheads that come with keeping IGigs going, and I cannot always cover those myself. When we set up the Buy Me a Coffee page, the hope was that it might help take the edge off some immediate costs. I did not expect it to cover most of what was needed, and I definitely did not expect that to happen in less than a day.
The response honestly floored me. It is a difficult time of year, IGigs has been feeling the knock-on effects of changing social media algorithms like everyone else, and this was easily the biggest ask we have ever made. What it reminded me of is that IGigs matters to people in ways that are easy to lose sight of when you are close to it.
We are incredibly thankful to everyone who has contributed. I am working through writing to each of you properly. Please bear with me, I want those messages to be thoughtful rather than rushed.
We will leave the campaign open, but quietly. There is no intention to keep pushing it or turning this into a regular thing. IGigs remains something we all invest time and energy into, and I will only ever ask for help when it genuinely feels necessary. What you have done here has helped with costs, but it has also been a real boost at a point when it was very much needed.
Thank you, genuinely