Hannah Directory does not, and never will, apply for or receive any public funding.

There are three reasons for this.

The first is that applying for public funding would put Hannah Directory into competition for resources with the people, places and organisations that it celebrates.

Second is that by creating a mutual structure, Hannah Directory can be a way to generate new resources for great things to happen in places in England's north, rather than competing for a share of what little money there is to go around.

For example, as a contribution to the directory, a great company could commission a new artwork or support a voluntary group's activity.

Finally, in the national conversation of England, the only story we ever hear is that London and the Home Counties are enterprising and creative. We are told that people and places in England's north depend on them for subsidies.

The "northern powerhouse" is part of this story. It says that we are a problem that needs to be fixed by politicians, civil servants, academics, charity workers, bankers, trade union officials, people from "think tanks" and more, who are all based in London and the Home Counties.

Quite rightly, for them, those people care most about London and the Home Counties, because that is where they work, bring up families and make their lives. They visit the places we care about on day trips when they have to.

As people living and working in places in England's north, we know none of the story told about us is true, but our voices are never heard.

Hannah Directory had to challenge that story from the start, and to tell a better one.

The directory needs to be as enterprising, creative and committed as the people and organisations that it celebrates.

The best way to do that is to make Hannah Directory a structure that generates new resources in ideas, co-operation and money.

You can buy limited edition artworks to support this year's costs. Thank you!

How are the costs paid for?

At the moment the only Hannah Directory costs are for printing and taking copies by train to the contributors to share.

Since 2014 the designers of the directory - a different person or company each year - have contributed their time and creative energy without being paid.

All of the contributors put some of their time and energy, in proportion to their resources as an organisation, into championing the directory and sharing printed copies, without being paid.

An aim of the directory is eventually to generate new sources of income so that the designers and the people and small organisations who take part in the directory can be paid for their work and to create events and activities to celebrate the launch.

Because Hannah Directory has no paid staff at all, finding sources of income will be a long term process.

Until the directory generates income, in 2013 half the budget was raised with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, and in 2016 the whole printing budget was raised by a sponsored marathon. Two organisations in the north of England very kindly paid the travel costs to take copies to the contributors in 2016.

All of the costs in 2014 and 2015, and half in 2013, were paid by Andrew Wilson.

It is more in the spirit of the directory for the costs to be met by people working together rather than one person.

In 2017 we hope to raise the costs with an all-day fundraiser in Sheffield.

Coordination of the directory's content, production and sharing is done by Andrew Wilson.

Coordination costs, both money and time, are kept low though devising and refining clear protocols for compiling the directory. Parts of the production process are automated using both commercial (google forms for example) and home made software.

The most important resource for keeping productions costs manageable for one person is the kind patience of the contributors.

You can buy limited edition artworks to support this year's costs. Thank you!

Andrew Wilson's declaration on payment

"Celebrating all the great stuff people are doing in places in England’s north and asking how even more of it can happen is a very rewarding thing to do and I'm not paid, and I never want to be paid, for coordinating it."