Greece bailout crowdfunding campaign aims to raise €1.6bn

As last-ditch attempts continue to secure a deal before the expected expiration of the Greek bailout today, one man has started a crowdfunding account to raise the €1.6 billion payment due to the IMF.

The campaign, set up on crowdfunding site Indiegogo, has so far raised more than €270,000 for the cause.

According to the campaign description, it was set up by Thom Feeney, a shoe shop worker from Yorkshire in the UK.

“All this dithering over Greece is getting boring. European ministers flexing their muscles and posturing over whether they can help the Greek people or not. Why don’t we the people just sort it instead?” said Fenney.

He promises that all of the money raised will go towards the Greek people and has said he would send a plethora of gifts to people who donate to the fund.

Pledge €3 euro and you’ll receive a postcard of Greek Prime Minister Alex Tsipras, pledge €6 and receive a Greek feta and olive salad right to your door. If you’re feeling generous, donate €5,000 to receive an all inclusive holiday for two in Athens for a week.

Mr Feeney originally offered a Greek island to anybody who donated the full €1.6 billion but retracted the gift as the Greek government never agreed to the offer.

“I thought that Mr Tsipras would happily accept that, but IndieGoGo emailed me to say that as the Greek Government had not officially agreed to this, I wasn’t allowed to offer it,” he said.

According to Mr Feeney, if all 500 million Europeans ordered the feta and olive salad the target would nearly be reached.

“There are 500 million people in the EU. It wouldn’t cost each person much to just sort it out ourselves. Europeans are pretty generous on the whole, maybe Ms Merkel and Mr Cameron are the exception,” he added.