THE local tins in bins eff ort has taken a blow with its social media page out of action.
Just a few months into the effort’s presence on Facebook, aiming to further its success in drawing donations for people in need at Casterton Foodworks and Coleraine IGA, its organiser, Anthony Bolden, said a post on a local Facebook group promoting it had been reported.
Mr Bolden has since been blocked from accessing the page, preventing him from posting updates on its progress.
He said the post was a harmless update on the effort’s progress.
“As very politely as I could … thanked everyone for their help … a bit of a ‘thank you’ and a photo,” Mr Bolden said.
“Somebody obviously looked at it in a different shade of light.”
The page had made several posts to the Facebook group several times before to warm reception and had no issues when posting to other groups.
Mr Bolden said he understood the necessity of Facebook’s system despite the tins in bins effort being affected by it.
“I sort of understand there are a lot of people who do the wrong thing,” he said.
“I do agree with the system they’ve set up … (but) when you’re trying to stop the dodgy people, a lot of people who aren’t dodgy get caught up.
“I certainly don’t post anything that’s disrespectful to anybody … all I’m doing is trying to get food to people.”
Mr Bolden is hoping to see the page’s suspension lifted next week on Tuesday, 4 October – exactly 30 days after he was first blocked from it.
His main concern was the level of donations made in the food bins, which he said had dropped off in the last couple of weeks and believed was connected to not being able to promote the effort on Facebook.
“It’s been a bit quiet which is understandable – I haven’t been able to promote it or do anything, basically,” he said.