Week 29 - Christian Aid

Merry Christmas!  This week I am donating to Christian Aid.  They work globally with people of all faiths and none, primarily to eradicate poverty.  As well as dealing with the effects of poverty they challenge the causes, working on such issues as HIV awareness, equality and human rights.  They also contribute help in global emergencies; famine, natural disasters and refugee crises.

Christian Aid are also involved in various campaigns.  In particular they are focused on climate justice, calling on world leaders to cut carbon emissions; and tax justice, campaigning for the UK government to do more to collect the appropriate taxes from international companies and close tax loopholes which affect developing nations.

Link
Christian Aid

Week 28 - Alzheimer's Society

This weekend the footballing world lost a legend of the game to Alzheimer's.  Few people have changed any sport as much as he did football - like generations of football fans I grew up with his punditry and he provided much of my early education into the game.  This week's donation is to Alzheimer's Society and is also inspired by my Nana who has suffered from the disease for many years now.

There are many different types of dementia, caused by damage to the brain.  This can be due to many different reasons but is most commonly caused by Alzheimer's disease.  The symptoms most associated with Alzheimer's and dementia are memory loss and lapses but most sufferers also struggle with communication, reasoning, orientation and perception (such as visuospatial awareness).  As the disease progresses more distressing symptoms present themselves such as behavioural changes, aggression and hallucinations.  In the final stages a sufferer will become increasingly frail and will need help with simple daily tasks.

One in six people over 80 have dementia.  There is no cure but there are treatments which can slow the progress of the disease.  The Alzheimer's Society funds research into the causes, care, cure and prevention of dementia.  They are provide information and support to sufferers and their families and campaign to improve care across our health services.

Link

The Alzheimer's Society

Week 27 - Animal SOS Sri Lanka

This week's charity was nominated by Fiona Campbell - her daughter has worked for them and she has also adopted from there herself.  The UK-based charity is Animal SOS Sri Lanka who nurse and rehome street animals and strays in Sri Lanka.  They also have an approach to the bigger picture, neutering and spaying strays to reduce the population of homeless animals and working with local authorities to vaccinate animals against rabies and testing for other tropical diseases.  Although they cannot provide kennelling facilities for every stray animal they do provide homes for disabled animals who would not survive on the streets.  Education is another part of their work, campaigning to improve treatment of animals by the general public of Sri Lanka.

It's inspiring to see someone from the UK doing so much to help animals in need in another country where conditions and the culture must be much harder to work with.

Link

Animal SOS Sri Lanka

Week 26 - Mercury Phoenix Trust

1st December was World AIDS day so I wanted to choose a charity that supports work in this field.  I've chosen the Mercury Phoenix Trust, partly because I'm a huge Queen fan and partly because they support many different projects.

The Mercury Phoenix Trust was set up by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Jim Beach following Freddie Mercury's untimely death from AIDS in 1991.  They have given over $15 million to over 700 projects around the world in the last 21 years.  Although they do support large and well-known NGOs and charities the majority of the money they raise goes to small-scale initiatives and they particularly support educational and awareness projects.

Links
The Mercury Phoenix Trust
JustGiving Page

Week 25 - Sands

This one has been nominated by my friend Rachel Cole.  Sands are a charity that supports anyone who has lost a baby either before, during or just after childbirth.  The provide bereavement support as well as practical advice on what parents need to do when their baby dies.  As well as supporting parents they also help grandparents, siblings, friends and family through what must be a devastating time.

In 2013 over 100 babies every week were stillborn or died within the first four weeks of birth.  That is an average of 16 every day.  Sands also campaign to improve maternity care and research into why babies die to try to reduce the number of deaths.  I know a number of people who have lost babies either before or just after childbirth so this one is for all of them.

Links
Sands Homepage
Sands JustGiving Page

Week 24 - The Trussell Trust

Nothing obvious jumped out at me this week so I asked my friends on Facebook to give me a nudge.  Lots of great suggestions which I will work through over the next few months!  However one stood out as it was a charity I particularly had in mind when I started this project.

One of my motivations for wanting to donate more to charity is the frustration that charities are having to pick up the pieces of people's lives which are being ruined by the policies of our current government. I shall try not to make this a political post but suffice to say I feel the very poorest in our society are being treated inhumanely by the very system that is supposed to support and protect them.  I would happily pay more taxes.  However, our government insist on actually reducing my taxes (and quite honestly I wouldn't trust them to spend my money wisely in any case).

No-one should have to live in poverty in a modern country in the 21st century, however 13 million people in the UK live below the poverty line.  The Trussell Trust has been providing emergency food to people since 2000, started in Salisbury by Paddy and Carol Henderson.  They were working at the time to aid poverty in Bulgaria but on discovering the "hidden hunger" on their doorstep they started the first, innovative foodbank.  The idea was simple; the public "deposited" non-perishable food which was redistributed to those in urgent need, referred to the foodbank by health and social professionals such as doctors and social workers.  In 2004 the project was expanded to encourage churches and communities throughout the UK to start their own foodbanks.  In 2014/15 over 1 million food packages were provided.

The reasons for people needing emergency food are many and varied.  Less than 5% of food parcels are provided to the homeless; many are working families who have suffered redundancy, a reduction in hours or health problems.  Other reasons may be domestic violence, increased or unexpected bills (perhaps increased heating costs in the winter) or due to a delay in the payment of benefits.  49% of beneficiaries only require a single food parcel - it serves to provide a little breathing space to those is dire need.

Link
The Trussell Trust

Week 23 - Children In Need

Now this is where things feel a bit weird.  I usually give £20 to Children In Need but the idea of this project was to spread my donations across lots of charities rather than occasionally (and rather guiltily) giving a larger amount to just a few.  So I've stuck with it and just given a fiver.

Not that the appeal suffered.  This year saw them raise a record breaking £37 million on the night with more donations to come over the coming weeks.  The BBC has a long history of charity appeals.  The first was a five minute radio appeal on Christmas Day in 1927 which raised £1,143 18s 3d, money which went to four children's charities.  The first television appeal was in 1955 presented by Harry Corbett and Sooty.  These Christmas Day appeals continued until 1979 and raised a total of £625,836.

The first TV telethon event was in 1980, hosted by the appeals mainstay Terry Wogan with Sue Lawley and Esther Rantzen.  Over the last 25 years they have raised over £740 million.  Every penny is spent on projects to help disadvantaged children and young people around the UK with grants provided to both small and large projects.  Their vision is that every child in the UK should live a childhood which is safe, happy and secure and which allows them to fulfil their potential.

Links

Children In Need - Donations

Children In Need - Home

Week 22 - Royal British Legion

I'm sure many of you have donated to the Royal British Legion over the last few weeks.  Formed in 1921, the British Legion brought together four national organisations that were set up after the First World War to care for those who suffered as a result of service in the armed forces.  The annual Poppy Day was launched the same year to raise funds for those in need.  They were granted Royal status in 1971.

The Royal British Legion continues it's work to support those in need in many ways.  They help those  who have been injured during service, aiding rehabilitation back into civilian life.  They campaign for improved governmental support to ex-service personnel and help people claim the pensions and welfare they are entitled to.  They also help families of those in the services, supporting those who have relatives currently serving and those who sadly do not see their relatives return home.

Links
The Royal British Legion

Week 21 - Movember Foundation

It's the first of Movember!  Yes, for the next month men will be sprouting moustaches to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer.  My friend Craig Lawton was the first to ask for a donation on this one so he gets my fiver.

The first ever Movember was in 2004 where 30 men in Melbourne, Australia grew moustaches for 30 days to raise awareness for prostate cancer and depression in men.  This grew into the Movember Foundation, an international movement which has raised $677 million for men's health and funding over 1000 health programmes around the world.  Although often associated with prostate and testicular cancer, they also focus on mental health issues in men.  Three quarters of all suicides are men and poor mental health statistically affects more men than women.

As much as I'm no fan of the 'tache it is a fun event.  If you don't know a Mo Bro then maybe you can also donate to Craig's page (it's in Canadian dollars so I've donated 10CAD which is roughly £5).

Links

Movember UK
Craig's Movember Page

Week 20 - Parkinson's UK

I'm sure it won't have escaped your attention that this week that it was Back To The Future day - the day that Marty McFly in the second film travels to from 1985 - on Wednesday.  To celebrate Nike produced a pair of self-lacing trainers, one of the predictions of the future in the movie.  They sent them to Michael J Fox with a note detailing that they are going to produce a line of them to raise money for research into Parkinson's disease.

Watching the video of Michael J Fox trying on the shoes, along with the skit he appeared in on the Jimmy Kimmel Show reminded me of how much Fox has been affected by Parkinson's.  So this has inspired this week's donation.

Parkinson's is a progressive neurological disease where the nerve cells in the brain are damaged, reducing the production of the hormone dopamine.  The most usual symptoms are tremors, stiffness and the slowing of movement but it can cause many other symptoms around the body including speech problems, fatigue and pain.  One in 500 people in the UK has Parkinson's.

Parkinson's UK provide support and information to sufferers of the disease.  They fund research on treatments, discovering the causes and working towards finding a cure for Parkinson's and have invested over £70 million on this research.  Finally, they also campaign to raise awareness of Parkinson's, changing attitudes and combating the myths surrounding it as well as working to ensure those with the disease are treated fairly and have access to the care they need.

Links

Parkinson's UK
Michael J Fox Foundation
Michael J Fox tries on the first self-lacing Nikes

Week 19 - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

This is brilliant.  Despite suffering from anxiety, OCD and claustrophobia Jack White set himself a task this weekend imprisoning himself in a hotel room and remaining silent for 75 hours to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).  Doesn't sound too difficult right?  How about removing all luxury items - no TV, no iPhone, no books, no luxury food?  How about then asking people to nominate a song to be played on repeat for the full 75 hours?  Jack got himself well and truly Rick-rolled as the nominated song was Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley.  Sounding pretty horrendous now!

The hotel room has been set up with video cameras live-streaming the event on YouTube.  Sadly in the first few hours internet trolls posted so many nasty comments rotates his family, particularly his young nieces and nephews.  This provoked an anxiety attack and on medical advice he decided not to continue.  However his brother James has stepped into the room and is continuing the challenge.  I think this deserves a donation!

The JDRF raises money to fund research into type 1 diabetes. Over the last four decades they have invested £1 billion into scientific efforts to improve treatments and ultimately find a cure for the condition.  They also provide support to sufferers and their families.  Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease which attacks and kills the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.  Insulin allows glucose in the blood to be moved into the cells and converted into energy so a lack of glucose leads to an imbalance - not enough energy and excessive glucose in the blood.  Those with the condition have to closely monitor their blood glucose levels and control it using both diet and insulin injections.

Links:

Jack White's JustGiving Page
James In A Box Live Stream
Jack In A Box Facebook Page
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

Week 18 - Reuben Bear Campaign

A late one as I've been on holiday and this is slightly outside of my rules as it isn't a registered charity.  It was referred to me by my sister who is an occupational therapist specialising in burns.  I wasn't sure about including it but following my donation to Aspire last week it made sense.  After all, so many of these successful charities begin from small, personal stories.

In July of this year, young Reuben Harvey-Smith suffered a minor burn.  Three days later he was in intensive care, fighting for his life with Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).  He lost parts of his fingers and had to have both legs amputated below the knee.  The campaign was started by his mother Lou to help raise money for the prosthetics Reuben will need as he grows up as well as other adaptable equipment.

Lou Harvey-Smith is also spearheading a campaign to raise awareness of the link between a simple sure and TSS and sepsis.  As well as Reuben's teddy bear stumps, this is where the BEAR comes into the campaign:

B - Burn.  Has the person recently suffered a burn?
E - Examine.  Are there signs of sepsis?  These can include a fever, flu-like symptoms and nausea.
A - Advice.  Attend A&E immediately as Toxic Shock Syndrome can be fatal.
R - Referrel.  If you are concerned about a burn that may be infected ask for a referral to a specialist burns unit immediately.

The fundraising link the the Reuben Bear Campaign is here.

Week 17 - Aspire

This week I'm sponsoring a friend who is raising money for Aspire.  Beverley is swimming a total of 22 miles - the distance of the English Channel - over 12 weeks.

Aspire provide practical help to those who have been paralysed by spinal cord injuries.  Around 40,000 people in the UK live with a spinal cord injury and another person is paralysed by injury every eight hours.  There is no cure or repair to such injuries so Aspire helps to rehabilitate and support those who are living with spinal disabilities.

The charity was originally founded in 1982 to provide improved equipment to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore but the vision grew to providing a whole new facility; a fully accessible training and leisure centre for both disabled and able-bodied people to use and promote integration.  The original building was opened in 1991 by HRH the Princess of Wales who was a patron of the charity.  An extension, double in size and designed by Sir Norman Foster, was opened in 1998.

As well as the leisure centre, Aspire now also provide support to disabled people, whether they have a new injury or have lived with an injury for years.  They help fund specialist equipment, advise on matters such as living independently and access to welfare and can provide short-term housing in accessible accommodation while someone is adapting their own home or searching for a new one.  They ensure people with spinal cord injuries have independent access to a computer and also campaign on issues surrounding accessibility in public places.

Good luck Bev!

Week 16 - British Red Cross

Today I am sponsoring a son of Marillion bass player Pete Trewavas who is abseiling 200ft down Aylesbury county offices.  Callum's sponsorship page is here and he is raising money for the British Red Cross.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement was begun in 1863 by Swiss businessman Henry Dunant.  Dunant was appalled by the lack of care for servicemen after the Battle of Solferino in 1859 and proposed national relief societies, trained in peacetime to provide help in times of war.  He also proposed an international agreement for the protection of medical services on the battlefield - this was agreed in the original Geneva Convention of 1864.

The British Red Cross was formed in 1870 following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870.  They provide an emergency response in times of disaster, both at home and abroad.  In the UK they assisted at major events such as the Lockerbie air disaster and the 2007 floods; they also help in small scale and individual emergencies such as house fires and health and social care.  Internationally they help protect in places of conflict, provide a network to reunite families and missing persons and assist refugees around the world.

Week 15 - Amnesty International

I had a fabulous night last night at a performance of the Rocky Horror Show starring it's creator Richard O'Brien and I'm taking my cue from the gala performance of the show last Thursday which was held in aid of Amnesty International.

Amnesty International are a global organisation which has fought for human rights around the world since 1961.  Following thorough research they lobby governments and companies and campaign to fight human right violations in many different areas.  Following on from last week's donation for Save The Children, Amnesty International are another charity working to help the refugees fleeing from war-torn Syria.

Week 14 - Save The Children

£5 feels like such an insignificant amount sometimes.  When I started this challenge I wondered if the tricky thing would be finding charities or appeals to donate to, or maybe avoiding duplicating charities.  I never expected to feel stingy about only giving £5.  But I am going to stick to the rules.

Like the majority of you I have been viewing the plight of refugees from Syria with a mixture of emotions.  Horror that human beings are being forced so brutally from their homes.  Shame that our government has been so slow to act and so limited in it's offer of assistance.  Admiration for those who are taking things into their own hands and trying to help the best they can.  And a feeling that I should do more.

So hopefully I will be able to give to a series of charities who are currently helping the refugees, both here and abroad.  First choice is Save The Children.  The amazing Caitlin Moran and Pete Paphides were so moved by the refugees that they have embarked on a project to release a charity single.  The song is Help Is Coming by Crowded House.  Mat Whitecross has created an incredibly moving video to accompany the song which is introduced by Benedict Cumberbatch.  The song is available via iTunes, there is a limited edition 7" vinyl and yesterday the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne announced that he will waive the VAT on sales.

All proceeds are going to Save The Children who are working in 17 countries from Syria to Great Britain to help children who have fled the war zone and arrived, many alone and without their parents, both in neighbouring countries like Lebanon and Jordan and along the route in the most affected countries like Turkey, Greece and Italy all the way up to Norway and Denmark.  They are providing essentials like food, water and shelter, setting up centres where the children can clean and make calls.  They are also looking forward, helping children return to school and providing psychological support.

Week 13 - Cancer Research UK

So, last week's blog was late because I was busy having fun in Scotland.  My primary reason for being in Scotland was to celebrate the marriage of two good friends, Jane Whiting and Kevin Motion soI felt it apt to ask them to choose a charity for me to support this week.  They have chosen Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Research UK focus the money they raise into four areas; prevention, early diagnosis, the development of new treatments and the optimisation of existing treatment.  They invest in scientists, doctors and nurses, developing new tests, techniques and drugs.  They are working towards a day when no-one in the UK is a smoker and campaign for the best cancer treatment to be available across the UK.

I know a number of people who are attempting a Cancer Research UK's Dryathlon for September, and the first that came up on my Facebook timeline was my friend Tracey Jakubski.  So I'm donating to Tracey's page - good luck Tracey!

Week 12 - The Foxton Centre

Late one this / last week.  I've had this one on my radar for a few weeks and this has been the first chance I have to use it.  The Foxton Centre are a Christian charity based near me in Preston and provide help, support and hot meals to homeless people in the city.  Among other things, in 2014 they helped:

• 72 homeless people find accommodation,
• 21 young people move away from the risk of being sexually exploited,
• 176 vulnerable adults with one-to-one support,
• 7 women to leave street work.

They also served over 8000 meals to vulnerable adults and their families including a Christmas dinner for 65 people.

I find it hard to believe that in a wealthy country as ours we still have people sleeping rough so I whole-heartedly support any charity which encourages and helps others to turn their lives around in this way.

Week 11 - Anthony Nolan Trust

I've chosen John Underwood's JustGiving campaign because, quite honestly, the blurb is so wonderfully written.  A few weeks ago John was diagnosed with a late-stage lymphoma and, in his own words, is currently trying not to die.  His JustGiving page is here - please read it as I can't do it justice on here.

The Anthony Nolan Trust works to save lives by finding matching bone marrow and stem cell donors.  30% of people who need a transplant can find one in their own family but the other 70% rely on strangers who may be in the database.  It costs around £100 to add each person to their database so they have to be strict on who they add  Joining is easy - sadly they only accept people under 30 so I can't join myself.  You simply register and send a saliva sample.  They do some amazing work and it really does save lives.

Week 10 - Motor Neurone Disease Association

Jez Denton's come up with an original idea for fundraising.  He's wearing a different garish shirt everyday for as long as possible.  He has a fair collection himself but he's also taking donations of unwanted shirts - the address is included on his Just Giving page.  He's not far off his target so let's help him get there!

Jez is raising money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.  MND is a degenerative disease that attacks the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.  Messages stop reaching the muscles causing them to weaken and waste away.  The disease and the MND Association, along with the ALS Association in the USA gained much needed publicity following the ice bucket challenge last year.  The MND Association raise funds for research and provide support for sufferers and their families.

Week 9 - Dom's Wheelchair (The Brittle Bone Society / Action For Kids)

This story came to my attention via Twitter.  Dom Hyams has a severe form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, commonly known as Brittle Bone Disease.  He leads an active and independent life due to having a specially adapted wheelchair.  Rather shockingly, this wheelchair was stolen last week.  Not only has he lost his independence, he also can no longer drive as his van is adapted to the wheelchair.  This means he also can no longer work.

The more I read about Dom's story the more inspirational he sounds but he can only do it with the help of the equipment which makes him mobile.  The wheelchair originally cost £17,500 and his van will also need re-adapting to the new chair.  They have already reached their original target of £25,000 but all additional funds will be donated to two charities.

The Brittle Bone Society work with people who have Brittle Bones to improve their quality of life.  Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a genetic condition which affects the production of colleges.  It most often causes fractured bones, scoliosis and curved bones as well as causing muscle weakness and reduced growth.

Action For Kids have assisted Dom by funding his wheelchairs down the years.  They support disabled children to live as "normal" a life as possible.  They provide essential equipment as well as practical skills to encourage young people with disabilities to live as independently as possible.

Dom's fundraising page is HERE.

Week 8 - CICRA / Bowel Cancer UK / Pied Piper Appeal

My first blog was to donate to my friend Wenna Blewett for completing ten days drinking just water.  Another friend is going one step further!  Emma Mills is giving up all carbonated soft drinks for a whole year!  This is despite being a self-confessed cola addict!  As well as raising sponsorship (her donation page is here) she is donating 50p per day to the three causes closest to her heart.

CICRA - Crohn's In Childhood Research Association - was formed in 1978 to research the disease in children which was considered very rare at the time.  Emma herself suffers from Crohn's disease which can cause inflammation of any area of the intestinal tract from the mouth to the anus.  CICRA have since extended their research to cover other inflammatory bowel diseases in children.

Bowel Cancer UK is one also close to my heart as I lost both my grandad and my father-in-law to this particular cancer.  As well as funding research and supporting sufferers they campaign to make people more aware of the early signs of bowel cancer - early treatment can dramatically increase the chances of survival.

The Pied Piper Appeal is a local charity to Emma.  They raise money for sick and disabled children in Gloucestershire.  They help fund large projects - their initial goal in 1992 was to set up a children's centre at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital - to community projects and small, individual needs.

Week 7 - MacMillan Cancer Support / Little Princess Trust

I suspect that cancer charities will come up quite regularly here.  I'm sure we have all been affected by cancer and there are many, many different charities raising money for different aspects of the disease.  This one is rather unusual and quite a cute story.  It was brought to my attention via a network of Marillion fans (this may prove to be a regular feature!)

Ben Fisher posted the following message on the 'Marillion and fans' Facebook group:

"My 12 year old son Jacob hasn't had his hair cut for 3 years so its pretty long and he's very very proud of it. Last week out of the blue he said I'm shaving my hair off for the MacMillan Cancer trust and I'm donating the hair to the Little Princess trust that makes wigs for kids suffering from cancer."

Macmillan Cancer Support are very well known for their work in helping people through cancer.  They provide specialised nurses and health care professionals in their cancer care centres.  They provide financial advice and support to cancer sufferers, their families and their carers.  And they campaign to fight discrimination against those that are suffering from cancer or have been debilitated by the disease.

The Little Princess Trust is one I've not heard of before.  They provide real hair wigs for children who have lost their hair following cancer treatment.  You don't need to be as drastic as shaving it all off - if you are going from a long hairstyle to a short one your hair can be donated.  It takes at least five heads of donated hair to create one wig.  They also fundraiser to purchase wigs where necessary - these cost around £350 each.

These are two inspiring charities and Jacob's decision to support them is also an inspiration.  Jacob's fundraising page is HERE.

Week 6 - Ummah Welfare Trust

Eid Mubarak!

As this is an auspicious time in the Muslim calendar I thought I'd donate to a Muslim charity.  I have no personal belief in Islam but I know that charity (zakat) is an important part of the faith and of Ramadan so it felt appropriate for this week.

The charity I've chosen is Ummah Welfare Trust.  They work on many projects around the world and you can choose the project that your donation goes to.  I've chosen their Girls Academy, a safe environment for girls to learn which they are currently fundraising to build.  The site of the academy is the Sunderbans in West Bengal, India, an area where almost 50% of the population exist below the poverty line.  Amidst this poverty girls are increasingly forced into marriage with wealthy men or into prostituion.  The academy aims to house around 300 girls from the area who are prone to exploitation.

100% of charitable donations to Ummah Welfare Trust go to the project you are supporting.  Money for administration is raised and accounted for separately (through sales in their charity shops, Gift Aid and specific donations).

Week 5 - The Doghouse Sanctuary

As Marillion's charity raffle last week was doing so well, their manager Lucy decided to do her own.  I missed the actual raffle but decided to make it this week's donation anyway.

Lucy is raising money for The Doghouse Sanctuary who work to rehabilitate and rehome stray dogs in Northern Ireland.  They also use their donations to neuter dogs to try to reduce the number of unwanted litters in the area.

Week 4 - Crohn's and Colitis UK

OK, a bit of a cheat this week.  My £5 donation has a possible bonus for me but it's still a full fiver to charity so I'm happy it counts!  My favourite band Marillion are doing a raffle to win a huge poster that was displayed at their recent Weekend in Port Zelande in the Netherlands.  They have chosen Crohn's and Colitis UK as their charity for this particular competition.  This charity helps people with inflammatory bowel diseases live a better quality of life along with raising awareness of the conditions and funding research to ultimately find a cure.

Marillion are a rock band who are an inspiration to their thousands of devoted fans around the world.  They produce thoughtful and emotional music; sometimes dark and brooding, sometimes uplifting and joyous; sometimes deeply personal to lyricist Steve Hogarth, sometimes detailing personal stories such as that of ocean rower Don Allum or speed record breaker Donald Campbell and sometimes dealing with global issues such as the situation in Gaza.  They have raised thousands of pounds for various charities throughout the years, running raffles at their biennial Weekends.

The link to the raffle is https://www.justgiving.com/Marillion-Official or to donate to Crohn's and Colitis UK directly go to https://www.justgiving.com/crohnsandcolitisuk

Week 3 - WaterAid

An early one this week as I'm heading to Glastonbury Festival.  So I thought I'd pick my favourite Glastonbury charity, WaterAid.  They are committed to providing that most basic human need that we all take for granted - clean, safe water and proper sanitation.

Week 2 - Diabetes UK

Two weeks ago an ex-colleague of mine passed away.  Janet was a strong-willed character who faced up to the troubles in her life with an acerbic wit and a sharp tongue.  She was diagnosed with diabetes late on, sadly too late to prevent the amputation of both her legs due to the degeneration of her cardiovascular system.  She survived the extreme surgery for about two years but sadly contracted an infection that she just couldn't fight.

I have fond memories of Janet cracking jokes following the loss of her legs.  I didn't know her particularly well but I very much enjoyed her company.  Her family asked for donations to Diabetes UK so Janet, this one's for you.

Week 1 - Royal National Lifeboat Institution

My friend Wenna Blewett successfully completed her H2Only challenge this week.  The challenge was to give up all drinks except water for ten days.  She was allowed on lifeline which she took on day 4 due to craving an ice-cold glass of Coke but she had to donate £24 for it - that's an expensive glass of Coke!

The challenge was to raise money for the RNLI.  The blurb on Just Giving describes them as such;

"The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea.  It's volunteer lifeboat crews rescue an average of 24 people a every day and the RNLI lifeguards provide a seasonal lifeguard service on selected beaches.  The RNLI is independent from Government and relies on donations from people like you."

Wenna's Just Giving page is here - https://www.justgiving.com/wenna1977/

A Year Of Charity

I had an idea that I've been mulling over for some time and I've decided that it might make for interesting reading so I thought I'd blog it.  I often feel I should give more to charity.  In the age of social media we all get lots of requests for sponsorship.  Sometimes I give, sometimes I don't but why don't I?  I'm really not sure, time, circumstance.  I might see a post when I'm not in a position to donate and then forget to go back to it.  I certainly can't use the excuse that I can't afford it.  But I'm someone who likes structure and that's where the idea came about.

The plan is to donate £5 a week for a year.  Maybe longer.  To sponsorships, to urgent appeals, to telethons, to whatever's on my mind or in the news at the time.  Every week will be a different charity or appeal.  It's difficult to know if it will turn out easy or hard to find things. Which is why I thought I'd blog it from the beginning!

The plan is to take nominations throughout the week and donate on a Friday.  I've already got a couple lined up but it'll be interesting to see where it leads...