Tuesday 29 April 2008

Charity will benefit

CHILDREN’S charity NSPCC Cymru/Wales has been chosen by Principality Building Society as its Charity of the Year for 2008.

Principality, which has a branch in Ebbw Vale, is aiming to raise more than £50,000 to fund NSPCC projects which will help thousands of children in Wales.

Staff in the 50 Principality branches across Wales – including Ebbw Vale, Abergavenny and Blackwood - have already come up with some fantastic fundraising ideas for the year, like trade fairs, cake sales, and a sponsored three peaks challenge.

Graeme Yorston, Chief Operating Officer at Principality Building Society, said: “We are absolutely delighted that NSPCC Cymru/Wales has been chosen as our charity for the year.

“We are committed as a business to helping the charity to put a Full Stop to child cruelty. Record numbers of staff participated in the voting process to choose the charity this year from a shortlist of five well-deserving causes and we look forward to taking part in a number of fundraising activities throughout the year.”

Nerys Sales, Corporate Fundraising Manager at NSPCC Cymru/Wales, said: “Principality has always been very active working with and giving back to the community and we are delighted we have been chosen as their charity of the year. This kind of passion and support will ensure that more and more vulnerable children and young people in Wales will receive the support, advice and help they need.”

icWales

Friday 25 April 2008

Rocking for charity in Scotland

Friday 25 April 2008: Rock Radio in Scotland has recently raised £10,000 for charity, and was joined by Alan Thornton and Joolz from GUN along with Toby Jepson to hand over the cheque.

The station’s nominated charity partner is Nordoff-Robbins Scotland, for whom a sell out charity birthday bash was held in January.

The gig included performances by Logan, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Thunder, GUN with Toby Jepson on lead vocals and many more, watched by over 700 fans.

The night concluded with a special guest appearance by singer of the anthem Caledonia, Frankie Miller who has benefited directly from Nordoff-Robbins therapy after suffering a brain haemorrhage in 1994.

Ciaran O’Toole, station manager for Rock Radio and organiser of the charity gig said, “The Rock Radio team were delighted to present Nordoff-Robbins Scotland a cheque for £10,000 as part of monies raised from its birthday bash. The station will be supporting Nordoff-Robbins through 2008 and will be raising more money to support this great charity organisation in Scotland. Since GUN happily presented the cheque, many more Scottish musicians have pledged support for Nordoff-Robbins and we hope to all work together to make a difference”.

Rock Radio's sister station in Manchester launched on May 5th.
Radio Today

Tuesday 22 April 2008

Guerrilla marketing is for wimps. This is GORILLA marketing.

Check out this video. This is a funny small experiment for the Charity2Charity. It can be an example of viral marketing for any charity organization. That is “Real Gorilla Marketing”

Monday 21 April 2008

How to trumpet your way to success

Fundraisers are dealing with a more competitive environment by tapping the potential of new technologies. But the main message is keep it simple.

It sounds like a plot from a particularly silly Hollywood comedy: your elephant Valentine sends you a card and a photograph to put in a frame beside your bed, while love letters drop regularly through your letterbox.

But the storyline is not part of a film script. Instead it is an idea adopted by a charity which is devoted to saving the endangered Asian elephant. Already the date-an-elephant fundraiser has generated more than £10,000 and the idea has so captured the imagination that this summer, the Selfridges store, Oxford Street, in London is hosting an event to publicise the charity.

Ruth Powys, head of fundraising at Elephant Family, says: "We are a small charity with a zero budget for publicity so we had to come up with something which sets us apart. People just love it. It's not our main source of income but it is the main way we reach out to the general public."

It is not only the new or smaller charities which are increasingly relying on innovative ways to boost their funds. As the number of UK donors shrinks the fundraising market has become ever more competitive.

Barney Tallack, Oxfam's deputy trading director and head of new income, says: "We are constantly looking to innovate, to do things differently, to keep things fresh." The Oxfam Unwrapped campaign, where people can support the charity by doing anything from buying a goat to planting an allotment, has been so successful that it has become a brand in its own right and has been followed by the Oxfam Unwrapped wedding wish list.

Reaching out

The charity's latest campaign, which encourages shoppers to take their old Marks & Spencer clothes to an Oxfam shop for recycling in exchange for a £5 M&S discount voucher, raised more than £250,000 in its first month. And the "Oxjam" initiative, where supporters take part in a fundraising music gig, has introduced the charity to a completely new audience.

"What's been happening is that people contact each other on social networking sites and talk about what kind of gig they are putting on and what they have learned," says Tallack. "It means we are reaching a whole new community around musical styles."

Social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook or Bebo and the use of mobile phones has created a host of new opportunities for fundraisers to reach the target 16- to 24-year-old audience. People can now add a charity logo to their profiles on social networking sites, and pass the message on to others through schemes such as the Royal British Legion's "virtual poppies" on Facebook, as well as making donations or supporting specific projects online.

Megan Pacey, head of campaigns and policy at the professional association, the Institute of Fundraising, says: "The MySpace generation has changed a significant amount of the thinking behind fundraising."

The institute hosts an "innovation zone" every year where it road tests or fine tunes new ideas. "The trick," says Pacey, "is not to be too clever and get sidetracked by the idea and lose sight of the key objective. If people can see, for example, that you've come up with something which is a bit like auction website eBay but with a charity twist to it, then they can understand what you are doing."

Murray Lindo is director of fundraising and marketing at Breast Cancer Care, which in the last decade has seen its annual fundraising income soar from £300,000 to £14m, a rise mainly attributable to the success of its pink ribbon campaign. While new technology may "facilitate" fundraising and help raise a charity's profile, Lindo warns: "I think you have to put human processes in first, before looking for a technological solution."

Simplify, simplify, simplify

Successful fundraising initiatives can also be extended in new ways. Last year staff from the credit card company, Capital One, ran the London Marathon on behalf of disability charity Scope, a partnership that led to the company promoting the charity in its mail drops as well as advertising Scope on its billboards.

Pacey admits that she would be a rich woman if she had a crystal ball and could predict what the next big fundraising idea will be. "At the moment innovation is all around the web and mobile phones. The danger here though is that charities do not have the infrastructure budget to support hi-tech innovation."

Her advice to charities looking for new ways of doing things? "In innovation, it's often the most simple thing which is the most successful."

Oxfam's fundraising director Cathy Ferrier agrees. The Oxfam Unwrapped campaign worked because it tapped into people's lifestyles, offering them an easy and fun way to buy Christmas presents and support a charity. "We have got to find innovative ways of thinking of things which fit into people's lifestyles so that supporting Oxfam is as simple as possible," she says.

Debbie Andalo
The Guardian

What we do?

Charity Guide is a big challenge for you, for him, for them, for all people around our beautiful planet- the Earth. We are aimed at providing you with the all useful information about Charity, Charity Organizations, Charity Auctions, Charity Shopping, Charity Fundraising etc. Charity can be identified as giving a ’helping hand’ to those who need it. And it does not really mean whether you are black or white, Asian or European, rich and wealthy or middle class, as this is action of humanity, nobility and generosity. If your heart is opened towards the good and is ready to help – then you can change this world to good.

We appeal to volunteers, philanthropists, donors in order to help indigent and destitute people. Our blog contains the data of all the most famous and reliable charitable organizations in Great Britain. Here you can find the profiles` list of the topic British Charity Organizations. A registered Charitable Organization is a non- commercial institution, approved by the Government and has right to accept donations from the individuals as well as from the companies, small or big ones. We are aimed at:

  • research and information
  • investigating and analyzing
  • management and support
  • collaboration and guidance
  • reporting and planning next actions

We want to construct a bridge between the big donors and the people who call for help. You may say that there are so many charity unions… Yes, you are right. But there are still wars, the poor, the sick people. We are eager to expand this field of Charity, to improve its system, thus making our world better and aid people.

Charity became a part of the British life. It can give a support in any ways and to different categories of people: children, education and sport, the aged, the poor and sick, food and shelter, medicine and disaster rehabilitation…

Our blog is daily updated with the latest news and fresh ideas. Here you are welcomed to post your comments and notes. Keep in touch and rise with us. Let is all try and build trust, hope and self-confidence, as they are the key values of the successful society.

Sunday 20 April 2008

Poll finds 2% of income should go to charity

A THIRD of Scots think the public should give two per cent or more of their income to charity, a survey has found.
And more than one in ten thinks we should donate as much as 5-10 per cent each year.

The poll for the Charities Aid Foundation found 29 per cent of UK residents think we should aim to give 2 per cent or more of our income to charity each year, compared with 33 per cent north of the Border. But the amount people think they should give is much higher than they are actually giving.

Last year the majority of Scots (70 per cent) surveyed gave between zero and £100.

Sheila Hooper, the director of individual giving at the Charities Aid Foundation, said: "As many are feeling the pinch at the moment with house prices falling and household bills rising it is really heartening to see so many people think we should be giving more money to charity. I hope they will turn these charitable thoughts into actions.

"If everybody gave 2 per cent, many more charities could fulfil their aims."

The survey was carried out by YouGov on behalf of the Charities Aid Foundation. It interviewed 2,002 UK adults earlier this month.

Via Scotsman.com News

Give more to charity, say Britons

Nearly a third of Britons think people should aim to give at least 2% of their income to charity each year, a survey has shown.

Around 29% of people thought consumers should hand over 2% or more of their pay to good causes, including 8% who thought they should give 5% away and 4% who thought 10% of people's pay should go to charity.

But 7% of those questioned said they did not think people should give any of their money away, while 32% thought handing over 1% or less was acceptable, according to the Charities Aid Foundation.

If people did give 2% of their income to charity, someone on average earnings of £25,000 would hand over £500 a year.

But in reality, people are giving far less than this away, with 74% of people admitting they had donated less than £100 to charity during the past year, with just 1% parting with more than £1,000.

Even if people became rich only 4% would prioritise giving money to charity, with 41% instead prioritising funding a comfortable lifestyle, while 31% would spend money on their children and 12% would save the extra cash.

Sheila Hooper, director of individual giving at the Charities Aid Foundation, said: "As many are feeling the pinch at the moment with house prices falling and household bills rising it is really heartening to see so many people think we should be giving more money to charity.

"I hope they will turn these charitable thoughts into actions."

Monday 14 April 2008

What does it mean Charitable Status?

Review on “The Charitable Status: A practical Handbook by Andrew Phillips, with Keith Smith”

Most people being seriously involved in philanthropic activity sooner or later have to register their organization. In this case arise many questions like: what does the legislation say, regulating this sphere, what are the possible types of these organizations, what institutions have the right to register philanthropic organizations, what is the documents` set, required for the registration of the charity organization etc.

When I came across Andrew Phillips’s book “The Charitable Status. A practical Handbook”, I realized that this book can help to answer many of the questions I asked myself and open many doors into business, called philanthropy. This book has being edited for 5 times and still it is the best seller.

No need to tell who Andrew Phillips is. His is a big authority and great expert in philanthropy field.

So, this book provides you with the valuable information regarding why is a need to set up a charity organization, how to organize and manage it and the others. Nowadays there are about 180 000 registered charity organizations and every year this number is increased by 5 000–6 000 new players of the philanthropic activity. The reasons leading to the growth of the similar structures, from the one hand are stimulated by the legislative control, and from the other hand- are quite pragmatic. Alongside with the specific tax benefits, charity organisation – is a BIG opportunity to attract BIG companies, companions, investments and funds. The registration number guarantees voluntary helpers to control and aim the granted money exactly at the charity. Certainly, tax benefit’s availability leads to the tough norms of reporting and activity restrictions.

Setting up a charity organisation you have to pass through many stages. A good solicitor and legal advice are you best friends in sorting all necessary documents.

And what does it mean this thing “charity organisation”? And what kind of organisation might have a “charitable” status? This issue is adjusted by the British law, even in 1601 (in 1891 was updated a bit). Charitable activity has right to progress just in 4 directions:

  1. struggle against poverty
  2. education strengthening
  3. religion support
  4. social improvement
Along side with helping the poor notion “poverty” includes help to sick people, disabled persons, the elderly and the incapacitated. This help also can be realized indirectly, for example: to pay traveling expenses for the relatives wanting to see their family member in a prison.

“Education” embraces sport, culture and art, any researches and investigations.
“Religion” direction is in charge of dissemination various religions and religion confessions for social good.

There are some types of charity organizations. They are classified as:

  • mutual support groups (for example, a group of disabled persons, living in one particular house) organizations, sustaining a kind of activity (friends of museum)
  • associations, offering accommodation (shelter to victims of violence)
  • consulting (juridical issues)
  • organizations, helping to the being needy
  • organizations, offering alternative medicine and therapy in team building
  • ethnic and racial organizations
  • organizations, providing learning, training and working places(job)
  • organizations, supporting sport, including pinched categories of people
  • organizations, activating during natural disasters

A charitable organization must be registered in accordance with the legal forms:
  1. just formal registration
  2. constitutors` liability
  3. everyday management.
For example, even in case when losses are the result of external causes, constitutors have to compensate them from constitutors` own money. You may get the examples and forms of constituent instruments in any branch of Philanthropic Committee (they are responsible for offering the charitable status and the registration number).

In the United Kingdom the Institution of Trustees was founded in 1601. Well-known people and donors ere invited to join the Board of Trustees, this leads to new donations as well as reliable control of the funds` expenditures. That is why Andrew Phillips draws our attention to that fact that the Board of Trustees – is a very important point in setting and working a charitable organisation.

What about participation of non-commercial organizations in political life? This question might seem you a strange one. But, what does the British legislation say? If a charitable organization provides the State Authorities with all information on enquiry, supplies the Members of Parliament with a piece of advice, regarding their basic specialization, discuss the British Legislation with the Members of Parliament, considering Charitable Activity -then this kind of Political Activity is permitted by the British Law. Therefore of political activities organization has to pay back all tax remissions. If your organization is on the joint of the political or non political activity- then make up a list of “allowed/prohibited” things and share it among the constitutors and collaborators.

It might raise two very significant questions: 1) how to get money and 2) what are the possible tax remissions? Alongside with the sponsors` donations, usually charitable organizations sell something – services, products, produced at the businesses (enterprises), organized by the charitable union. One of the possible ways in the Great Britain to earn money- is to establish a commercial enterprise and its all profit turn into the charitable organization. Due to this fact charitable organization as well as a commercial one has to follow additional registration and strict accounting and reporting.

As for the tax remissions, the British system of taxation provides tax remissions for the charitable organizations (like privilege on income tax, organization tax) as well as a wide spectrum of tax benefits for donors.

Soon you get acquainted with the charitable profiles of the most famous charitable and non- commercial organizations.

Thursday 10 April 2008

British Christian Charity sues Google, alleges discrimination

By Simon Caldwell
4/11/2008

Catholic News Service


Google said it had a policy of declining ads from organizations that mix abortion with religion.

LONDON (CNS) -- A Christian group is suing the Internet giant Google after it refused to take advertisements on abortion and religious content.

The U.K.-based Christian Institute, a nondenominational Christian charity, wanted to place an AdWords advertisement so that when an Internet user typed the word abortion into the search engine a link would appear on the right hand side of the page saying: "U.K. abortion law: news and views on abortion from the Christian Institute. www.christian.org.uk."

The Christian Institute announced April 8 that it has started legal proceedings against Google on the grounds that it is infringing the U.K. Equality Act 2006, which prohibits religious discrimination in the provision of a good, facility or service. The Christian Institute is seeking damages, costs and the permission to publish its advertisement.

Google said it had a policy of declining ads from organizations that mix abortion with religion.

"At this time, Google policy does not permit the advertisement of Web sites that contain abortion and religion-related content," the Google AdWords team based in Dublin, Ireland, said in its reply to the institute in March.

Google does, however, accept advertisements for abortion clinics and secular pro-abortion sites.

In an April 8 statement, Mike Judge, spokesman for the Christian Institute, said: "Google promotes itself as a company committed to the ideals of free speech and the free exchange of ideas.

"It is against this standard that Google's anti-religious policy is so unjust," he said. "For many people, Google is the doorway to the Internet. It is an influential gatekeeper to the marketplace of debate."

Judge said that "if there is to be a free exchange of ideas, then Google" can't give rights to secular groups while "censuring religious views."

The institute sought to promote its online articles on abortion before the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill arrives in the House of Commons in May.

New charity to tackle depression

THE first organisation solely dedicated to aid recovery from depression is being launched in Wales tomorrow.

Journeys, based in the capital, is the UK’s first and only charity to concentrate on helping people to recover from depression, which costs the health service an estimated £417m per year.

Torchwood star Gareth David-Lloyd will join Minister for Health and Social Services Edwina Hart tomorrow lunchtime to mark the launch of the charity, formerly known as Depression Alliance Cymru.

In Wales alone, NHS statistics show 250,000 people are being treated for depression, while across the UK as a whole, one in every five people is affected by the condition.

Yet these figures are the tip of the iceberg, with an estimated three in every four cases of depression going unrecognised – and untreated.

This equates to one million people in Wales – approximately one third of the population – potentially suffering from depression at some point in their lives.

Figures from the 1991 Suicide and Homicide Study undertaken by the Home Office show that the most common cause for suicide in the UK is untreated depression, believed to account for at least 75% of suicides.

In Wales, the adult suicide rate is nearly double that of England, while amongst Wales’ young people the suicide rate is five times higher than England’s.

Tim Watkins, director of Journeys, said: “After heart disease, depression is the number one public health issue in Wales today.

“Yet whereas lots of people know and understand the health messages around heart disease, very few people hear the messages around mental health.”

Mr Watkins, himself a former sufferer of depression, continued: “Journeys is very much aimed at prevention, early diagnosis and early treatment.

“If depression is recognised early enough, then through making some fairly simple lifestyle changes, such as eating healthily and doing regular exercise, the development of depression can be halted.

“But one of the major problems that we as a society face is that depression is not recognised early enough.

“We have seen depression devastating lives across Wales, ripping apart families and communities and costing the NHS and the economy billions of pounds every year through lost working hours, premature death and incapacity.

“Of the 250,000 people affected by depression in Wales many are offered inadequate services.

“These are often limited to anti-depressants and talking therapies with availability varying from county to county and waiting lists of up to six months.

“People have been suffering and becoming more and more unwell.”

Journeys states that its mission is to change the way people think about depression, helping them to take control of their lives and recover from their illness using information, resources, training courses and services.

Heavily reliant on volunteers, Journeys has a staff of four and runs on a £50,000 grant from the Welsh Assembly Government, £25,000 from trust funds and £50,000 from the European Healthy Minds at Work project, although this funding stream is about to end.

“In comparison, Mind receives around £300,000 from the Welsh Assembly Government every year and Hafod get £250,000,” said Mr Watkins, a former policy officer with the Welsh Consumer Council.

“I don’t begrudge them a penny. Yet whereas the areas of mental health they tend to deal with cover around 1% of the Welsh population – typically schizophrenia and psychosis – depression affects between 10 and 12% of people in Wales.

“Understanding depression as a solely medical condition that needs to be managed and treated is inaccurate and unhelpful,” he said.

“Just taking a pill or talking to someone once a week cannot bring about recovery.

“Journeys is leading the way in combating depression in Wales with an innovative range of self-help courses and training.”

Anyone can contact Journeys – a GP referral is not needed – although Mr Watkins stressed that the organisation does not provide a counselling helpline.

Instead it is an information resource and will help sufferers to help themselves, via leaflets, specialist audio books, interactive CD-Roms and introductions to the 25 self-help groups that meet weekly around Wales.

Mr Watkins said: “We need at least two more staff to be based here in Cardiff to help co-ordinate our information resources.

“If we had a donation of £1 from every person in Wales who suffers from depression we would have enough money to provide the services we would like to be able to provide.”

Huw Lloyd, chairman of the Mental Health Group at the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “As a GP, I have been aware of the support and help that this organisation has offered to my patients and the benefits that this has brought to them and their families.”

For more information go to www.journeysonline.org.uk

Canary hero to climb Kilimanjaro

A former schoolmate of ex-Norwich City star Robert Green is joining the goalkeeper in a gruelling climb up Africa's highest mountain to raise money for charity.

Winston Gallagher, 28, was a friend of the former Canary number one at the City of Norwich School 12 years ago, and they have kept in touch since.

So when the West Ham and England goalkeeper was looking for someone to join him on his climb up Mount Kilimanjaro - through which he aims to raise £10,000 for vital humanitarian work - he turned to his childhood pal.

Mr Gallagher, who runs Alco-Call, a Norwich late night alcohol delivery service, said: “Rob has wanted to do something for a charity for a long time. But due to the very limited amount of time he gets off, he has never really had more than three weeks break at a time, and has always needed that time to rest before the next pre-season.

“But this year, with England's failure to qualify for the Euro Championships, he decided he'd take the extra time to get involved with a charity.

“He asked me to help him with the leg work of any project we took on, so I set up a few meetings and we spoke to some different charities before settling with AMREF (the African Medical and Research Foundation), which is the biggest African-based charity.”

The two friends are no strangers to spending time together and four years ago Mr Gallagher visited Greeno during the 2004 Euro championships in Portugal.

He was in America when his mate made his England debut and they have, with partners, been on holiday together to Dubai and Australia.

But neither of them has faced anything as daunting as this before.

Mr Gallagher, from Caernarvon Road, off Earlham Road, Norwich, added: “My mother's just moved to Crete so I will be practising climbing on few gorge walks there. But we know it's going to be hard work. It's not exactly a holiday, but it's worthwhile and for a good cause.”

The pair, who are looking for volunteers to join them on the June 20 climb, will spend three weeks visiting some of the poorest slums in Tanzania and Kenya, and taking part in the charity's health programme, which is using football to pass on life-saving health messages.

Greeno, who made 223 league appearances between the sticks for the Canaries before his 2006 £2m switch to West Ham, said: “I have never been much of a beach person. I'm very proud to be raising much-needed funds for AMREF by climbing Kilimanjaro. AMREF do some great work in Africa.”

To sponsor the team, visit www.justgiving.com/robertgreenkiliclimb .

There is room for 10 people to join them on the climb, but they each need to raise £4000 in sponsorship. If you are up for the challenge, physically fit and can fundraise a minimum of £4,000 between now and June then get in touch with AMREF UK's fundraising team on 020 7269 5520 or email f.larsen@amrefuk.org. Further information is available on www.amref.org/uk

Evening News 24

Win A Unique Volkswagen Van And Help Teenage Cancer Trust

Core Facts •UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), together with legendary rock band, The Who, are launching a worldwide competition to win a unique 1965 ‘split-screen’ Volkswagen Transporter van with special The Who ‘Magic Bus’ branding.

read more | digg story

UK charity shop in a spin over record donation

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A British widow has given 4,000 vinyl records spanning every classical genre to her local Oxfam shop, the largest music donation in the charity's history, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

The collection, worth an estimated 25,000 pounds ($49,260), ranges from Bach and Haydn to Stravinsky and Stockhausen and will keep the shop stocked for three years.

It was donated by an unnamed woman, in her 50s, to her local Oxfam store in the southern English town of Tavistock after the death of her husband.

"It is amazing. I can't think of a classical genre that is missing," said Oxfam volunteer Terry Hyde. "It is all there -- all your big figures from the 18th and 19th century, your 20th century unlistenable nightmares by Stockhausen, avant garde, opera, unaccompanied violin. Virtually every genre is covered."

Shop manager Jacky Theobald said the collection was too big to go on sale at the same time.

"It is a small shop," she said. "We will do a Chopin week, a Mozart week, that sort of thing."

Oxfam -- which says it seeks to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice in more than 100 countries -- makes around five million pounds each year from the sale of film and music. It recently received a rare Rolling Stones demo single and a Handel score.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; editing by Steve Addison and Paul Casciato)

Prince stars in charity cancer show

WHEN he takes to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall tonight, Prince Aidoo will be representing every teenage cancer sufferer in the UK.

The 19-year-old is introducing a series of star-studded fundraising gigs for the Teenage Cancer Trust, the charity he says played a key role in his recovery from the disease.

Prince, from Leyton in east London, was just 13 when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

“I had severe headaches and pain in my legs and ribs,” says the budding musician and entrepreneur.

“I couldn’t even lift my arms and I was limping.”

His “panicking” mother took him to a doctor and tests confirmed leukaemia.

A year of chemotherapy treatment and recovery followed the diagnosis - and Prince’s life was turned upside down.

He missed months of school - and had to stop playing basketball, a sport he loved.

“I was on the team at school,” he says. “It was devastating that I had to stop doing something I was passionate about.”

Despite missing school, Prince was still able to pass seven GCSEs at the same time as his schoolmates - and things looked like they were on the up.

But when he was 17, the leukaemia struck again.

Prince underwent months of chemo and radiotherapy and his consultant suggested a bone marrow transplant.

In October 2006, Prince had his sister’s bone marrow transplanted. The op was successful and he has been in remission ever since.

“It’s taken a while to get over it all, but for the first time in ages I’m finally keeping my weight constant and am eating properly,” he says.

He hopes to go to Bournemouth University to do a business degree in September - and wants to be an entrepreneur “because I like having a hand in everything and want to make a lot of money”.

In the meantime, his attention will be focused on the Teenage Cancer Trust and helping raise money for the specialist units they provide for teen cancer patients all over the UK.

Prince says that the environment provided by the units - a room for each person, vibrant decor, pictures, computers and flexible visitng hours for friends - played a vital role in his recovery.

At the final Royal Albert Hall gig on Sunday, he hopes to perform a song dedicated to the friends he made while being treated on the TCT ward at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.

“The song is called Smile Away,” says Prince. “It’s a song close to my heart.”

During the series of benefit gigs (8-13 April), Prince will be interviewing the stars and staff backstage and getting the lowdown on planning, organising and performing.

“I want to launch an internet radio station on the Teenage Cancer Trust website in the next few months and put the interviews up on there,” says Prince.

“I don’t think I would have got through my cancer battle without TCT - I want to give a little bit back.”

Book gig tickets at Teen Cancer Trust

Via The Sun

Spinal injury victim completes 22-mile charity swim

A TEENAGER who was told she would never walk again after a horrific diving accident left her completely paralysed has raised £1,000 in a "channel swim".

Madeleine Leftwich sustained a spinal injury in 2006, when she dived into a pool at her aunt's house.

The teenager, who was 15 years old at the time, was told that she would probably never walk again, but after having her vertebrae rebuilt and with lots of rehabilitation and determination Madeleine is now walking and enjoying an active lifestyle.

Madeleine took part in the Aspire Channel Swim, a sponsored swimming event for the leading spinal cord injury charity Aspire to swim the distance of the English Channel.

She gave herself 12 weeks to swim the entire 22 miles of the English Channel in the Next Generation Club's swimming pool, in Hull Road, York. The 17-year-old, from Heworth, said: "It was a really tough challenge, but it was definitely worth it.

"The health benefits are great, I feel so much fitter. I managed to raise £1,000 and my school raised £1,000 as well."

Bootham School, where Madeleine is studying for her A-levels, nominated Aspire as its charity of the term last year. The school's donation helped Madeleine reach her £1,000 target.

By completing the event she raised £1,000 and become the top highest individual Aspire Channel Swim fundraiser. The charity has rewarded Madeleine with a Keycamp holiday for her effort.

Meanwhile, Madeleine's mum recently completed a swim in Lake Geneva on behalf of Aspire. She swam 8.4km and managed to raise more than £5,000.

Aspire's Rosie Cotton said: "The Aspire Channel Swim is the biggest fundraising event in the charity's calendar as it raises a substantial amount of urgently needed funding for people with spinal cord injuries and helps us in our mission to enable them to lead more independent and fulfilled lives.

"At the same time it gives the public the opportunity to participate in a really good challenge and to take responsibility for their own health as they get fitter and trimmer with each lap they swim."

The Aspire Channel Swim is now in its ninth year, and hopes to raise in excess of £500,000 for the Aspire charity this year.

Wednesday 9 April 2008

Popular beer festival aims to raise thousands for charity

BEER lovers across the region will be chin-chinning for charity as they savour an assortment of beers, ciders and perries during a three night festival.
Chester Grosvenor Round Table's annual charity beer festival is set to take place from Thursday to Saturday, May 15-17, at Chester Rugby Club, Hare Lane.

The Round Table group, based at the Mill Hotel, Milton Street, Chester, provide a mix of social events throughout the year and will be celebrating their 20th beer festival with the support of local companies and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Event organiser Richard Charlton said: "The Friday is very popular and last year drew in 700 people with 600 on the Saturday and 400 on the Thursday.

"The more tickets we can sell, the more we can make for our charities."

Last year the Round Table raised £10,000 and cash raised from the three day festival will be donated to Chester-based charity Miles of Smiles and the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.

The popular event often proves a sellout, and with tickets going on sale as early as last week, the Round Table has promised to donate £750 to Miles of Smiles, whose volunteers take poorly children on special holidays abroad.

Barrels are sponsored by up to 30 local companies and presented in a wooden-floored marquee with more than 70 beers selected by CAMRA, alongside about 20 ciders and perries.

Richard added: "There'll be a bus service, sponsored by the Duke of Westminster, going from the Town Hall, via Chester Train Station, to the rugby club.

"There will also be three or four local bands entertaining drinkers and CAMRA will be bringing traditional games like skittles and darts."

Tickets cost: Thursday £5; Friday, £8; Saturday, £7. Visit the Mill Hotel or call Richard on 078794 875 221 for details.

Flintshire Standard

Tuesday 8 April 2008

GAA stars get fired up for charity golf event in La Manga

THESE Guys Are Good!

That's one of the slogans the PGA Tour uses to promote its players, but it also applies to a group of over 128 GAA stars who travel to La Manga, Spain, next Sunday for a massive charity fundraiser.

The idea was simple but challenging: bring 32 teams of four football and/or hurling personalities to play golf for their counties -- and the winning team will have €100,000 to dispense to its chosen charity.

This is an All Ireland with a difference but committee chairman Bernard Flynn of Meath has no illusions about the competitive element.

"There are over 60 of the lads playing off single figures, the average handicap of them all is around 11, and the golf will be fierce competitive," he said.

"But the main thing is that we are doing this for charity.

"We have all had our complaints with the GAA at times but most players will agree they have got plenty of benefit from their links with the Association.

Impressive

"This is our chance to give something back and €100,000 going to the winning team's charity is pretty impressive."

He added: "The players are paying their own way and it's €5,000 a team to enter. Many of them have organised sponsorship for their charities and we're even doing our own documentary on the event which will be shown on TV at some stage in the future."

Kilkenny great DJ Carey said: "Sports is such a common denominator in this country and I am delighted to have been invited to play a part for such a good cause.

"Myself and the lads will give this our best shot and hopefully we can win a few bob for our locally chosen charity."

DJ plays off a 10 handicap these days but is a formidable golfer when he gets his driving on song.

He is joined on the Kilkenny team by Eddie Keher (16), Liam Fennelly (9) and Joe Hennessey (7) and their charity is the O'Neill Centre, Kilkenny.

Eoin "Bomber" Liston has a nine handicap. He teams-up with Sean Walsh (18), Ogie Moran (17) and Paudie Lynch (12) for the Kingdom who will be playing for the Jane Power Leukemia Fund.

The Bomber claims he has "come through a rigorous vetting procedure" to make the team but it would be a brave man who'd try and keep him out of the action!

Dublin feature an interesting selection in Sunderland FC chairman Niall Quinn, now down to two handicap.

Quinny, who won a 1983 All-Ireland minor medal with the Dublin, is joined on the Dubs team by Tommy Carr (6), John Kearns (10) and Jack Sheedy (8) who will be playing for Temple St Children's Hospital.

A bookie giving odds on the outcome would be inclined to look at Limerick for a fancied team.

Not only do hurlers generally make fine golfers, but Limerick's squad of Pat Herbert (14), Eamon Cregan (11), Michael Cregan (7) and Pat Hayes (8) look good on paper. Their charity is the Limerick Youth Service.

In addition to players noted above, here is a sample of the single figure players who will feature in La Manga: Mick McGinley (6, Donegal); Brian McCormick (9, Derry); Paul McKenna (6, Fermanagh), Ronan Keane and Brian Walsh (both 6, Sligo); Jason Ward (8, Leitrim); Michael Cleary (1, Tipperary), Declan Carr (4, Tipperary); Denis Allen (9,Cork); Johnny Flaherty (8, Offaly); Bernard Flynn (9, Meath); Conor Martin (7, Meath); Luke Kelly (6, Carlow); Rory McCarthy (4, Wexford).

A total travelling party of 160 will travel to La Manga on Sunday and play a four-man Scramble later that day. Monday features a fourball; and Tuesday is singles followed by Gala Dinner and a prize giving.

The group will return home next Wednesday no doubt tired -- and with a lucky charity €100,000 richer.

The committee running the event is: Bernard Flynn (Chairperson); Tommy Carr (Secretary); Freddie Grehan (Travel Coordinator); Sean Finnegan (Tournament Director); Mick McGinley, Des Cahill, Michael Duignan, Colman Corrigan, Kevin McCabe.

Independent.ie

Charity needs a new home now

A Poole-based charity which helps people with brain injuries rebuild their lives is being made homeless.

Headway Dorset, based at the Fourways Centre, Constitution Hill Road, has been told by Borough of Poole to be out by October to allow a major redevelopment of the centre. It will not be complete until the end of 2010 at the earliest. It is the charity's only base in the county, and provides support for brain injured people and their families, including respite care, counselling and rehabilitation.
But the council has provided just £20,000 for relocation, leaving it struggling to afford rental prices.
To make up the shortfall it is selling its shop in Dorchester, but the race is on to have everything in place before October. Chairman of trustees Adrian Cormack said: "We are concerned we are not going to make that deadline.

"The £20,000 over the course of two to three years is not going to be sufficient to find somewhere in this area, and the market is going against us now to sell the shop in Dorchester.

"Some of the people who use Fourways have been relocated to units at Whitecliff, but we've not got one of those.
"It's like we've been hit with a triple whammy.

"We're rather stuck at the moment."

While Headway will move back to the Fourways Centre eventually, it may no longer be its main base.

Mr Cormack added: "We are looking at using the money from the sale of the shop for something more central, perhaps relocating from Poole to a permanent location so we can be more the masters of our own destiny."

He added: "It is a unique service and we will keep on going but we have to think of other facilities available to us and how we can run from those facilities."

A spokesman from Borough of Poole said: "Headway was advised in February 2007 they needed to find alternative premises during the rebuilding phase. This is a temporary arrangement and once the new building is ready it will provide accommodation for them again."

Headway Dorset needs office space, particularly somewhere private for counselling sessions, and a multi-use area for teaching and rehabilitation.
Anyone who can help should contact 01202 682 650.

Monday 7 April 2008

JPMorgan Asset Management charity sailing challenge

JPMorgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has laid down the gauntlet to leading consultants, challenging them to pit their wits against the high seas in a sailing challenge to raise money for charity.

Now in its second year, the challenge involves taking part in the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, one of the largest yacht races in the world, and in doing so raise a significant amount of money for four charities supported by the race. By way of an incentive, JPMAM will be offering a £5,000 donation to boost the donations of the winning boat, and £1,000 donation for the top fundraising team.

The eight companies that have signed up to the challenge are: AON, Hewitt, HSBC Actuaries and Consultants Ltd, Hymans Robertson, Lane Clark & Peacock, PSolve, Russell Investments, and Watson Wyatt. In order to assist the teams, JPMAM has enlisted the help of double Olympic Gold Medallist, Shirley Robertson, to offer on-the-water coaching to help sharpen up their race tactics. A key sponsor of Shirley, JPMAM continues to support her wider sailing activities and in the ongoing World Championships. Shirley is also set to skipper the JPMorgan Asset Management Extreme 40 in the forthcoming European series.

The JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race takes place on 28th June 2008. Held annually, it attracts over 1,700 boats to the Solent to compete for the coveted Gold Roman Bowl. First sailed in 1931, the course is 55 nautical miles long and is raced for under a strict handicap system ensuring that Olympic medallists and consultants alike can compete on an even keel.

Peter Ball, Head of JPMorgan Asset Management’s UK Institutional Business, commented: “We’re delighted to be challenging the industry to showcase their sailing skills for a second year. Last year the challenge raised £18,000 with Russell Investments raising the largest individual amount, £4,570. We’re confident that this year, our competitors will be able to improve on last year’s terrific sum which will be split between Breast Cancer Care, MacMillan Cancer Support, Prostate UK and the Ellen MacArthur Trust.”

“Eight companies have this year risen to our challenge and I’m sure that competition will be tough, with Lane Clark & Peacock looking to defend their hard fought title as the first Consultant Challenge yacht to finish the race!”

In addition to being the title sponsor of the Round the Island Race, JPMorgan Asset Management also sponsors Ben Ainslie who has recently qualified to represent Great Britain at the Beijing Olympics, where he will be aiming for an unprecedented third Olympic Gold Medal in August. Ben will be competing alongside the teams in the Round the Island Race.

Boating News

Air ambulance in fundraising row

PUBLIC representatives say money raised by people for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal has been paid to a private fundraising firm without consultation.

Dr Richard Riseley-Prichard, of Allington, near Devizes, and Ann Levick, of Codford, longstanding members of the the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal Committee, were amazed to be told Great Western Ambulance Service had re-employed consultant Loquendi.

It has quoted a price of £3,000 a month, plus VAT.

The GWAS board is the sole trustee of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal but guidance from the Charity Commission states trustees of air ambulance charities must not be directed by ambulance services and should be independent.

Dr Riseley-Prichard and Mrs Levick are the only independent advisers of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal Committee. The other members are chairman Karl Henderson, GWAS director of finance, Alan Veasey, GWAS head of financial accounting and paramedic Richard Miller.

Dr Riseley-Prichard and Mrs Levick were told at a committee meeting on February 22 GWAS had reappointed Loquendi until a permanent fundraiser is found to replace part-timer Tracey Edwards, who left last January.
Dr Riseley-Prichard, who co-founded the appeal committee in 1990, said: "We asked how much money Loquendi had brought into the appeal and Karl Henderson couldn't tell us.

"Both Ann Levick and I strongly disapproved of employing Loquendi and we thought that any kind of future decisions should be referred to us otherwise there was no point in us being advisers.

"We would prefer to have a single fundraiser as we have had in the past, rather than a firm."

Mrs Levick said: "I think it was unnecessary to have employed Loquendi and think the appointment of them is dubious value.

"The people of Wiltshire keep happily giving money to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and give it no matter who is in charge of fundraising."

Loquendi was appointed on a caretaker basis by the Great Western Ambulance Service last summer for three months and was paid £4,000, plus VAT.

Cafe to host charity bash

CHICAGO Rock Cafe in Redditch has teamed up with the mayor's charity to host a huge fundraising event on Wednesday, May 7.

Management at the old cinema venue have been in talks with the mayor's office to host an event which will see local talent unite for an evening of entertainment and fundraising for the County Air Ambulance and the Sandycroft Wellbeing Centre.

General manager, Dave Allen, is calling upon all local companies to donate prizes for this special night that will see Take That Now and PolkaDot Shotgun perform live on stage.

He said: "We want to make this a fun-packed night for people while we all help to make money for Redditch mayor David Hunt's charity.

"If you have anything at all you can donate for the night, I'd be so happy to hear from you and will make sure you get a big plug for the night."

The mayor has confirmed his attendance for the event which takes place a week before his term of office ends.

It is open to the public and tickets starting from £2 each will be on sale soon.

The evening includes a free buffet and entertainment from Chicago Rock's resident DJ.

Special drinks deals will also be available throughout the evening.

Jenny Ashman from the County Air Ambulance said: "Through the generosity of people like David Allen, Chicago Rock Café and the general public our charity is kept airborne and able to save lives all across the Midlands."

Any one who thinks they can help in any way should call Dave on 595232.

from Redditch Advertiser

Is it worth value of money to do Charity Shopping?


What does it mean this thing a charity shop?
A Charity Shop is a retail business driven by the charitable union to assist in turning the given articles into cash. Charity Shops are spread all over the world, but they are mostly located in England and the United States. In the United States you will find these kinds of shops under the name of thrift stores. Nowadays thrift Store shopping is very popular in the United States. These shops borrowed their name from the colloquial word ‘thrifting’.

Thrifting

You may use this thrift shopping term or just ‘thrifting’ in the reference to the shopping in a flea market, a thrift store, and a charity shop or boot sale. Any culture or any class have their thrift shoppers. Thrifting is an advantage for the poor, the businessmen as well as the wealthy. The poor can afford to buy a good snip; the businessmen get their benefit playing on the difference between the cost price and the selling price, and the wealthy, like to purchase something unique and extraordinary that can’t be found even in the Fifth Avenue or Bond Street.

Charity Shop Buzzes

Charity shopping is an exciting and alluring pastime. Also it turns into an addiction and passion! Why? First of all your imagination intrigues you as you are interested in the previous life of the item you are buying, who was the owner of this very item, it can tell you an interesting story. For example, could that old jeans costing ?3 be of a celebrity like Jennifer Lopez’s ones). Secondly, it is extremely exciting, it looks like breathtaking feeling of a knowledgeable gold prospector when he sees a shine in the dirt; a ‘thriftier’ feels the same thrill and ecstasy when he comes across a luxurious and costly Prada bag that he was in the hunt for. Faster than you think snobs will plume themselves on how many thousands of pounds they spent on an evening –dress or a pair of boots or what a bargain they dug up.

Charity shop- easy to find

You may find a charity chop in any town or city. Just ask for it and be sure people know that is situated somewhere in the centre of your town. You may do this way shorter if you make an enquiry in the internet. First search online for “charity shop New York” or “charity shop London”. Also you can try some guides or directories and do not be surprised of the number of online charity shops.

Charity Shops have their future

Charity Shops have their future. First of all they already exist for some time and the new tendencies show that they will continue living in the future. There are some reasons of this phenomenon. First of all raising money for the good intentions is a great purpose; secondly, due to the fact that minimum of subsistence is increasing and the salary does not and also because charity shops offer exclusiveness and worth value for price, then charity shops will stay trendy and popular.

Bikers mark charity week

A convoy of motorbike enthusiasts and a fancy dress parade took place in Lister Park, Bradford, to mark national brain injury week organised by charity Headway.

Julie Scott, chairman of Headway Bradford, said: "Since we started Headway we now have nearly 100 members and we have great local support. Unfortunately the situation here in terms of support for those suffering brain injuries has not changed in that time.

"We organised this weekend's event to raise the profile of the group and I would like to thank all those who attended."

Anyone who wants to find out more about Headway Bradford or become involved in its work can contact Julie on 07856 076867, or e-mail juliescott@headwaybradford.co. uk, or call Iris Laycock on 07856 076866.

The Headway Bradford website.

Friday 4 April 2008

Challenge Yourself For Charity - The British Red Cross, UK

The British Red Cross is looking for thrill seekers to take part in their two most challenging events of 2008! We have places available for both the BUPA Great North Run on Sunday 5 October and the Yorkshire 1-2-3 Peak Challenge on Saturday 12 July.

Places are being allocated on a first come, first served basis so call and secure a place on either event today!

Jo Allott, Senior Fundraiser for the North West said, "Both events are set to be not only challenging but exhilarating and thrilling for all those that take part and are experiences that shouldn't be missed!"

Notes

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies.

We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.

British Red Cross

Is it an advantage to purchase items at the Charity Auctions?

Charity Auctions have a long and deep history. Due to the wide use of the internet, it opened the new doors and ways for managing and guiding charity auctions. Internet provides you with the numbers of sources that cater for all tastes. During the charity auctions a list of items with their market value are offered to be bid on. Donors who buy these items usually pay over their market prices thus benefiting and making the charity contribution. So, the difference between the established price and the paid sum is called charitable contribution. But, there is one more interesting point. Once a company purchased an item over its market value then they can claim back their paid tax. Thus, they get tax benefit.

Charitable auctions are aimed at raising money amount. Many organizations and companies that perform these charity auctions have to acquire high professionalism, spirit of enterprise, intellectual vigour and active potential. As they need to sale items that will bring a good price and so that to collect money for the specific charitable reasons. The reasons are multifarious. Charitable auction money is badly needed for the treatment of physical, especially chronic or incurable diseases, to sponsor educational institutions, for aid in catastrophe or cataclysm situations, to help poverty-stricken countries of the third world. These are just some of them. Some non-commercial organizations can be also involved to raise the account of charitable auctions for some particular causes. Charity auctions are very helping and influential in serving millions of people around the world.
If you are interested to perform the charity auctions- then online resources will provide you with the all valuable information. Contact the organizers to get more detailed data.
Procurement is the most important thing in the developing your charity auction fundraising. The success of your auction depends on the items you place for bid. When you are launching an event like this you must take into account people’s likes or dislikes, their interests and priorities etc. Of course, every charity has its own set of items. If you want to arrange a children or school charity auction, we can advise you a list of the hottest items you may work with:

• Roller skating
• Paintball weekend
• Dance class in a group
• Extreme kayaking journey with the family
• A day on the beach
• Sunset romantic tour
• The latest computer achievements

Wednesday 2 April 2008

Fundraising total reached for hall works

By Danny Law

FUNDRAISERS at a Donside community hall are celebrating after receiving a cash windfall of almost £70,000 - meaning long-overdue improvement works can at last get underway.

Members of the Tullynessle and Forbes Hall and Community Association have spent the past two years raising the £450,000 required to allow major refurbishment works to take place at their local, and much-used community hall.

The last piece of their fundraising jigsaw fell into place after the Marr Area Committee gifted a £6,600 grant from its community top-up fund to help the fundraisers.

This cash enabled the release of further funding - £60,000 in total - from the SITA Trust - a funding organisation which supports community and environmental improvement projects.

Drennan Watson, 69, fundraising co-ordinator of the Tullynessle and Forbes Hall and Community Association, said: "The fundraising has lasted over two years and it is fantastic that we have finally managed to raise the £450,000.

"It is increasingly important to renovate this building as there has been a big increase in its usage in the past few years. More and more houses are being built in the Alford area without any increase in local facilities.

"We negotiated a grant of £60,000 from the SITA Trust, but in order to get it they have to receive 11% of that figure from a third party, which was £6,600 in this case. Therefore we had to find a third party to pay that
amount or we would have lost the grant."

Marr Area Committee chairwoman, Councillor Moira Ingleby, said members had been impressed by the group's fundraising efforts.

"The local area top-up fund, together with funds from company trusts such as SITA, enables Aberdeenshire Council to continuously improve community facilities and support projects which are important to local residents," she said.

"The committee was very impressed with the research that the group had carried out as to the value of the hall to the local community. The group managed to raise a lot of the funds by themselves.

"It is an absolutely vital facility as it serves a large rural area and it is used by a great variety of groups. It is absolutely within the Marr Area Committee's policy to assist with projects such as this."

Work is already underway to extend the north and south sides of the building.

Via Deeside Today

Monkeys to stride out to raise funds for charity

A FUNDRAISING team of Sandbach families will be going ape for charity at Sandbach Transport Festival.

About 100 families are expected to monkey around at Sandbach Carnival on Saturday, April 19, to raise money for the Caudwell Children’s Charity.
The Monkey March- themed sponsored walk aims to get under-fives active and encourages family participation no matter what their capability or age.

The three-quarter-mile stroll will start from The Commons at 10am.

Families can register to take part by collecting sponsorship before the event or choose to pay to take part on the day.

All money raised will go to the charity which provides direct donations of treatments, therapies and specialist equipment throughout the UK.

Charity chief executive Trudi Beswick said: “After being launched in Staffordshire, the Monkey March has been a huge hit at various locations across the UK.

“The monkey theme has really appealed to youngsters and many turn up to these events dressed up, which just shows how enthusiastic they are to take part.”

Family sponsorship forms are available from the charity by calling 0845 300 1348 or you can pay to take part on the day. Admission is £10 for a family of four or £2 per child and £5 per adult.

Via icCheshireOnline

Anti-smoking campaign

Every year the diseases caused by smoking take away 4 million people lives.
The European Commission launched anti-smoking campaign with the multi-million fund. The goal of this campaign is to discourage children from smoking and help adults to give up this bad habit.

But this campaign faces along side with the bad people’s habit, also Tobacco industry. Either small or big Tobacco companies produce amounts of cigarettes. Then how to decrease the cases of smoking across our planet? Anti- smoking campaign is associated with the anti-smoking agreement. It works and demands take tough measures against tobacco promotion like control and reducing use of tobacco. It is welcomed to place warning pictures on the pack of cigarettes, for example the photo of natural blackened lungs. Smoking has two other points. First of all, government programmes should raise the level of the man’s consciousness rather than advertising wide cigarettes over TV, cinema or radio. Especially, to forbidden advertising during sporting events. The second point is we must remember what a bad influence has smoking on the “non-smoking”. We must think and take care of those ones who breathe this “poisoned air”. Nowadays numbers reveal that one in five smokers is ready to quit smoking. And this is the 20 per cent of smokers. That would save so many lives.

The 15 of March – is the No Smoking Day in the United Kingdom and Wales. In England is forbidden to smoke in the work places, offices as well as in the enclosed public places (pubs, restaurants). The research investigating the results of this Non Smoking Day shows that people make an attempt to give up smoking. Ben Youdan, Chief Executive of No Smoking Day said: “The Day like this is a great opportunity for people to quit smoking. But they need some piece of advice and support, and we are eager to help them. This is a great change in public health policy. On National Health Service stop smoking services has been spent GBP56 million!!!”

This anti-smoking program will help people to stop smoking. Around all the UK people may find the local coordinators of this program, the last will provide them with the all needed information, help and support. Never late to stop!!!

Tuesday 1 April 2008

Fundraising Responsibility

Hi Everyone,

When you have a fundraising project, who does the fundraising — you or your parents? I know your parents can be a huge help when it comes to fundraising. They can take your fundraising goods to work and to friends and help you raise a lot of money. Here is my question for you. Are your parents helping you or are they doing your fundraising for you?

You can still do so much when it comes to fundraising, even when your parents are helping out. You can call you relatives yourself. After all, how can grandma and grandpa refuse you? And you can visit the neighbours yourself. You will get to interact with others, use your enthusiasm to get others pumped about your cause, and see the happy smiles on people’s faces as they give to a cause so wonderful.

While your parents might be a key component to your fundraising efforts, you are the fundraiser. If you let them do all the fundraising work for you, you will be missing out on an experience to remember. Get involved in your own fundraising efforts and you will get the gift of knowing you are directly responsible for making a difference in the lives of others. It’s a lot more fun that way too.

Warm Regards,
Bilaal Rajan
"Together We Can Make A Difference"

Grocers pull silly socks up for charity

GROCERS raised more than £2,000 for a cancer charity by donning “silly” socks.

Shoppers and suppliers sponsored nine workers at Glendales fruit shop in Wilson Road, Ely, Cardiff, to wear the fancy footwear and support Cancer Research UK.

It is the eighth year staff have held the event in memory of worker Angela Nelson’s mother Beryl, who suffered from breast cancer and was treated at Velindre Hospital, Cardiff. In total staff have raised £16,160.

Angela, 44, said: “It’s all a bit of fun and we get good community support. People expect us to do it every year now. For six weeks running up to the silly socks day we ask customers and our suppliers to sponsor us. They don’t hesitate to hand over cash.”

As well as wearing the socks in the store, workers also stood outside the shop with charity buckets urging shoppers to donate.

Their first silly socks day was held in 2001 at the shop where Beryl, 60, had worked for 25 years but she was too ill to take part the following year and later died.

Via IcWales


UK arthritis charity hits back at ‘placebo’ claim as new study links diet and rheumatoid arthritis

Claims that all complementary therapies are nothing more than placebos, despite evidence to the contrary, are hindering the progress of our understanding of chronic health conditions, says The Arthritic Association. Claims that all complementary and alternative therapies (CAMs) are nothing more than placebos, despite evidence to the contrary, are misguided, according to The Arthritic Association, and may be hindering the cause of progress in the understanding of chronic health conditions. The statement comes in response to a new report from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm suggesting links between rheumatoid arthritis, diet and the risk of stroke or heart failure. The Arthritic Association claims this is indicative of the growing body of knowledge linking diet to the causes and treatment of arthritis which has been largely ignored by the medical establishment because of its ‘alternative’ label.
Negative press coverage of CAMs, and the publication of books such as Snake Oil Science, The Truth About Complementary and Alternative Medicine (R. Barker Bausell, Oxford 2007), has left many people wondering if they have been the victims of charlatanism, something which dismays Bruce Hester, principal home treatment adviser at The Arthritic Association.
“To label all non-orthodox medical interventions as quackery, their success due to nothing more than the placebo effect, is a sweeping condemnation,” he said, “Plus, many CAMs do not lend themselves to being ‘proven’ in the way that orthodox western science dictates, through the methodology of double-blind clinical trials.” Founder of The Arthritic Association, Charles de Coti-Marsh, carried out research into the causes of arthritis, its treatment and prevention, during the 1940s and 1950s. Despite de Coti-Marsh’s success with patients, no clinical studies were ever conducted which meant his work went unrecognised. Hester and his colleagues claim that developments in such areas of science as nutritional biochemistry, immunology and pharmacology indicate that de Coti-Marsh was not wrong, but rather ahead of his time.

“This rings true with what Charles de Coti-Marsh was saying 70 years ago,” says Elizabeth Hartland, Nutritional Therapist for The Arthritic Association, commenting on the Karolinska Institute study. “All scientific ‘proof’ starts with a hypothesis. The critics may dismiss the available evidence as being anecdotal and subjective, but that doesn’t mean a treatment is without substance.”


Founded in 1942, The Arthritic Association (www.arthriticassociation.org.uk) is a registered charity dedicated to helping relieve people from the pain of arthritis through natural methods.

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