Cycle ride for charity

Cyclists are being sought to take part in the Action 100 bike ride from Bristol and Bath to London on Sunday, August 30.

The event is being organised to help raise funds for medical research projects. The ride challenges cyclists who are prepared to cycle 100 miles for the charity Action Medical Research.

Cyclists have all day to complete the ride and are fully supported, with plenty of refreshment stops, a pub lunch and hot showers and beer at the finish.

All money goes directly to the charity, which has already contributed towards the first UK polio vaccine and the first medical use of ultrasound in pregnancy.

This year the charity aims to recruit 650 cyclists and raise £60,000.

To register, call Roy Clarke on 0117 973 6993 or enter online on our website

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Haggis king's really got the stomach for charity bike ride

THE haggis king of the Capital has embarked on one of the toughest cycle endurance events the country has to offer, to raise money for charity.

James Macsween and Peter MacGregor began their journey from Land's End on Saturday and, with legs of 100 miles a day, hope to reach John O'Groats by early next week.

Mr Macsween, well known in the Capital for his haggis manufacturing business, lost his father John to cancer in 2006, while his accomplice Mr MacGregor – who will be undertaking the challenge for the third time – was also affected when his wife Jackie died of the disease the year before.

The two decided to generate cash for Cancer Research UK through the cycle, and have already met their fundraising target of £5000, with more money expected during and after the event.

Mr Macsween, 37, director of the family-run Macsween organisation which recently struck a lucrative deal to supply supermarket chain Morrisons with the Scottish delicacy, said: "We'll need to cover 100 miles each day – so it will be a fairly tough schedule.

"In this year of Homecoming we'll be looking forward to crossing back over the Border and cycling through Scotland.

"We have already raised more than £5000, which is fantastic."

He and Mr MacGregor, who works for British Waterways, began discussing the idea of a fundraising cycle three years ago, and last year intensified talks and agreed this was the year to do it.

"I've never done anything like this before," he added. "I'm quite sporty but this will be the most difficult thing I've done in my life.

"It's the best part of 1000 miles to cycle the length of the UK. We've been breaking it down psychologically, saying to ourselves that it's only five blocks of 20 miles per day.

"I've been blown away by the generosity of people to donate money. It's not just friends and family either, it's people who I've worked with in the past and others too. The original goal was £2500, so to double that has been fantastic."

The two will be supported by another member, friend Alistair Williams, 40, who completes what is being tagged as the Haggis in High Gear team.

Mr MacGregor, 48, added: "Through this trip we hope to commemorate Jackie's and John's lives, and raise money."

www.justgiving.com/jamesmacsween
www.cancerresearchuk.org

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Birmingham gym raises charity cash in sponsored spar

A CITY gym punched above its weight by raising more than £2,500 for charity in a sponsored sparathon.

Novice and professional boxers took turns at fighting with each other for a whopping 12 hours.

And there were plenty of high- profile contests to keep the crowds happy at the Fighting Fit Gym, on Lionel Street, in Birmingham city centre.

Broad Street manager Mike Olley sparred with Stuart Hyde, assistant chief constable of the West Midlands Police.

The gym’s owner and professional heavyweight Neil Perkins took on Birmingham chef Glynn Purnell over four rounds.

Neil, 29, who is undefeated in his fledgling boxing career, said: “It was a great day.

“We had loads of people down here coming and going all day.

“I would just like to thank all our members who worked really hard.”

The event also served as an open day for people wanting to find out more about boxing training and nutrition.

The £2,840 raised during the mammoth boxing bout, held on Friday March 13, was donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Macmillan fund-raising manager Sharon Battersby said: “They did a really fantastic job.

“I think the amount raised was beyond their expectations.

“The money will go towards helping fund a number of nursing posts in the city centre.

“They cost £140,000 over three years so the money is a massive help.”

The gym chose Macmillan after one of their staff received assistance from them when both his parents died of cancer.

Personal trainer Paul Gough, 43, from Dudley, said: “I lost my mum and dad to cancer a few years ago and the support they got was brilliant.

“I did a similar thing in my old gym in Dudley and it worked pretty well so I thought we would try it here.”

British cruiserweight champion Rob Norton was on hand to lend his support and show off his title belts.

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U2 'to donate £8.3 million to charity'

U2 will donate approximately £8.3 million of profits from their upcoming U2360 stadium tour to charity, it has emerged.

The band will be giving away 100% of the money raised from their 'Red Zone' VIP auction ticket sales, the Belfast Telegraph reports.

Around 600 premium tickets are being sold off at auction for the concerts, with bids starting from between €95 (£87) and €1,015.

A U2 spokeswoman said: "All of U2's income raised from the auction of Red Zone tickets will be donated to charity."

Charities believed to be benefiting from the scheme include Global Fund and organisations focusing on Africa.

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Anil Kapoor donates Slumdog pay cheque to Indian charity

The 49-year-old actor, who played the role of a TV host in the Oscar-winning film, has donated his pay cheque to an Indian children’s charity, called Plan India, which works for underprivileged kids.

Kapoor admits that his humble upbringing has inspired him to donate the money to the organisation.

“I think sometimes you do a film and everyone in this film - not only me - everyone connected to it had such a positive intent when they started. I think that’s the reason for its success,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

“Everyone - (director) Danny (Boyle), (producer) Christian (Colson), (writer) Simon (Beaufoy), (cinematographer) Anthony (Mantle) - they didn’t have commerce in mind, they just wanted it to be a good film.

“We wanted as many people to see the film as possible. I feel it’s the good intent of everyone and the children’s good wishes and their families that have made this film what it has become.

“I told Danny, ‘I can identify with (lead character from the slums) Jamal Malik.’ It’s almost the same thing because I started from a very simple background. Not slums exactly, but a 200 square metre cubicle with common bathrooms and I never wore shoes, always bare feet running around,” he added. (ANI)

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Camilla's charity bash

Britain's Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, has opened her Clarence House home to supporters of the War Memorials Trust.

The Duchess - who is married to Prince Charles - held the event in aid of the little-known conservation charity, of which she is patron. British Army officer Andrew Dobson - who is running the London Marathon in aid of the trust - spoke to the Duchess at the function.

He said: "She asked how often I'm running and how many miles I'm up to. It's fantastic to be running for fallen soldiers as opposed to those still serving.

"It's nice not to forget those who are no longer alive. It remembers people that have done their service and the freedom that our forefathers have given us.

"I'm doing as much as I can to help them. I hope to raise the equivalent of two runners, possibly three runners."

The War Memorials Trust protects and conserves the UK's 100,000 war memorials.

Other charities of which The Duchess is patron include the Animal Care Trust and the Cornwall Community Foundation.

Royal Watch News

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Thousands raised for charity

Over the past three months, Peters Food has raised around £17,000 for the charity - which provides support to children and their families with Cancer. To raise the money six senior staff members volunteered to take part in the Three Peaks Challenge. The challenge - which took place in September - involved the team of six climbing three of the toughest mountains in Britain in just three days.

John McAughtrie, national account manager and event organiser for Peters said: "The challenge has raised money for a very worthy children's charity and we want to thank everyone who sponsored us and donated to the cause. We're already thinking about what we can do next to raise even more for charity."

The first mountain the team climbed was Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. The team then went on to Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, the last and most difficult was Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK.

Peter's held a charity auction on Saturday in hope of raising even more money for the children's charity. The evening included an auction - with the 2008 Glam Slam winning jersey going for £280. Guests attending the event got to see Chris Banting - from the children's charity CLIC Sergeant - presented with the cheque by the Peter's staff who completed the Three peaks climb.

The team - who spent weeks training for the challenge - included National Account Manager John McAughtrie, Food Service Director Justin Griffiths and Regional Sales Manager Ken Blackman all based at the Caerphilly Head Office. Joining them was Van Sales Directors Vince Edes and John Llewellyn as well as Tony Thompson a Regional Sales Manager.

For further information on the Three Peaks Challenge visit the Peter's website on www.petersfood.co.uk and take a look at the Three Peaks blog to see how the team prepared for the challenge.

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Action for Children launches second-ever TV ad

LONDON - Action for Children has launched the second phase of its 'As long as it takes' activity to boost awareness of the need to support young people.

This stage of the campaign includes the charity's second-ever TV work, as well as national print ads.

The work features autistic teenager, Dan, who reveals that his middle years were crucial in terms of identifying and tackling his problems. It follows the charity's first TV ad, which featured a girl called Nicola, who spent her formulative years caring for her mother with MS.

In addition, 60,000 postcards featuring artwork from the ad and key facts from campaign research are being distributed more than 40 locations across the UK. They are intended to drive traffic to the Action for Children website and encourage the public to fill in their details and return completed cards via Freepost. The cards will then be used to support the charity's work pressuring UK governments into providing more support for six to 13 year olds.

Action for Children works in partnership to run nearly 450 services for more than 170,000 of the UK's most vulnerable children, young people and their families.

From Marketing News

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Oxfam and M&S make a magic million for charity

Since it's launch in January, the Marks and Spencer (M&S) and Oxfam 'Clothes Exchange' has raised an extra million for the charity.

The money was generated by the sale of extra Marks & Spencer clothes donated to Oxfam shops through the Clothes Exchange, which encourages donations of unwanted M&S clothes to Oxfam by providing a £5 M&S voucher in return. The voucher is redeemable against a £35 spend on clothing, home or beauty products at M&S.

Promoting the 'clothes exchange' in Enniskillen in the final run-up to Christmas is Brian Quinn, manager of the Marks and Spencer store in Erneside and Loretta Cullen, manager of the Enniskillen Oxfam shop.

The extra revenue that is generated through the Clothes Exchange partnership is enough to;

* to pay for Oxfam's entire Rwanda programme for a year (it includes improving agricultural livelihoods, working to tackle the spread of HIV and working to improve governance in a way that helps national reconciliation), or;

• To help provide safe clean water, healthcare and other lifesaving services for around 200,000 people displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo for six months, or;
• To fund Oxfam's mobile schools for children of nomadic farmers in Kenya for four years.

The positive impact of the partnership – which initially ran for a six month trial – means that the Clothes Exchange will now continue indefinitely. People across the UK will be able to keep picking-up an M&S voucher each time they visit their local Oxfam shop with a donation of M&S clothing.

The Clothes Exchange has also supported one of Marks & Spencer's Plan A environmental objectives to encourage the recycling of clothes, and reduce the one million tonnes of clothing sent to landfill in the UK each year. Barney Tallack, Oxfam's Deputy Director of Trading said: "An extra million pounds is amazing. The partnership has been a fantastic success, and we would like to thank the people who have donated all the great clothes that helped us raise this money.

"Please keep bringing them in as the extra money raised will help Oxfam to make a real difference to the lives of many thousands of the world's poorest people."Richard Gillies, Director of Plan A, Marks & Spencer said the success of the Clothes Exchange showed that it was possible to be responsible and save money at the same time.

"Thousands of people have saved on their M&S shopping by donating M&S clothing they no longer need to Oxfam, which has helped the charity to raise more money to fight poverty. It's also helped to reduce the amount of clothing sent to landfill by 1,000 tonnes over the last six months. We hope the campaign will continue to go from strength to strength in future."

From The Fermanagh Herald

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Princess Anne's festive charity

Britain's Princess Anne has visited a festive charity.

The Princess Royal called into the Weston-super-Mare warehouse facility of Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a Christian charity which sends gift-filled shoeboxes from the UK to less-fortunate countries.

Anne watched volunteers prepare a final lorry-load of boxes for dispatch to Belarus, one of 11 countries that will benefit from the programme this year.

The royal visit was to recognise the commitment to the charity by the Nightingale family who have donated units at their Home and Office Storage Company for use by the Christian charity Samaritan's Purse, which runs the annual OCC project for the last three years.

While visiting the warehouse, the princess met Simon Barrington, Executive Director of Samaritan's Purse UK (right), and Geraldine Burgess, Weston-Super-Mare OCC co-coordinator, who introduced her to the volunteers and explained the charity's local role.

The charity distribute over 1million of the boxes to children in need each year.
From

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Man who beat cancer gives £2,200 to charity

CANCER survivor John Williams, who had a massive 16lb tumour removed nine months ago, has donated more than £2,000 to the charity that helped him through his illness.

Mr Williams, 53, handed over the money to Sarcoma UK director Roger Wilson at Ynysygerwyn Cricket Club last Thursday.

He was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer – a rare form accounting for only 1% of all diagnosed cancers – last December and given only two months to live.

His only hope was an operation he was given just a 30% chance of surviving to remove the tumour.

But Mr Williams, of Hunters Ridge, Tonna, made an amazing recovery from his life-threatening illness to help organise a fund-raising evening for Sarcoma UK.

The charity provides information, support and advice to cancer sufferers, and supports research into treatment of the disease.

Mr Williams said: “It went really well. I presented Roger with a £2,200 cheque, which will go toward the £200,000 they have already raised.

“Sarcoma UK was very helpful to me. They got in touch with me as soon as I left hospital and offered me support, and sent visitors around to see me for aftercare.”

Mr Williams’ friend Andrew Davies, 42, donated £2,000 to the cancer charity Crossroads on the same evening.

“After my father-in-law passed away I was determined to do something because Crossroads had helped look after him,” said Mr Davies, a father-of-two from Baglan.

“My son plays for Ynysygerwyn Cricket Club and when John found out we were organising a charity match we went in on it together.”

Unfortunately, the match planned for the August Bank Holiday had to be called off because of torrential rain.

Instead, the pair raised money through an auction and quiz night.

Both men would like to thank everyone who contributed to their fundraising efforts.

From WalesOnline

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Looted Matisse goes to UK charity

A painting by Henri Matisse, which was stolen from a German Jewish family by the Nazis, is to be given to a British charity.

Le Mur Rose was confiscated from the Fuld family in the late 1930s and kept by a Nazi officer responsible for delivering poison gas to Auschwitz.

The work has been at France's national museum of modern art since 1949.

It will be handed to Magen David Adom UK, a charity that supports medical rescue in Israel, later this week.

Proceeds from the expected sale of the painting will go toward the charity's network of ambulances, paramedics and emergency treatment centres in Israel.

"It's a remarkable and in some ways slightly creepy story," said Stuart Glyn, chairman of the charity, who will take delivery of the artwork at the French Culture Ministry in Paris.

The painting belonged to Harry Fuld who made his fortune in telephones, founding the H. Fuld & Co. Telefon und Telegraphenwerke AG in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1899, the charity said.

After Fuld died in 1932, his art collection passed to his son, Harry Fuld Jr. He fled Nazi Germany in 1937, packing the collection into crates, which he gave to a shipping company to transport.

But the collection never left the country and it was confiscated it by the Nazis. The painting ended up in the hands of Kurt Gerstein, an officer in the Nazis' Waffen SS.

Gas chambers

Gerstein was an expert in decontamination techniques, assigned to the Hygiene Institute of the SS, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

On its website, it says Gerstein was responsible for delivering Zyklon B poison used in the gas chambers - to Auschwitz and other camps.

Gerstein surrendered to French authorities in April 1945, and later hanged himself.

French police recovered the painting three years later from a cache near Gerstein's home in Tuebingen, Germany.

Harry Fuld Jr. died in 1963 and for unknown reasons willed his estate to a woman called Gisela Martin.

She in turn left her estate to Magen David Adom UK when she died in Switzerland in 1992.

Buddha statues

The Matisse, which is worth a "a good six-figure sum", will be displayed in a museum before being sold, said Mr Glyn.

The charity is also trying to recover other parts of the Fuld collection, which included 12th century Buddha statues, 16th century Italian masters, furniture and other art.

Mr Glyn said trying to prove ownership of the pieces was a "long, slow and expensive process".

"Our representatives are in discussions and negotiations with a whole raft of people, including national museums and governments, to see whether some of this stuff can come back," he said.

"Some of the stuff is far more important than the Matisse."

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Charity cash in troubled banks

James Bevan, who looks after £5bn for charities and local authorities, says trustees need to manage cash and equities safely.

One of the saddest aspects in the collapse of the Icelandic banks has been how many charities were caught out.

Collectively, dozens of worthy causes from Naomi House Children’s hospice near Winchester to Cats Protection lost tens of millions of pounds collected by dedicated fund raisers over many years. In total, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations estimates that total losses to the charitable and voluntary sector could top £120m.

The losses suffered by these organisations puts the role and responsibilities of trustees firmly in the spotlight. As James Bevan, the chief investment officer of CCLA, a fund manager which looks after £5bn on behalf of charities, churches and local authorities, tells Telegraph TV’s Your Money Their Hands it is indeed an onerous task, not least from a legal point of view. He offers advice on how best to protect assets.

To find out how to look after both cash and equities on behalf of your charities go to telegraph.co.uk/yourmoney

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Cancer charity's coffee morning plea

MACMILLAN Cancer Support is hoping people in the Ripon area will rally round to make its World's Biggest Coffee Morning event next Friday a huge fundraising success.

Last year more than 50,000 people around the country hosted a coffee morning and raised £7.5m for people affected by cancer.

Macmillan fundraising manager for Ripon, Roohi Lupton, said: "We all like to get together, have coffee and a chat. Well hong money for people affected by cancer at the same time? It's easy just get together with friends, family or colleagues, add a drink of your choice and something tasty to eat and you're part of Macmillan's record-breaking World's Biggest Coffee Morning."

One local supporter preparing to hold a coffee morning in the city next Friday is Mrs Jane Borgen. While previous years have seen Jane and her team hosting events such as a Strawberry Fayre, this year's coffee morning will feature a big prize-draw raffle.

"A lot of people here have had help from Macmillan nurses," said Jane. "We decided to hold a coffee morning as a way of saying thank you."

Roohi Lupton said: "We are extremely grateful to people like Jane for holding a coffee morning and raising money for us. Every day another 780 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer. This year we're hoping to raise £8.5m to help them, so come on, get the kettle on, stock up on the cakes and biscuits and help make a difference to the lives of people affected by cancer. Every cup really does count."

To register for your free World's Biggest Coffee Morning pack, call 0845 602 1246 or you can visit www.macmillan.org.uk/coffee.

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Credit crunch boosts charity shops

WELL-dressed bargain hunters are driving hundreds of miles to snap up the Cheshire set's cast-offs.

Charity shops in Wilmslow have had record sales as fashionable shoppers buy second-hand clothes by top designers including Gucci, Versace and Chloe. Customers from as far afield as Cornwall and Yorkshire are descending on stores where the seriously rich recycle their unwanted designer labels.

Wilmslow is home to some of the region's wealthiest businessmen and footballers' wives. Shoppers looking to beat the credit crunch can expect to buy a £1,000 Gucci handbag for £300.

The Cancer Research UK store last week had record takings and Oxfam had 'exceptional' sales.
The Help the Aged branch outperformed any other of their outlets in their region. And The British Heart Foundation say they had a 'much better week than last year'.

"People are journeying from all over just to come to the shop," said Sandra Daniels, manager of Cancer Research UK on Water Lane.

"We get a lot from Liverpool, one man comes from Yorkshire and a couple come from Cornwall."

Exceptional

At Oxfam staff reported an 'exceptionally good' Saturday at the end of a good week, which staff put down to the economic climate.

"People tend to come in from out of town - we had someone the other day from Oldham," said one of the shop's volunteers. "I imagine the credit crunch is the cause."

Help the Aged field manager Margaret Gwyther said: "Wilmslow did the best of all the stores in our area and that includes Hale which always does very well." Liz Marsden, assistant manager at Scope, on Church Street, said: "There have been quite a few more customers out and about in the village."

The Wilmslow Business Group thinks any new trade is good news for the town.

Chairman Dave Bolton said: "We are really excited by anything that brings people into Wilmslow. The charity shops in the town have a high standard of clobber and if you are looking to save a few pennies it is a good place to go."

And a spokesman for Macclesfield council said: "It's not unheard of for charity shops to become known as the Harrods of the North and there are sometimes unexpected spin-offs from the `credit crunch'.

"It's encouraging that charity shops in Wilmslow are doing well, helping themselves with attractive window displays, and we'd hope that people continue to support them."

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Charity song in anti-knife campaign

A group of actors and sports stars will record a charity song against knife crime after a recent spate of fatal stabbings across the country. The collaboration, under the name UK Flow, includes world champion boxers Johnny Nelson and Junior Witter.

The project - which has the support of Richard Caborn MP, Girls Aloud and players from the England football and rugby squads - hopes to raise money for a number of knife crime charities across the country. The song was the idea of Stephen Nicholas, an actor who starred in the footballing drama Dream Team.

Nicholas wanted to raise awareness about knife crime and its consequences after a number of young people were stabbed to death across the country. He said: "We just want to raise awareness. We haven't got any ulterior motive, our only motive is to stop kids dying."

He continued: "We all live in different parts of the country and kids are dying in all of those areas, not just in London. "Every single community around the country is having the same problems with knife crime."

On Tuesday afternoon, the 30-year-old will join with Nelson and Witter, Casualty actors Luke Bailey and Elyes Gabel, former Hollyoaks star Lee Otway, DJ and presenter Marvyn Williams, singer Steve Edwards and singing teacher Ali Heath Cook, to record the song at the Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield. Mr Caborn, Sheffield Central MP, will also be present for the recording of the song which has not yet been named.

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Too Many Women Still Dying From Breast Cancer, Says Charity

Thousands of women die from breast cancer each year because current treatments are not always effective and in some cases fail to stem the disease, warns Breast Cancer Campaign today (27 March).

In a comprehensive review of breast cancer research published today, 56 of the UK’s most influential breast cancer experts have identified the key research gaps and priorities for the greatest potential impact on patients.

Breast cancer treatment has improved over the past few decades and led to increased survival rates and better quality of life, the report highlights. However over 44,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and around 12,500 will die.

Unfortunately, not enough is known about why treatments don’t work for some patients or why breast cancer can return, sometimes many years later, says Breast Cancer Campaign.

The new study, one of the largest ever carried out in the UK and published by the open access journal Breast Cancer Research, is a unique insight into the current state of breast cancer research and its future challenges.

Gaps in key areas of breast cancer research have been identified in the report, says the charity: prevention, detection, spread or recurrence of the disease, treatment, pathology, physiology, genetics and psychosocial aspects of breast cancer.

Among the recommendations for future research priorities pinpointed by Breast Cancer Campaign:

-Identify new ways to predict and prevent breast cancer
-Predict who will develop advanced or secondary disease
-Determine how and why breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body
-Devise a suitable method to determine the effectiveness of a treatment at an early stage
-Understand more about the psychosocial and psychological impacts of breast cancer

Pamela Goldberg, Chief Executive Breast Cancer Campaign said, “Breast cancer research has made considerable progress over the past two decades and vital work is still underway. But there are still significant knowledge gaps.

“Greater attention must be paid to all stages of breast cancer. The experiences of older women and those from minority ethnic groups must be considered, particularly in light of recent research showing breast cancer develops earlier in black women and their survival rates are poorer.”

Breast Cancer Campaign is already playing a leading role in filling some of the research gaps identified in the report. The charity is currently spending ￡11.3 million on over 90 research projects around the UK, looking at all areas from screening and prevention to genetics and treatment.

The development of a computer programme that will quickly tell clinicians which is the best treatment for an individual is just one of the many research projects funded by the charity.

Accurately identifying who will respond, or not respond, to breast cancer treatments is very difficult. The computer programme will be able to predict which patients will benefit most, not only from current treatments, but also any new therapies that may come onto the market, paving the way for treatment tailored to the individual and ultimately saving lives.

“We have set out a blueprint for future breast cancer research by this analysis and we are already filling some of the gaps,” says Pamela Goldberg.

“While we are working in an exciting age of discovery, our resources are limited. The Government, funding bodies and scientists should focus on these gaps to drive advances in knowledge into improvements in patient care. If we co-ordinate our resources and target the priorities in breast cancer research, we can ensure an environment of scientific excellence and plug these gaps.”

Evaluation of the current knowledge limitations in breast cancer research: A gap analysis - can be viewed in full here.

Notes

1. A committee of Breast Cancer Campaign grant holders recruited seven groups of UK breast cancer researchers to analyse the gaps in breast cancer research to determine areas of research that if targeted by researchers and funders could produce the greatest impact on patients.

2. Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure.

3. Currently it supports over 90 research projects, worth over ￡11.3 million, in 50 centres of excellence across the UK.

4. Breast Cancer Campaign recently announced that it will be supporting research in the Republic of Ireland.

5. Breast Cancer Campaign offers a range of research funding schemes from small pilot grants to fund innovative ideas through to substantial five year scientific fellowship awards to develop talented independent breast cancer researchers.

6. Breast Cancer Campaign’s publication, the History of Breast Cancer, which tracks key milestones in breast cancer treatment and the contribution of research to date as well as looking to the future can be downloaded at Breast Cancer Campaign

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Charity Calls On UK Health And Social Care Chiefs To Adopt Plan To Help Disabled Childen

A leading disabled children's charity has called on health and social care chiefs to undertake a significant review of their spending and policy on equipment for disabled children.

BDF Newlife says that in the last three years it has spent more than £1.7million on grants for families with disabled children in the United Kingdom.

It claims the equipment should be being provided by Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities.

It has proposed a six point plan of action which it hopes to have adopted by Chief Executives in England, Scotland and Wales to employ new ways of monitoring 'unmet need', to tackle any failings in their area and review their budgets for provision of equipment.

The charity's Chief Executive Sheila Brown OBE says: "Our research shows that there is little appreciation of the true spending levels needed to give the right level of assistance to disabled children. Few organisations have a system in place to monitor unmet need.

"We believe that statutory bodies simply don't know how many children are going without equipment because their professionals know the limitations of their budget and so apply straight to a charity.

"If the size of the need is not known then it can't be planned for financially. Disabled children are slipping through the net. Until CEOs track unmet need this will continue year on year."

As part of its call for action BDF Newlife wants to see increased spending on equipment for disabled children, special needs car seats to be classed as essential equipment, an end to 'unlawful blanket bans' (ie when a department does not provide a certain piece of equipment) on provision of particular items and an end to inter-departmental disagreements about who funds what items.

The charity is writing to every CEO in the UK, who has overall responsibility for disabled children's equipment provision, calling on them to adopt its plan. It is also offering to carry out a 'criteria health check' - to ensure statutory bodies are meeting the needs of disabled children.

Adds Mrs Brown: "All this is achievable. Our concern is for disabled children and we wish to work with statutory bodies to make a better future for them."

BDF Newlife is the UK's leading child health charity specialising in research

and support to aid those affected by inborn conditions, otherwise known as birth defects. In addition to funding research, the charity also offers support services operated by specially trained nurses.

* Notes

The charity's six point call for action is as follows:

Unmet need: Install a system whereby formal applications are always made to the relevant statutory service. Monitor applications that are refused and explain why to indicate the level of unmet need.

Budget planning 2008/09: Review current spending levels to inform next year's budget. Use internal data to make necessary increases in budget and allow more children to receive equipment in the year ahead.
Car seats: Agree that car seats for disabled children are 'essential equipment' and eligible for funding.

No 'unlawful' blanket bans: Ensure that there is no possibility of unlawful blanket bans being expressed in writing or verbally to avoid legal challenges.

Provide first, debate later: Take steps to agree with other relevant bodies that inter-departmental disagreements about who funds what do not cause delay in making provision.

Health check on provision criteria. Ensure criteria/policies are open and developed in partnership with health, education and voluntary sector providers.

http://www.bdfnewlife.co.uk

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Citipost Supporting Cancer Charity Distribution

Citipost Ltd is the Distribution Sponsor for CANCERactive starting this month. Initially, Citipost will be providing all UK distribution services for the charity’s quarterly icon magazine, contributing savings of more than £6,000 per year. Over the coming years, Citipost pledges to continue to work in partnership to supply improved distributions services and raise increased funds to support CANCERactive.

Rob Bradford, Managing Director, Citipost DSA Ltd, says; “We are very excited about our charity partnership with CANCERactive and the opportunity to make a big difference for people affected by cancer and their families in all communities across the UK. Citipost is proud to provide key distribution services for CANCERactive. We’re committed to successful fundraising and I am confident that this will be a long and beneficial partnership.”

Citipost will provide all the distribution services for the quarterly icon magazine that is sent out to more than 32,000 readers and 300 Cancer centres across the UK.

Chris Woolams, Founder, CANCERactive, says: "CANCERactive is the only UK charity fully covering Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies, not merely the Orthodox ones, thus helping cancer patients increase their personal odds of survival. We provide all this information for free and, even though the Trustees and Directors take no remuneration, this still requires funding. The support of organisations such as Citipost is vital to ensure that we continue to provide these unique information services to the 320,000 people who develop cancer in the UK every year".

CANCERactive is the UK's number one cancer charity for evidence-based information on holistic cancer therapies.

© Hellmail.co.uk - Postal Industry News

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Charity makes calls for extra support

CYNON Valley AM Christine Chapman has called for more help to be made available to children who are displaying sexually harmful behaviour.

Her plea comes after shocking NSPCC research claimed that as many as one in eight children are abused.

Referring to the children’s commissioner for Wales’s annual report, the AM spoke of the need for a more co-ordinated, consistent approach to delivering services for these children and young people.

“As the annual report states, there are very few teams providing specialist services to groups of children who have been abused or who display sexually harmful behaviour,” she said.

“Many of those children who have been abused suffer mental health problems and, as a result, display sexually harmful behaviour in adulthood.

“I am aware this issue is not talked about enough, other than to condemn it,” said Mrs Chapman.

She argued that improving the services available to these vulnerable youngsters would, in the long-term, lower the level of child sexual abuse and help those children who have been abused not to develop sexually harmful behaviour.

Simon Jones, NSPCC policy and public affairs manager for Wales, welcomed Mrs Chapman’s comments.

“We urge the Welsh Assembly to proactively bring together key agencies to discuss how best to tackle this issue of young people who display sexually harmful behaviour,” he said.

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