Tag: charity appeal

City council pledges support for refugees

Europe’s escalating refugee situation has reached crisis point over recent days. Council leader ANDREW BURNS has pledged the continuing support of the City of Edinburgh Council as he appealed for donations to the city’s charity:

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The world watched, several months ago, as thousands of refugees set up makeshift camps in desolate, far-off spots after fleeing their war-torn homelands.

Since then, we’ve been watching the reports of people living in horrendous conditions at the port of Calais as they desperately attempt to enter the UK.

Everyone has an opinion on how to react, from stopping anyone from coming here because we don’t have the resources or the room, to opening up the borders and welcoming those desperately in need.

Before, we could just turn off the images with a flick of the TV remote control – but the image of the body of a tiny, lonely child washed up on a beach in Turkey this week will haunt many of us for a long time. It summed up the desperation of those who are running for their lives.

How desperate must a person be to squeeze themselves, and their children, into airtight lorries, or on to open boats without life jackets, to make extremely dangerous and often futile journeys? We may struggle to imagine that feeling, here in the western world, but the horror of that photo has affected us all.

We may be far away, but there are still ways in which we can help.

In May of this year, having learned that close to four million people had already fled the country, the City of Edinburgh Council decided to get involved in the UK Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme.

The scheme will allow us to welcome a number of families from Syria, all of whom will have been identified as being in the utmost need by the United Nations. The scheme prioritises help for survivors of torture and violence, women and children at risk, and those in need of medical care.

Participants will be housed here in the capital for the duration of the programme, with access to employment, health care and education.

Initial conversations have taken place within the Council (housing and social work) and with NHS Lothian and Police Scotland, who have confirmed their willingness and capacity to support Edinburgh’s involvement with the project.

Initial talks have also taken place to examine potential for wider social support through Edinburgh Churches for Sanctuary and Cities for Sanctuary networks.

The key measure of success will be that the number of refugees moving here will integrate successfully into the city in terms of their home, social and professional lives.

Let’s not forget – the families taking part in the relocation scheme don’t want to leave their homes behind. Imagine being forced out of your country and everything that is familiar to you, because life has become too dangerous for you to stay?

This is the humanitarian course of action. We are helping, in a very small way, amongst the most vulnerable and needy people in the world at this moment. Let’s try to stop any more needless deaths.

Our Edinburgh-based charity partner, Mercy Corps, is already on the ground helping Syrian refugee families, and other families in crisis around the world, get the food, water and shelter they need to survive.

Visit the Mercy Corps website to find out more about their work and to donate to their Humanitarian Response Fund. Please help them to rush lifesaving aid to people suffering in Syria and around the world.

Councillor Andrew Burns

Council Leader

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Nepal earthquake: beware bogus ‘charity’ appeals

As aid flies out from the UK to Nepal, members of the public are being warned to be cautious about charity appeals …

APRIL nepal earthquake

On Saturday 25 April a massive earthquake struck Nepal. It severely shook the lives of at least 5.3m people and left many homeless.  Nepal’s major cities, including the capital Kathmandu, have been badly damaged and rural areas near the epicentre have been completely cut off by avalanches.

Already over 3000 people have been confirmed dead and the figure is likely to rise significantly in the coming days. Even those whose homes are still standing are sleeping in the streets because they are terrified by regular aftershocks.
All over the world, people will want to come to the aid of the stricken people of Nepal – but sadly some unscrupulous fraudsters will see the disaster as an opportunity to capitalise on this generosity of spirit.

The Charity Commission is encouraging people wishing to help those affected by the earthquake disaster in Nepal to donate only to established registered charities.

It says charities such as the members of the Disasters Emergency Committee, which has launched a dedicated appeal in response to the earthquake, are experienced in providing emergency help during humanitarian disasters.

The regulator says that most fundraising is genuine, but warns the public to guard against unscrupulous people who exploit the generosity of the public by fundraising fraudulently.

It is urging people not to attempt to send cash or aid out directly themselves and not to forget that there are other ways of supporting registered charities if they cannot afford to or do not want to donate. For example, people can take part in fundraising events and activities organised by a registered charity.

There are laws around collecting money for charity in public which are there to protect donors and make sure that the money raised goes to a genuine charitable cause. The commission says there are simple steps people can take to help ensure they give to genuine registered charities. The tips include:

  • check for a registered charity number, and check that against the charity’s entry on the commission’s online charity search tool – if you want to give to the DEC appeal, its registered charity number for England and Wales is 1062638
  • check whether collectors are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed
  • if in doubt, ask the collector for more information – a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity (please see below for further safer giving tips).

APRIL earthquake in NepalPaula Sussex, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said: “The British public is incredibly generous and we want to encourage them to continue giving to people in the most desperate need, such as those affected by the earthquake disaster in Nepal.

Our advice is to give to registered charities that have experience in delivering aid in difficult circumstances in the aftermath of natural disasters. It only takes a few minutes to check whether a charity is registered with us – and if in doubt, ask the fundraiser questions about how your money will be used. Good charities will be more than happy to answer your questions.”

Top tips for checking whether an organisation appealing for donations is a genuine registered charity:

  • before giving, check the charity’s name and registration number – you can verify this using the online charity search tool on GOV.UK
  • when approached by collectors, check whether they are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed
  • if in doubt, ask the collector for more information – a genuine fundraiser should be happy to answer questions and explain more about the work of the charity
  • genuine fundraising materials should feature the charity’s name, registered name and a landline contact number – be wary of those that list only a mobile number
  • look for the FRSB tick logo indicating that the charity is signed up to fundraising regulation, encouraging you to give with confidencewww.givewithconfidence.org.uk
  • to check whether a fundraiser is authorised to collect money in a public place (they must have a licence), contact your local authority or, if in London, the police – if it is a private place, check with the owner
  • take care when responding to emails or clicking links to a charity’s website to ensure that they are genuine – instead, search online for your preferred charity to check you have the right web address
  • after making these checks, if you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it as a crime to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and inform the Charity Commission
  • if in any doubt, contact your favoured charity direct to make a donation