This Mother’s Day, school feeding charity Mary’s Meals would like to pay tribute to incredible women around the world.
From the mums in the UK whose food has nourished us throughout our childhoods, including those who volunteer and fundraise for Mary’s Meals, to the women who cook and serve our daily meals for children in some of the world’s poorest countries, we celebrate them all.
Mary’s Meals feeds more than 1.6 million hungry children in 19 countries every school day.
That’s why I am asking your readers to send a Mary’s Meals gift card to the special women in their lives this Mother’s Day. For just £15.90, it will feed a hungry child every day for an entire school year.
And because the childhood meals our mothers made often stay with us, reminding us of being nurtured and loved, we have included a favourite childhood recipe from TV presenter Lorraine Kelly with each gift card.
Please visit marysmeals.org.uk/mothersday to purchase your gift card or digital gift.
I know I’d love it if my three lovely children gave me this special present for Mother’s Day.
Gillian McMahon
Director of Supporter Engagement and Income, Mary’s Meals
Picture Copyright Chris Watt
Tel – 07887 554 193
info@chriswatt.com
www.chriswatt.com
RECORD BREAKER: AUTISM INITIATIVES’ BIGGEST FUNDRAISER TO DATE
With more than 1,400 people pledging to ‘Walk for Autism’ in 2021, Autism Initiatives’ annual fundraising campaign has hit its biggest milestone in its four-year history.
Walkers across the UK and Ireland have raised a monumental £100,000 in the past five weeks, with hopes to double that amount before the challenge takes place next month.
Officially starting on March 26, walkers will undertake 10,000 steps a day for eight days, ending on World Autism Awareness Day.
Walkers can fundraise from the moment they sign up, with famous faces such as Bridgerton actor Simon Lennon and strongman competitor Tom Stoltman supporting the campaign.
Head of Enterprise at Autism Initiatives Jon Gordon said: “We were delighted to reach over 1,000 signups for our fourth annual Walk for Autism campaign but it’s the money raised that really does make a difference to the lives of so many people across the UK and Ireland.
To have exceeded our target with over £100,000 raised so far is just brilliant and we can’t thank our walkers enough for their dedication this year. It is so inspiring to see people rising to the challenge and doing something so positive in the midst of the pandemic.
“We’ve seen evidence of comradery and friendship from walkers across the UK and Ireland each with a different story to tell, and all joined by something personal that has inspired them to participate. Although we’re overwhelmed and incredibly grateful for contributions this year, we just know that there is more to be done to make the biggest impact possible when it comes to supporting autistic people.”
The campaign will officially end on World Autism Awareness Day (April 2), an internationally recognised day that occurs every year encouraging individuals and organisations to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout the world.
Jon said: “World Autism Awareness Day is an incredibly important day to us, and to our walkers, but we aim to help raise awareness of autism and provide support where it’s needed around the clock, every day of the year.
“Money raised from the campaign will support a range of projects by Autism Initiatives which improve the quality of life of both autistic adults and children.”
Walk for Autism is a fundraising campaign led by charity Autism Initiatives Group (registered charity number 1170634) who have been working to improve the lives of autistic people and their families across the UK and Ireland for almost 50 years.
The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, founded by rugby legend Doddie Weir, has donated an additional £100,000 to MND Scotland and £200,000 to the MND Association of England Wales and Northern Ireland, to support people living with motor neurone disease (MND).
Doddie, who first shared his MND diagnosis in June 2017, has pledged to help others living with the rapidly progressing terminal illness, as well as funding for vital research into finding a cure.
To support families currently affected, the Foundation has committed annnual funding to MND Scotland and the MND Association, since 2018.
The Foundation also made one-off donations to the charities in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, taking its total contributions to MND Scotland and the MND Association to £380,000 and £670,000, respectively.
The new funds will be used by both charities to help families across the UK cover some of the financial burden that comes with a diagnosis of MND, through their grant programmes.
These programmes aim to help reduce some of the extra costs that come with living with MND. The grants can be used in various ways, for instance; to help with costs towards home adaptations, such as ramps and stairlifts, for specialist equipment to live life more independently, and for respite activities for carers and families.
Jill Douglas, CEO of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “We are delighted to continue and further strengthen our relationships with MND Scotland and MND Association by working with both these charities to support people living with motor neuron disease.
“This commitment, by Doddie and the Foundation, to help patients and their families, is one of our main strategic goals and we look forward to sharing our plans for the future in the coming months.
“Our ability to offer grants to families, through the existing frontline care charities, is only possible through the amazing contribution of our fundraisers and supporters and we’d like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us, you inspire us every day!”
Adrian Murphy, MND Scotland’s Chair, said:“I’d like to thank the Foundation for its ongoing support of our grants programme which allows us to provide essential support to the families affected by this devastating disease.
“Since his own diagnosis, Doddie has raised an incredible amount of awareness by sharing his personal journey with MND, and through his Foundation has raised vital funds to support the cause. By continuing to work together we can help make life a little easier for people living with MND right now.”
Sally Light, Chief Executive of the MND Association for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said:“We are really pleased and grateful that Doddie is channelling money raised by his Foundation in the last year into our care grants programme once again, ensuring it goes directly to people affected by MND who desperately need it.
“We have a long-standing and comprehensive programme which we know makes such a difference and support like Doddie’s and that of his Foundation’s supporters is vital to us continuing with that.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)is set to be honoured by blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan, at a digital awards celebration next month.
SFRShas been shortlisted for the Recruiter of the Year at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards 2020.
The prestigious Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards are back for their eighth year and will recognise the outstanding achievements of the volunteers, fundraisers, clinical supporters and donors who help the pioneering blood cancer charity save lives.
The awards ceremony is usually held at the Tower of London, but with mass gatherings of this nature currently unable to take place there will be a digital celebration instead, where celebrities and other specially invited supporters will announce the winners of each category in specially pre-recorded films.
The SFRS formed the groundbreaking partnership with the blood cancer charity 12 years ago.
Since then, volunteers have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the desperate need for more stem cell donors.
As a result, over 18000 new potential stem cell donors have been recruited on the Anthony Nolan register.
The partnership has seen 76 people recruited by the scheme donate stem cells and give seriously ill patients a second chance at life.
Now mainly focusing on Secondary School recruitment, volunteers from the service have educated over 38,500 school children aged between 16 and 18.
Andy Watt, Chair of the SFRS Partnership said: “We are absolutely delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist at this year’s Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards. Even during lockdown, people recruited by the partnership have donated their stem cells and given desperately ill patients a second chance.
“This only happens because of the contribution of our incredible volunteers and this nomination is entirely about them. They give so freely of their time and I hope they reflect with great pride on the contribution that they make to saving and improving lives”
Henny Braund, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan, said: “It is remarkable to see how many people support our work to find a match for those in need of a stem cell transplant. Without them, none of our life-saving work would be possible.
“It’s impossible to overstate the significance of the work done by our partners in SFRS. The passion and determination of the volunteers to educate Scottish schoolchild on the lifesaving subject of stem cell donation, is nothing short of inspirational. The fact that 76 lives have potentially been saved, is a result that speaks for itself.”
Anthony Nolan is the charity that finds matching stem cell donors for people with blood cancer and blood disorders and gives them a second chance at life. It also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.
Win a royal tea with Emma Corrin & Josh O’Connor from ‘The Crown’ alongside items and experiences donated by Vanessa Kirby, Taylor Swift & many more
War Child UK have launched a series of exclusive prize draws with a range of unique celebrity items & experiences up for grabs to support their Torn From Home appeal, aimed at helping children affected by war in Afghanistan.
For just a £5 donation to War Child, the public will be able to enter a prize draw to win one of the many incredible items and experiences including:
The chance for you and a friend to have high tea with Emma Corrin and Josh O’Connor who play Prince Charles and Princess Diana in The Crown
Once in a lifetime chance for you and up to 3 friends to have lunch with Vanessa Kirby, as well as a private screening of her highly anticipated upcoming film, Pieces of a Woman
A signed t-shirt and vinyl copy of chart-topper Mabel’s incredible debut album ‘High Expectations’
A vinyl copy of War Child’s landmark record Help! Recently re-issued on special edition vinyl in celebration of the album’s 25th Anniversary – signed by the legendary, Paul Weller
A Tom Misch signed vinyl bundle featuring the ever popular ‘What Kinda Music’, ‘Geography’ and ‘Beat Tape 2’
A poster signed by critically acclaimed singer songwriter Celeste, from her very first headline show at Mirth, Marvel & Maud
A signed 12×12” test press by British rock band Enter Shikari of their album The Last Spark: Live At Ancienne Belgique, Brussels – one of only 20 copies made for the public
A signed ‘The Vaccines Make Me Feel Good’ T-shirt originally worn on stage by Justin Young
A signed double LP of Taylor Swift’s more recent album, Folklore.
Prize draws runs until 17th December2020 at warchildwintershop.com, where for every three entries you will get a fourth free.
In addition to the prize draws, the War Child Winter Shop is also offering a range of bespoke creations from their friends across the arts and creative industries, meaning that the public can also get their hands on the likes of a specially designed jumper by designer Bella Freud, an Anthony Burrill shopper bag, and limited prints by renowned artists Rose Stallard, Adam Bridgland, Joe Cruz, Fee Greening and Supermundane.
Every prize draw entry, charity gift and donation made via the War Child Winter Shop website, is eligible for UK Aid match funding, meaning that for every £1 raised before 18 February 2021, the UK government will double this and help raise vital funds for the charity’s work in reuniting Children in Afghanistan with their families.
In Afghanistan, thousands of children, some as young as eight, are forced to leave home in search of work after decades of war have destroyed their family’s livelihoods.
War Child is on hand at the border working to provide emotional and psychosocial support from children before safely getting them home. The funds from this appeal will help reunite families and provide solutions to those problems that drove families and their children to embark on this perilous journey in the first place.
Vanessa Kirby,War Child UK ambassador said “I am really excited about being able to offer this prize to support this truly worthy appeal for this amazing charity.
“Until the 18th February, all your entries and all your donations will be matched by the UK government, helping keep families in Afghanistan together, and giving children real hope for a safer and more secure future”
Rob Williams, CEO of War Child UKsaid: “We are truly grateful to all of our incredible supporters for their generosity – we have some remarkable prizes available and feel very fortunate to be able to share those with the public.
“We are also very fortunate to have the support of the UK government through Aid Match, which will help funds raised from our Torn From Home appeal have an even greater impact on our work in Afghanistan, and to the lives of the children and families we are supporting there”
For more information, to enter a prize draw, or purchase gifts visit warchildwintershop.com/
CHARITY MENINGITIS NOW has launched its annual Ribbon Appeal to remember loved ones at Christmas and donate to fight back against the devastating disease.
Families impacted by meningitis but not bereaved are also invited to support the appeal.
Supporters honour their loved ones by writing their name on a white ribbon for display by the charity or to wear or hang on their own Christmas tree at home.
All donations go towards Meningitis Now’s ongoing lifesaving and life-changing work, rebuilding futures by providing dedicated support to people living with the impact of the disease, as well as raising awareness so people know what to look for and what action to take if they suspect meningitis and funding research into vaccines and prevention.
Meningitis Now supporters normally come together for a moving Christmas concert in Gloucester Cathedral every December, where the ribbons are displayed on a Christmas tree. Instead, this year, the charity will host a virtual Christmas Carol Concert, live on Facebook at 7pm on Tuesday 8 December, which will include a recording of the ribbons hanging on the tree at the centre of its Remembrance Garden at its Head Office in Stroud.
Tom Nutt, Meningitis Now’s chief executive, said: “We know that Christmas can be a difficult time and this year will be especially difficult for many. Although we can’t be together this year we can still remember together.
“Meningitis has no respect for this special time of year. Twenty-two families every day throughout the festive period will feel its impact, with some lives sadly being changed forever.
“Please support our Christmas Ribbon Appeal and help us to keep fighting this terrible disease and be there for families who need our support, at Christmas-time and throughout the year. And please join us for our online concert – you’ll be very welcome, whether you have a meningitis experience or not.”
Meningitis Now is working towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need.
To dedicate a ribbon by Tuesday 1 December or donate, visit the Meningitis Now website at:
A cat missing for nine months and presumed dead is reunited with a grieving young girl – and her reaction is priceless.
After nine months of searching for her beloved cat, 10-year-old Katya Harmon had reluctantly accepted that she wouldn’t see Timmy again. The pair had been inseparable since they bonded eight years previously and the loss made 2020 an even more difficult year for Katya.
Katya’s father Perry had died of cancer in the summer and the family was so overcome with grief that her mother Svitlana took extended leave from her role as a care home worker to come to terms with the loss and care for Katya.
In January the Surrey family moved from Chertsey to West End, Woking. Timmy was kept indoors for the first few weeks but, on only the second time being let out in his new neighbourhood, he failed to return home. They searched garages and sheds, knocked on doors and posted on social media, but no sightings were reported.
Katya was inconsolable for weeks, living in hope of his safe return. After being missing for nine months, mum Svitlana felt the time had come to accept that Timmy was gone for ever and she would need to help her daughter heal. The process started with Svitlana getting rid of Timmy’s toys and bedding, unaware that their luck was about to change.
Within days, Svitlana received a ground-shaking call while doing the school run. Incredibly, Timmy had been found safe and well and would be coming home, thanks to him being microchipped (https://youtu.be/moZDgX-dfEc).
Pauline Welch, Welfare Officer for Cats Protection’s Woking and District Branch said: “We had a report from a lady who had been feeding a suspected stray cat for a couple of months. I went round and scanned him for a microchip, which he had thankfully. While there I looked up the number on our system and saw that it had been registered to an address in Chertsey.”
Although Svitlana hadn’t updated their address on Timmy’s microchip, her mobile number remained the same and Woking’s Cats Protection team (www.cats.org.uk/woking) was able to call and break the happy news.
Pauline said: “The lady who answered was indeed missing her cat Timmy and was over the moon that he’d been found. Her daughter had been devastated when he went missing and had asked her mum that very morning if she’d ever see him again. It’s a heart wrenching story with a happy ending.
“It certainly brought a few tears to our eyes, that’s for sure!”
Relieved mum Svitlana was bowled over when she took the call. She said: “I had just taken Katya to school when I received a totally unexpected call from Cats Protection. I had given up hope of ever receiving such a call. Timmy was coming home. It was almost unbelievable.
“I knew that Katya would be overjoyed to see Timmy. That was when I hit on the idea of filming that special moment, to capture Katya’s reaction to finding Timmy hiding on her bed.”
No sooner had Pauline made the call than Timmy was delivered back to his home.
All the while Katya was at school and couldn’t imagine the surprise waiting for her on her return.
Thankfully, Svitlana captured that moment when Katya is reunited with her beloved cat on video: https://youtu.be/moZDgX-dfEc
The joyful return of Timmy went some way to improving a devastating year for Katya and her mum.
Svitlana said: “We’ve had it hard this year, like so many people. It has been hard to see any end to it. And then I had a miracle call from Cats Protection. It really brought some light back into our world.
“If it wasn’t for that microchip, we wouldn’t have Timmy home with us now. He won’t leave Katya’s side and she is besotted with him. He came back to us two days before my birthday; that really was the best present I could have hoped for this year.”
Cats Protection’s work is possible thanks to the generous donations of supporters and volunteers, especially during the COVID-19 crisis when fundraising has been hit hard.
Timmy’s story mirrors Cats Protection’s Christmas campaign featuring a tear-jerking animation created by multi award-winning Aardman Studios. The beautiful three-minute animation is inspired by the true story of a young boy and his missing cat, Casper, and highlights the value of microchips for pets.
According to Cats Protection’s CATS report 2020*, over a quarter (26%) of owned cats in the UK are not chipped. The charity is actively campaigning to change this by making it a legal requirement for cats to be microchipped, as it is for dogs.
LifeCare and Tiphereth have each received a £1,000 donation as part of Barratt Homes East Scotland’s regular Community Fund giveaway.
Elderly care charity, LifeCare, will be using the cash boost from the five-star housebuilder to upskill its frontline workers to better deal with the changes to their working environment caused by COVID-19. For Tiphereth, the donation will help towards the refurbishment of one of its facilities, allowing them to welcome more people back to the organisation’s day service.
LifeCare specialises in dementia care, home care and incare for older people, allowing them to live with dignity. By helping older people keep connected to their communities, and to the things they love and enjoy, Life Care aims to guard the elderly against social isolation and the trap of defining people by dementia, poor mobility or advanced years.
Tiphereth is a unique community in Edinburgh where people with learning difficulties, staff and volunteers work and grow together. Through undertaking work for local community groups as well as their own cookery, art and gardening projects members increase their self-confidence while developing lifelong skills.
Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt East Scotland, said: “LifeCare and Tiphereth carry out incredible work supporting the vulnerable and people with learning difficulties.
“We’re pleased to be able to help them and hope that our donation will allow them continue to provide these crucial and important services through what are difficult times for us all.”
Speaking of the donation Vicki Bradley, Fundraising Manager at LifeCare added:“We are delighted that Barratt Homes has chosen to donate £1,000 to LifeCare.
“The people who use LifeCare services are amongst the most vulnerable in society and many are still shielding, so it is extremely important that our workers are knowledgeable in how to keep their clients and themselves safe. COVID-19 has not only changed the way we work but has added extra costs to all that we do, so we are very grateful to Barratt Homes for their generosity to help us continue to support those who rely on our services.”
Gordon Hudson, Fundraiser Manager at the Tiphereth said: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to Barratt Homes from everyone at Tiphereth. While our residential homes have been able to operate throughout lockdown, getting our day service back to 75% capacity has used up 100% of our staff.
“The donation will go towards bringing an extra building up to normal office standard, allowing us to utilise our locations differently and establish safer smaller groups. This, in turn, will help us welcome more people back, offering respite to parents.”
Now in its second year, the Barratt Homes Community Fund has pledged to donate £1,000 each month to a charity or organisation in the East of Scotland. Charities are nominated by and voted for by employees of Barratt Homes and the focus for the fund continues to be on organisations that improve the quality of life for those living in the area.
The Barratt Homes Community Fund will be continuing into 2021.
The countdown is on to #GivingTuesday 2020 – the global day of generosity is happening on 1 December
For this extraordinary year, #GivingTuesday is encouraging people to #GiveBack2020 – be it through a charity donation, a continued commitment to a cause close to their hearts, volunteering time or simply helping a friend, neighbour or family member.
#GivingTuesday and #GiveBack2020 offers all of us a chance to head towards the end of this most challenging of years by taking a positive step and knowing that we’ve once again come together to make a difference.
The global pandemic’s repercussions are being felt by charities around the world. Research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), the organisation leading #GivingTuesday in the UK, found that charities face a significant increase in demand for their services while more than half (53%) have suffered a drop in donations.
It is estimated that charities face a £10bn funding gap and CAF’s latest research found that without help, a quarter of charities in the UK said they would not survive a year.
The call to #GiveBack2020 is supported by JustGiving, Virgin Money Giving, PayPal and many more. It encourages people to do what they can to support good causes.
It could be donating the cost of your normal commute, giving spare change while you are Christmas shopping, rounding up your purchases and donating those extra pennies or even turning what would have been money spent on a work Christmas night out into a much-needed donation instead.
Gráinne Mathews, #GivingTuesday UK Lead at CAF said: “In this unprecedented year, we have all seen the amazing things that charities have done in the hardest and darkest of times.
“They have been there for us, our families, and our communities and have come up with new ways to help the people most in need. At CAF, we have been inspired to see so many charities striving to do more with less after fundraisers were cancelled and charity shops closed.
“This #GivingTuesday, the charities that have been there for us need us to be there for them. It is time to #GiveBack2020.”
To find out more about #GivingTuesday, and how you can get involved, visit:
A new study conducted by Savanta ComRes, has found that seven in ten UK adults (71%) feel concerned for children in the toughest of circumstances all over the world during the COVID19 crisis. However, only one quarter (26%) of UK adults are planning to donate to an overseas charity this Christmas due to the impact of COVID19.
The research, which was commissioned by international relief charity Samaritan’s Purse who run Operation Christmas Child, also highlighted that 75% of those surveyed believed that children needed to feel loved this Christmas more than ever due to the impact of COVID-19.
Director of Operation Christmas Child, Nick Cole says, “The pandemic has once again highlighted the importance of children’s mental and physical health. The concern for children across the world, and the importance that they need to feel seen and loved this year is more tangible than ever. We must all play our part in ensuring children are given the necessary support in the face of all they have experienced this year.”
Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts—filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys—to children in the toughest circumstances across the globe for more than two decades. For many children who receive them, it is the first gift they have ever received. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.
Cole continues, “From this survey we see that while concern is high for children across the world during the pandemic, the desire to donate to charities is a low priority.
“Through Operation Christmas Child, individuals can do the simple act of packing a shoebox and help contribute to the mental well-being of children in the most vulnerable communities.”
