Christmas Charity Fundraiser 2013: YOUR suggestions

[Jin]

It's that time of the year again. No, not the coca-cola Christmas advert. It's time for you to suggest who we support this year for our annual VIP sale.

Simple post your suggestions before and we will put the top three charities to the vote.

The only requirements are that the charity be registered and it is not Depression Alliance once again due to our rule of spreading the joy.

Who do you feel deserves our attention this year?

[David]

is habbox a registered charity?
could do with a cash fund to get some new forum skins.

[Alkaz]

http://www.nbcs.org.uk/

[AgnesIO]

http://www.russfoundation.in/

For UK based: http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

[sex]

please no one say dogs trust

[FlyingJesus]

not Depression Alliance once again due to our rule of spreading the joy.

Loving the wording of that haha

I'm gonna advocate for Shelter this year methinks, homelessness is one the biggest problems in the first world affecting people in the obvious personal ways but also the country as a whole through lost economy and unsightly beards

[Samantha]

http://www.lailamillyfoundation.org.uk/
http://www.shelter.org.uk/
http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-projects

[MKR&*42]

I can't decide between 3 I like

http://www.b-eat.co.uk/support-us/ -beating eating disorders
http://www.rarechromo.org/html/home.asp > Raising awareness about rare chromosome disorders
http://oii.org.au/category/comment/personal-stories/ > Raising awareness about those who are intersex as they often get 'left out' of the "mainstream" groups preaching for GBL rights. It's Australian though so idk if that's an issue.

[Jin]

Loving the wording of that haha

I'm gonna advocate for Shelter this year methinks, homelessness is one the biggest problems in the first world affecting people in the obvious personal ways but also the country as a whole through lost economy and unsightly beards

Staff are entitled to a vote as well.

I have to say Shelter.

[lawrawrrr]

I think I've volunteered this every year - but I'll always say donate it to the Scout Association!

[Kardan]

http://www.childsplaycharity.org/

This charity, which is mainly supported by gamers, provides ill children with toys and games in hospitals etc. Whilst this is an American charity, and mainly supports American hospitals, it does have hospitals worldwide, with 3 in the UK.

Of course, our money would go to the charity as a whole, and there is no guarantee that we would be helping children from the UK, but that's where the Amazon wishlists come in:

There are 3 hospitals:

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool (http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/12XFM2SFCNINR?_encoding=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in Manchester (http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/2LL7MUJ1XN3BN?_encoding=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

And Children’s Hospital Sheffield in Sheffield (http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/2E3VIDDJWF8LH?_encoding=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

I think it would be great to actually buy something personally for children in need rather than simply donate some money and not see the immediate results. Depending on how the forum wanted to split the money, we could buy things off of the wishlist for the UK hospitals and also donate some of the money to the charity as a whole.

[lucaskf390]

Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders)
http://www.msf.org/donate

[AgnesIO]

Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders)
http://www.msf.org/donate

Seem to remember studying this charity last year, a good cause.

[Jin]

I think I've volunteered this every year - but I'll always say donate it to the Scout Association!
But they push over goblins... :(



I think it would be great to actually buy something personally for children in need rather than simply donate some money and not see the immediate results. Depending on how the forum wanted to split the money, we could buy things off of the wishlist for the UK hospitals and also donate some of the money to the charity as a whole.

I have always liked this idea and considering that I am on sabbatical currently I would have the time to do it.

For MAWF I spent my own time selling little wish pins.

[Calum0812]

I think I've volunteered this every year - but I'll always say donate it to the Scout Association!
Agreed on this

[AgnesIO]

please no one say dogs trust

Agree with this.

[lawrawrrr]

But they push over goblins... :(



I have always liked this idea and considering that I am on sabbatical currently I would have the time to do it.

For MAWF I spent my own time selling little wish pins.

hahahahaha what


on phone xx

[Kardan]

hahahahaha what


on phone xx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24591711

[Jordan]

Say this every year and will do.

http://www.shelterbox.org/

"We provide emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters, at the time when they need it the most."

[j0rd]

https://www.headway.org.uk/home.aspx
It's a charity based on improving life after brain injury.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/home/
Probably one of the bigger charities however still needs to be put out there. Stepsisters gran passed away of breast cancer last year and she will be walking the Great Wall of China for it next year :)

[Phil]

What about people suffering from a recent natural disaster?
I think it's be great to give it to an MS charity as there's been an increase of people being born with MS this year, any thoughts?

[RyRy]

http://www.childsplaycharity.org/

This charity, which is mainly supported by gamers, provides ill children with toys and games in hospitals etc. Whilst this is an American charity, and mainly supports American hospitals, it does have hospitals worldwide, with 3 in the UK.

Of course, our money would go to the charity as a whole, and there is no guarantee that we would be helping children from the UK, but that's where the Amazon wishlists come in:

There are 3 hospitals:

Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool (http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/12XFM2SFCNINR?_encoding=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in Manchester (http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/2LL7MUJ1XN3BN?_encoding=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

And Children’s Hospital Sheffield in Sheffield (http://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/2E3VIDDJWF8LH?_encoding=UTF8&tag=childsplaycha-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)

I think it would be great to actually buy something personally for children in need rather than simply donate some money and not see the immediate results. Depending on how the forum wanted to split the money, we could buy things off of the wishlist for the UK hospitals and also donate some of the money to the charity as a whole.

I'd donate to this, seeing those wishlists and thinking, "Those toys are actually for kids, they're probably Christmas presents that they've wished for and it's gonna make their life so happy". Just melts me heart it does, I'm a proper softy.

Another one I'd volunteer is the Ronald McDonald House Charities, this is their website: http://www.rmhc.org.uk/

I always see the advertisements in McDonald's and on one occasion I almost cried the ad made me that upset for some reason LOL must've been a bad day

[Kyle]

dogs trust : ) ) ) )

[Daltron]

Must it be UK based? We have had HUGE fire disasters the past week in Australia and would love to recommend some charities which could benefit greatly.

[Kardan]

Must it be UK based? We have had HUGE fire disasters the past week in Australia and would love to recommend some charities which could benefit greatly.

Not at all, we've had charities for Africa make the shortlist before, so I don't think there are any restrictions on that...

[e5]

Rspca

Help the heroes

[Jazz]

Trever project - mental health support to the lgbtq community
time to change - awareness charity to help fight mental health discrimination at work
uk4u - they send Xmas gift packs to troops serving over Xmas, had a rep talking to me in the studio last week, great cause.
Mencap - supports people with learning difficulties

[RoyalPacific]

OCD-UK - http://ocduk.org/ - Nobody really knows about OCD and I think it is really important to raise the awareness, quite a few people end up in specialised hospitals due to it.

OCD isn't about making sure your books are lined up properly... it's a lot more:

'Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges.'

'The illness affects as many as 12 in every 1000 people (1.2% of the population) from young children to adults, regardless of gender or social or cultural background. In fact, it can be so debilitating and disabling that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has actually ranked OCD in the top ten of the most disabling illnesses of any kind, in terms of lost earnings and diminished quality of life.'

'Based on current estimates for the UK population, there are potentially around 741,504 people living with OCD at any one time. But it is worth noting that a disproportionately high number, 50% of all these cases, will fall into the severe category, with less than a quarter being classed as mild cases.'

[Jazz]

OCD-UK - http://ocduk.org/ - Nobody really knows about OCD and I think it is really important to raise the awareness, quite a few people end up in specialised hospitals due to it.

OCD isn't about making sure your books are lined up properly... it's a lot more:

'Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges.'

'The illness affects as many as 12 in every 1000 people (1.2% of the population) from young children to adults, regardless of gender or social or cultural background. In fact, it can be so debilitating and disabling that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has actually ranked OCD in the top ten of the most disabling illnesses of any kind, in terms of lost earnings and diminished quality of life.'

'Based on current estimates for the UK population, there are potentially around 741,504 people living with OCD at any one time. But it is worth noting that a disproportionately high number, 50% of all these cases, will fall into the severe category, with less than a quarter being classed as mild cases.'

Ocduk is a nice charity, my family have a history of OCD including myself. I agree people think it's all cleaning and hand washing but it's a huge problem in reality.

[MKR&*42]

OCD-UK - http://ocduk.org/ - Nobody really knows about OCD and I think it is really important to raise the awareness, quite a few people end up in specialised hospitals due to it.

OCD isn't about making sure your books are lined up properly... it's a lot more:

'Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a serious anxiety-related condition where a person experiences frequent intrusive and unwelcome obsessional thoughts, often followed by repetitive compulsions, impulses or urges.'

'The illness affects as many as 12 in every 1000 people (1.2% of the population) from young children to adults, regardless of gender or social or cultural background. In fact, it can be so debilitating and disabling that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has actually ranked OCD in the top ten of the most disabling illnesses
of any kind, in terms of lost earnings and diminished quality of life.'

'Based on current estimates for the UK population, there are potentially around 741,504 people living with OCD at any one time. But it is worth noting that a disproportionately high number, 50% of all these cases, will fall into the severe category, with less than a quarter being classed as mild cases.'

I think this is a great choice also^ :)

[Suspective]

Action for Children

[Kardan]

I'd donate to this, seeing those wishlists and thinking, "Those toys are actually for kids, they're probably Christmas presents that they've wished for and it's gonna make their life so happy". Just melts me heart it does, I'm a proper softy.

Another one I'd volunteer is the Ronald McDonald House Charities, this is their website: http://www.rmhc.org.uk/

I always see the advertisements in McDonald's and on one occasion I almost cried the ad made me that upset for some reason LOL must've been a bad day

I'm sure you already know, but just incase somebody else doesn't it's worth noting that the items we would buy would belong to the hospital and not the ill kids. So an ill child could play on a Nintendo DS for their stay, and so would the next kid - so it would help a lot more children than just the one.

[Aiden]

Trevor :)

[Jin]

Must it be UK based? We have had HUGE fire disasters the past week in Australia and would love to recommend some charities which could benefit greatly.

It can be a charity based anywhere in the world providing that they are a registered NPO or Charity in that country and they can accept international / online donations.

[Daltron]

At the time of this post (http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=683) there is currently 73 fires burning across my state with 29 uncontained (http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-bushfires-live-updates-october-23-20131023-2vzs8.html). So far hundreds of houses have been burn down and two people have lost their lives whilst thousands of firefighters work around the clock to contain and stop the fire outbreaks. With winds exceeding 100km's an hour expected over the next few days it doesn't look like it's going to get much better. It's also expected that these fires will rank up there with Ash Wednesday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday_bushfires) and Black Saturday (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Saturday_bushfires) which you can read about by clicking the respective links. The firefighters working around the clock and constant donations is believed to be relieving the loss of lives and homes!

So far the Salvation Army has raised almost $3 million (http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/en/News-and-Media/news-and-media/Salvation-Army-bushfire-appeal-hits-29-million/) in public donations, I think it could be a great charity to donate too! Not just for the bushfires but the humanitarian work they do in general! There is my two cents!

[JustZach]

http://i44.tinypic.com/iz6zww.jpgWhenever it comes to donating to charity, I always suggest SANDS (Stillbirth And Neonatal Death Charity). For anyone who isn't aware of what they do, they are there to help support parents who have lost who they planned on being their son or daughter. These parents will have spent months buying clothes, clearing out a new bedroom, moving house, decorating, thinking of baby names, excited for the new life which is about to be born. Unfortunately, some parent don't get to see their babies first breathe, and for others, they only get to see their first few breaths.

This is a very personal charity to me, but it's also a charit that every single person can try and understand what the parents must be going through. SANDS are there to support the parent and families through these devastating times. The work they do, from personal experience is unbelievable, but the resources to help parents can't expend to all parents in is situation without our help.

This is why I recommend SANDS to be the chosen charity.

Website link: http://www.uk-sands.org/

Thanks

[OldLoveSong]

ANY CAT FOUNDATION. OR LIKE AN ANIMAL SHELTER

[Plumest]

Operation Christmas Child. It's not really a charity, but the money raised can be used to buy items for shoeboxes for children,. Search up Operation Christmas Child on google and read about it.

[Kardan]

At this rate, we're going to need another thread to get the list of charities down to a manageable size since there's not much agreement :P

[AgnesIO]

Operation Christmas Child. It's not really a charity, but the money raised can be used to buy items for shoeboxes for children,. Search up Operation Christmas Child on google and read about it.

Never been a massive fan of this one. Whilst the boxes do go to children, I remember when my sister was younger she made one for a young girl, and got a response from a 15 year old boy. Whilst it is great they still get something, this did seem a little odd. Schools always do this though, I think.



This is a very personal charity to me, but it's also a charit that every single person can try and understand what the parents must be going through. SANDS are there to support the parent and families through these devastating times. The work they do, from personal experience is unbelievable, but the resources to help parents can't expend to all parents in is situation without our help.


Just looking at this bit, my first thought was that most charities have stuff you can relate to, or content that anyone can try and understand what it must be like - otherwise they'd have no grasp on their target audience.


At this rate, we're going to need another thread to get the list of charities down to a manageable size since there's not much agreement :P

Certainly looking that way :L

[Reality]

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/
www.cancerresearchuk.org/‎
http://www.rarechromo.org/html/home.asp
http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-projects

[FlyingJesus]

Operation Name As Many Charities As Possible, commence

[AgnesIO]

Operation Name As Many Charities As Possible, commence

Already started!

[Chippiewill]

I vote AQA which is technically a charity as their exams are ****.

[Empired]

http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/

[Tom]

We're allowed a vote, right?

I vote Shelter, innit.
http://shelter.org.uk

[IzzyUhh]

http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/
I agree with parkinsons.org & cancer research.
These charities both mean a lot to my family.
Unfortuantly my nan passed away way before I was born due to cancer, my grandad then became depressed and drunk excessively.
He now has a form of parkinsons aswell as dementia, and the doctors believe this is from the drink and depession.

Also something to do with mental health/eating disorders, but I like the idea of the toys for children in hospitals, that would really make a childs christmas.

[Jin]

Toys for kids in hospitals is a really cool idea.

[Mikey]

I have two suggestions, please choose one of these. Very close to my heart both of these charities. :)

Medicinema


MediCinema improves the difficult reality of being in hospital or places of care for patients and their families by bringing them genuine movie-going experiences to make them feel better.
By creating a true cinema experience MediCinema aims to enrich the lives of patients, many of whom are critically ill or disabled and spend extensive periods of time in hospital or undergoing treatment.
We do this by installing and managing permanent state-of-the-art cinemas in hospitals and places of care which show the latest releases the film industry has to offer.
Our cinemas are built to comfortably accommodate hospital beds and wheelchairs whilst maintaining a real and immersive cinema experience.
The therapeutic effects provided by the opportunity to enjoy an immersive and uplifting social experience with family and friends in a medical environment have proved remarkable. By bringing them a genuine cinema experience we make them feel better, provide relief from the wards and some precious normality.


Kidney Kids Scotland


Kidney Kids Scotland was founded as a Charitable Trust in July 2000 to help children with renal illness and their families.
Families continue to be a priority for the Charity ensuring they are supported when they most need it. These families come from ALL over Scotland.
Kidney Kids Scotland supports hospitals all over Scotland supplying them with much needed equipment and funding for posts recognised as being essential. We achieve this by working closely and relying on the expertise of Consultants, Medical and Welfare personnel to identify where the Charity can best provide help.
Kidney Kids Scotland has been instrumental in funding and developing The Paediatric Renal Network in Scotland. www.sprun.scot.nhs.uk/ (http://www.sprun.scot.nhs.uk/)

Over the past twelve years Kidney Kids Scotland has distributed over a million pounds towards the treatment of children in Scotland suffering from renal/ urology problems.

[Foregetfuhl]

http://shelter.org.uk

That's my vote :)

[Lewis]

cancer research uk

[Kardan]

Just an overview of the thread so far, bare in mind people had multiple votes, and I counted people that acted positively towards the charity ("I would support this charity" / "This sounds like a good idea").

5 votes:
Shelter

4 votes:
Childs Play Charity
Cancer Research UK

3 votes:
OCD-UK

2 votes:
Trussel Trust
Rare Chromo
Scout Association
Médecins sans Frontières
Trever project
Parkinsons

1 vote:
nbcs
Russ foundation
Teenage cancer trust
Laila Milly Foundation
b-eat
oii
Shelterbox
Headway
Dogs trust
RSPCA
Help the heroes
Time to change
uk4u
Mencap
Action for children
Salvation Army Aus
SANDS
Operation Christmas Child
Barnardos
Medicinema
Kidney Kids Scotland

[Phil]

I really like the idea Daltron; posted about the fires. It seems pretty serious and I suggested earlier that I think some sort of natural disaster should be supported. I think it'd also be nice to do something out of the UK this year since there are more and more Non-UK users on Habbox.

In saying that, as a Childcare Practitioner, I'd also be happy to see it going to a Children's charity. The shelter one sounds really good and same with the hospital one (ever Halloween me and two friends from the theatre group go into children's hospitals and dress them up for Halloween and you wouldn't believe how happy stuff like this makes them).

Not sure if you have Barnardo's in the UK or not but I'm a massive supporter of them and what they do.

[Shockwave.2CC]

NSPCC

[Chippiewill]

NSPCC

We've donated to NSPCC before.

[wixard]

going by kardans list i'd vote the childs play charity

especially for christmas i think it's a really good idea

haven't read the rest of the thread, but i'm assuming we'll have another one with a poll soon
just thought i'd post anyway to ensure it gets on the poll

[Kardan]

We've donated to NSPCC before.

Going by the first post, we can donate to previous charities, just not the one in 2012.

[RyRy]

We could vote on what we should buy for them as well, which would be really nice :)

[Kardan]

We could vote on what we should buy for them as well, which would be really nice :)

Yup :) And depending on how much we raise we may be able to split it between hospitals rather than to just one hospital. But I guess we should wait for the forum to pick a charity first, looks like Shelter has a lot more support at the moment.

[AgnesIO]

We could vote on what we should buy for them as well, which would be really nice :)

That would be great.

[RyRy]

Yup :) And depending on how much we raise we may be able to split it between hospitals rather than to just one hospital. But I guess we should wait for the forum to pick a charity first, looks like Shelter has a lot more support at the moment.

You could also do like, 3 types of charity donator/VIP for each hospital, dunno it'd just be nice.

[Kardan]

You could also do like, 3 types of charity donator/VIP for each hospital, dunno it'd just be nice.

Could do, then people could donate to a particular hospital if they had a preferred choice :) Would also be a different :) 'Manchester Christmas VIP', 'Liverpool Christmas VIP' and 'Sheffield Christmas VIP' :P

[FlyingJesus]

Who needs food and a place to sleep when you have a Nintendo

[Chippiewill]

You could also do like, 3 types of charity donator/VIP for each hospital, dunno it'd just be nice.

Splitting donations by type isn't very fair and didn't work well last time either.

[wixard]

Who needs food and a place to sleep when you have a Nintendo

the most common charities around christmas time would be related to shelters, there are people who put their name on lists in august/september in order to gain places in soup kitchens and their local shelters to work around christmas time. plenty of people are also donating money to these shelters, i'm sure it's the same for the children's hospitals also but to make a sarcastic remark that's suggesting one charity is more righteous than the other is wrong. no need to ridicule a charity people are suggesting just because it's not yours

[Rachel]

All Cancer Awareness
People with no homes,family etc awareness
Kids who are ill awareness

[AgnesIO]

All Cancer Awareness
People with no homes,family etc awareness
Kids who are ill awareness

That is about as specific as me recommending we give the money to charity lol

[Rachel]

That is about as specific as me recommending we give the money to charity lol
Hahaha

[RyRy]

the most common charities around christmas time would be related to shelters, there are people who put their name on lists in august/september in order to gain places in soup kitchens and their local shelters to work around christmas time. plenty of people are also donating money to these shelters, i'm sure it's the same for the children's hospitals also but to make a sarcastic remark that's suggesting one charity is more righteous than the other is wrong. no need to ridicule a charity people are suggesting just because it's not yours

Can we get a +rep button on the mobile skin? Cheers. I'm for Shelter or Child's Play, either one benefits somebody which is the whole idea. Just think it'd be nicer knowing what the money is being put towards instead of it going towards a black hole where the people don't see the money (not saying Shelter do that)

[Phil]

For those of you who haven't heard yet, a typhoon has hit the Phillippines. I think it said that it's the biggest ever recorded. People killed and thousands forced to evacuate their homes.

Might be worth donating to such a cause?

[AgnesIO]

For those of you who haven't heard yet, a typhoon has hit the Phillippines. I think it said that it's the biggest ever recorded. People killed and thousands forced to evacuate their homes.

Might be worth donating to such a cause?

+1

Massive typhoon, particularly bad due to the wealth (or not, as I guess the case is) of the population.

[MKR&*42]

For those of you who haven't heard yet, a typhoon has hit the Phillippines. I think it said that it's the biggest ever recorded. People killed and thousands forced to evacuate their homes.

Might be worth donating to such a cause?

I'll show my support for this as well then, just read about it and it sounds horrific.

[Mark]

I like the idea of donating to the Philippines, they'll be lucky to get a Christmas unfortunately :(

[Cerys]

Yeaa the philippines sounds good, sounds pretty terrible what happened!

Though imo I'd donate to any of them no matter what one it is, they all go towards a good cause so I'm not really fussed.

[AgnesIO]

Yeaa the philippines sounds good, sounds pretty terrible what happened!

Though imo I'd donate to any of them no matter what one it is, they all go towards a good cause so I'm not really fussed.

Blimey, you're easy lol

[myles]

banardos x i luv em x

- - - Updated - - -

or cn we please donate to one where they help kittens

[MissAlice]

ShelterBox seems appropriate, although I also think Shelter UK would get my vote.

[Mr-Trainor]

Agreed with the suggestion of supporting the Philippines in some way :).

[Jordan]

I think if you want the phillipines then we could do shelter / shelterbox. I was listening to the radio today and heard that people were already in shelters due to shelter box.

[Phil]

So that's six people who agree with my Phillippines idea. I really think it'd be a great cause to go for. I know they will be getting a lot of aid but with the money raised at Christmas time, it'll bring a lot of people one step closer to normal life.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I'd like a British-based charity which focuses on activities for children and especially older people around Christmas - for those who haven't got any family. Whether it's a gift, a day out or having somebody come round.

Remember, the more local the charity the better the money will be spent.

[GoldenMerc]

Is there even going to be this now hx isnt allowed to sell vip

[wixard]

I'd like a British-based charity which focuses on activities for children and especially older people around Christmas - for those who haven't got any family. Whether it's a gift, a day out or having somebody come round.

Remember, the more local the charity the better the money will be spent.


jeeeeeeesus! not everyone who uses this forum regularly is British

[sex]

irish potato blight charity

[-:Undertaker:-]

jeeeeeeesus! not everyone who uses this forum regularly is British

The majority are though.

I'm not arguing from a solely national point of view anyway, i'm making the broader point thats a well established fact - that when money is spent more locally it has much greater benefits because it is used more efficently. That's why aid to the third world is often so pointless as we saw with Haiti.

[Chippiewill]

I'd like a British-based charity which focuses on activities for children and especially older people around Christmas - for those who haven't got any family. Whether it's a gift, a day out or having somebody come round.

Remember, the more local the charity the better the money will be spent.

This thread is for suggesting specific charities, not soap-boxing your political ideology.

[-:Undertaker:-]

This thread is for suggesting specific charities, not soap-boxing your political ideology.

Didn't realise you were a moderator.

Where's the ideology in that anyway? I just believe charity begins at home and it's simple economics that when money it spent closer to the problem it gives more value for money.

[Aiden]

RSPCA... give meh the hate? ;)

[AgnesIO]

Didn't realise you were a moderator.

Where's the ideology in that anyway? I just believe charity begins at home and it's simple economics that when money it spent closer to the problem it gives more value for money.

I think it could also be argued (and my personal argument is) the majority of the time, the people in certain other countries are far more desperate than the majority of the people in the UK.

[Aiden]

I think it could also be argued (and my personal argument is) the majority of the time, the people in certain other countries are far more desperate than the majority of the people in the UK.

So people in Britain should not get charity because others need it 'more'?

[Jurv]

drop4drop - www.drop4drop.org.uk

THERE'S NO REASON NOT TO

http://i48.tinypic.com/2808jyp.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BMgncWUCUAAJ3YE.jpg:large

[AgnesIO]

So people in Britain should not get charity because others need it 'more'?

Well, if I had £10 and knew that I could a) give £10 to a charity who would be able to buy 10 bottles of water with it, or b) give £10 to a charity, where £3 may be siphoned off leaving £7 which would buy 70 bottles of water for people who need it far more urgently, I personally know where my money would go.

I am not saying British people should not get charity, as someone who has given fairly sizeable sums of money to British charities I don't want you to imply otherwise; however I would argue the people in the Philippines need help far more urgently than the vast majority of those in the UK right now.

[Kardan]

So people in Britain should not get charity because others need it 'more'?

How you took 'People in Britain should not get charity' from that quote, I don't know. He's simply suggesting that there are more people in need of money outside the UK, than inside the UK.

[Aiden]

Well, if I had £10 and knew that I could a) give £10 to a charity who would be able to buy 10 bottles of water with it, or b) give £10 to a charity, where £3 may be siphoned off leaving £7 which would buy 70 bottles of water for people who need it far more urgently, I personally know where my money would go.

I am not saying British people should not get charity, as someone who has given fairly sizeable sums of money to British charities I don't want you to imply otherwise; however I would argue the people in the Philippines need help far more urgently than the vast majority of those in the UK right now.

I see what you mean but I don't think it matters if they need it more. If they need it at all then they should get it.


How you took 'People in Britain should not get charity' from that quote, I don't know. He's simply suggesting that there are more people in need of money outside the UK, than inside the UK.

It makes sense to me.

[Kardan]

I see what you mean but I don't think it matters if they need it more. If they need it at all then they should get it.



It makes sense to me.

Ahh, so saying there are more straight people in the UK than gay people means there are no gay people at all then? :S

[Aiden]

Ahh, so saying there are more straight people in the UK than gay people means there are no gay people at all then? :S

I don't understand what you're getting at?

[Kardan]

I don't understand what you're getting at?

Payasam's logic was that there are more people outside the UK that need money than inside the UK. He didn't say that British charities should not get money. But you seem to think he did.

[Aiden]

Payasam's logic was that there are more people outside the UK that need money than inside the UK. He didn't say that British charities should not get money. But you seem to think he did.

I don't think that, I think he thinks thats non-UK charities should get more donations because they are more of them. I personally think British charities should get equal, if not more donations because how can we expect to help others if we cant help ourselves.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I think it could also be argued (and my personal argument is) the majority of the time, the people in certain other countries are far more desperate than the majority of the people in the UK.

Indeed, but it depends entirely on whether the money you are donating is getting the value. Often with overseas projects, the money is spent on executive pay/transport/fuel etc meaning the entire sum of what Habbox donates to an overseas charity could just go towards the salary of the top executive in the charity.

The best charities, as proven time and time again, are small locally driven projects - whether it's a local bus taking old age pensioners who are lonely on day trips, a sum of £200 odd would help fill their budget. Sure it doesn't sound glam and might not give you the same "im saving the world" feeling but it's the most practical especially with smaller sums.

The same can even be said with overseas - if we are to give overseas, then don't pick a disaster relief fund or a nation-wide vague charity. Instead, pick something that will locally benefit a small village such as a fund towards providing a water pump to a village in Ghana or providing shelter to children in Somalia. Again, I still think projects at home are better and you get more value for money but if people on here do want to help a foreign cause then pick something small scale and make a difference rather than throw it on a big and often wasteful cause where you won't see much benefit and it certainly won't be long term (ie, disaster relief).

[AgnesIO]

I see what you mean but I don't think it matters if they need it more. If they need it at all then they should get it.



It makes sense to me.

Hugely confused at what you are saying here.

Surely if someone needs something more than someone else, it is not unreasonable to suggest that they should maybe get it?

- - - Updated - - -


Indeed, but it depends entirely on whether the money you are donating is getting the value. Often with overseas projects, the money is spent on executive pay/transport/fuel etc meaning the entire sum of what Habbox donates to an overseas charity could just go towards the salary of the top executive in the charity.

The best charities, as proven time and time again, are small locally driven projects - whether it's a local bus taking old age pensioners who are lonely on day trips, a sum of £200 odd would help fill their budget. Sure it doesn't sound glam and might not give you the same "im saving the world" feeling but it's the most practical especially with smaller sums.

There are many small locally driven projects in other countries (ie. that avoid the MNC-esque management hierarchy), which are perfectly good to give money too. Also, massive charities need incredibly smart businessmen to make the most of their money.

I saw an interesting TED talk not so long ago. It basically looked at how people cannot see value in a charity that doesn't give money straight to the cause. For example, many people look at it and think "oh they have an advert, they are not spending their money wisely". But what if that advert in the long term, brings in far more money than the donations they spent on it? If a charity wants to grow and have a wider scope, sometimes it may have to had administration fees etc.

[AgnesIO]

Double posted as my post edit time has expired.

EDIT: Found the video -Dan Pallotta is the speaker (anyone with an interest in charity should find it interesting).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfAzi6D5FpM

An excellent watch, and puts forward some interesting points.

[lawrawrrr]

I know earlier in the thread people were talking about the Philippines thing - I was thinking if we donated to one of the DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee - an umbrella organisation for 14 UK charities), it could go towards things at home as WELL as abroad as they help with both! The DEC charities are as follows;



ActionAid
British Red Cross
CAFOD
CARE International
Christian Aid
Concern
Age UK
Islamic Relief
Merlin
Oxfam
Plan UK
Save the Children
Tearfund
World Vision


More info here - http://www.dec.org.uk/about-dec

Not sure if you can donate straight to DEC but I'd throw in a token for that if you can.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I saw on the news earlier that ShelterBox (which I believe some people have suggested already) are also helping out there as well!

[Jordan]

I know earlier in the thread people were talking about the Philippines thing - I was thinking if we donated to one of the DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee - an umbrella organisation for 14 UK charities), it could go towards things at home as WELL as abroad as they help with both! The DEC charities are as follows;



ActionAid
British Red Cross
CAFOD
CARE International
Christian Aid
Concern
Age UK
Islamic Relief
Merlin
Oxfam
Plan UK
Save the Children
Tearfund
World Vision


More info here - http://www.dec.org.uk/about-dec

Not sure if you can donate straight to DEC but I'd throw in a token for that if you can.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I saw on the news earlier that ShelterBox (which I believe some people have suggested already) are also helping out there as well!

Yeah, shelterbox just updated their site a day or so ago with a direct link to donate to the Philippines.

[Phil]

Guys I just wanna somewhat inforce my Phillippines suggestion. My cousins is engaged to a lovely Philippino girl. I only found this out yesterday but the typhoon wept out her whole village. She has been trying to contact her family since the disaster and only get word back yesterday.

Her whole neighbourhood where she grew up is completely destroyed. Her grandmother is seriously injured and her grandfather is missing along with many other relatives. I know you don't know her so it might not effect you but try and put yourself in her position. She posted a picture of where her house was stood but the link was broken. I'll try and post it for you guys tomorrow.

[-Moniquee.]

Make a wish!

[Zelda]

RSPCA
Cats protection
Dogs trust

[RoyalPacific]

OCD-UK!

[IceNineKills]

http://www.perthes.org.uk/

as they helped me when i was younger.

[Circadia]

Lymphoma Association - My cousin was recently diagnosed with lymphoma cancer and because I can't help her directly seeing as I'm 239 miles away from her this charity is the closest I can get to attempting to help her and others with the condition. I'm hoping to do a skydive for them as well and it's a worthwhile charity to raise for :)

http://www.lymphomas.org.uk

[nat965]

Thought I'd post my suggestion :)
http://radiolollipop.org/
Radio Lollipop.

Radio Lollipop believes in the healing power of play – providing smiles and laughter to children at a time when they need it most. One in four children are admitted to a hospital before reaching age 14. Though some patients are short-stay, many have a recurring need for care and return repeatedly to hospital. Some who are terminally ill spend much of their short lives in hospital. Radio Lollipop gives young patients a voice and a choice during their stay. While they can´t say “no” to taking their medicine or receiving treatment, they can request their favourite songs, win prizes and hear their own voices on the radio. Those activities give youngsters a haven of normality in the hospital day which in other respects is strange, different and often scary.
It is in locations right across Australia, New Zealand, North America & the United Kingdom :)