We should be more aware of puppy farming!

Hi my name is Ruby, and I am trying to make people more aware of puppy farming and how you can help!

Dog’s Trust is a pressure group that fights for the rights of dogs. They also rescue puppy farm dogs and find them a loving, caring home. Puppy farms are common in Europe mostly in Wales and Ireland and they home up to a hundred dogs trapped in small cages and forced to breed as many puppies as possible. When they are not needed anymore or are too old to breed they are often killed in a brutal way. If you buy a puppy from a farm like this, you wouldn’t know as the puppies are sold to pet shops and sold from there, but the dog may become ill due to the way it was treated in the farm and it might even die. Dog’s Trust does all they can to rescue these dogs but they cannot achieve anything without YOUR help.

You should care because:

• It is cruelty to animals
• If you buy a puppy from a pet shop or private farm it could be physically and mentally ill and you wouldn’t know at first.

NEVER buy a puppy if you can’t see it with its mother or in its home environment, this way you will not be giving money to the bad guys.

Thank you for reading my blog and if you want to learn more about puppy farming then you can visiting the Dog’s Trust website: http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

 Had you heard about this topic before reading my blog?
 Do you feel more informed on puppy farming?
 Will you now take more care if you are considering buying a puppy?
 Would you be prepared to support the Dog’s Trust in any of the following ways: tell a friend, make a donation etc.

If you do post a response would you be kind enough to say the rough area or country where you live to enable me to see where my readers are coming from.

Many thanks, Ruby

Imagine growing up without music. We should help deaf children today.

Thank you for taking time to read our blog! You may not have heard of The ESDDCS or of it’s amazing work, but we hope to make more people aware of this brilliant charity and all of the work it does voluntarily.

The Exeter and South Devon Deaf Children's Society (ESDDCS) have been supporting deaf children (and their families) in the Exeter and South Devon for over 40 years! The charity’s main aims are to support deaf children to develop their effective interaction, communication and to offer every support they can to enable them to develop their full potential.

The charity subsidizes the cost of family trips and outings, including an annual holiday or weekend event, so that it is easy for deaf families to socialize and encourage independence for the deaf children. For example a family membership is only £5 per year. Not only does the charity help children but it is also a great help to the relatives of deaf children, teaching them how to cope with their emotions and to help their relative.

Here is an example of a member from the Society who was helped immensely by the charity while learning to cope with supporting her two deaf grandchildren:

‘The support myself and my family had was invaluable, just knowing other people who understood my feelings and being able to share problems and so many happy times together.’

Please can you spare 2 moments to visit the ESDDCS’ website at http://www.esddcs.co.uk/index.htm for more useful information on how you could help change the lives of many deaf people in the South West.

If you post a response, please can you tell us where you come from i.e. your home town & country (if not UK!)This is only one of many examples of the great work the charity provides so please answer the questions below to let us know your thoughts about the charity.

> Had you heard about the charity before?

> Do you now feel more informed about the issues faced by deaf people?

> Would you now be prepared to do any of the following things to help improve the lives of deaf people?

1. Make a donation to the ESDDCS?
2. Start or join a Fundraising campaign?
3. Support the ESDDCS?
4. Sign the online petition?
5. Tell your family & friends about the ESDDCS and try to persuade them to help out in any of the ways above?

Samantha, Abby and Lucy

Alzheimer’s…Why should you care?

Thank you for showing interest in our blog, we appreciate it greatly. We are going to inform you more about Alzheimer’s and The Alzheimer’s Society. In return we would be grateful if youcould leave a comment after reading our blog.


We believe that The Alzheimer’s disease is not regarded as a very serious illness. However, it is one of the most devastating illnesses and can destroy someone. We want to make it clear how horrible the Alzheimer’s disease is and make sure we raise awareness.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 465,000 people in the UK. Alzheimer’s is when your brain cells slowly die off, this results in gradually forgetting more and more things.

The effects of Alzheimer’s are devastating. The people that suffer from Alzheimer’s are normally very scared when left alone and find it extremely hard to cope, even with everyday things. However the person suffering is not the only one who is affected; the carer and the family. Imagine if a loved one forgot who you were-this can happen and does happen to many families in Britain and all over the world. A lot of people think it is just as bad for the family to see this happening to the one they are close to or the one they love.

People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may experience lapses of memory and have problems finding the right words. As the disease progresses, they may:

-become confused, and frequently forget the names of people, places, appointments and recent events
-experience mood swings. They may feel sad or angry. They may feel scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss
-become more withdrawn, due either to a loss of confidence or to communication problems.

As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's will need more support from those who care for them. Eventually, they will need help with all their daily activities.

While there are some common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, it is important to remember that everyone is unique. No two people are likely to experience Alzheimer's disease in the same way. The worst stage of Alzheimer’s most people think is the middle stage-when they can’t remember everything but still remember a fair few things. This also a very hard stage for many to cope with because the person knows that they have Alzheimer’s and gets very annoyed and frustrated that they cannot remember what they needed to say/do.

We believe you should care because;

-It could happen to you or a loved one
-The numbers of people suffering are expected to rise drastically
-With your help and support the Society can find a cure and change thousands of lives.

We want to thank you again for showing interest in our blog! If you would like to find out more about the Alzheimer’s Society please follow this link: http://alzheimers.org.uk/

Please leave a comment below answering the following questions and with your home town and country (if not UK)

1) Would you support us now and if so, why?
2) Do you feel more informed about the Alzheimer’s disease and the Alzheimer’s Society?
3) Do you have any unanswered questions?
4) Would you tell other people about it?

Did you know it takes just £5 to pay for one person to attend a half hour session at a monthly Dementia Café, providing information and support for people with dementia and their carers

Thank you again! Demi, Jess and Katherine.

Dolphin Slaughter - Do you know the truth?

Thank you so much for showing an interest in our blog. Sea life slaughter (particularly dolphin slaughter) is a serious problem that we must face before it’s too late. The truth is that every year in places such as Denmark, Norway and mainly Japan, dolphins are rounded into a cove before being cruelly slaughtered to sell as contaminated meat, beauty treatments and other things. Although the word has been out for awhile now there are very few who are aware of it so hopefully this should help raise awareness.

How does dolphin slaughter happen?
The truth is sad but important:
1) In Japan every few months or so (when the dolphins are migrating) the fishermen will sail out into the water and befriend the innocent dolphins the then attract them into the cove where they suddenly pull up a net to make sure they can’t escape. The dolphins struggle and battle against them but seeing other dolphins die makes them stressed and venerable and with nowhere to run they are in a no win situation.
2) Other death techniques involve dolphins being dragged out of the water, their noses tied with rope and sometimes dragged for miles where they will then be hung until they die. But none of this matters to the fishermen as they seem to claim, “The more savage, the nicer the meat tastes.”
3) The struggling ones are brutally killed before being sold as CONTAMINATED meat to mindless members of the public oblivious to the condition of the meat and how it is slaughtered.
4) The healthy ones are sent away to sea life shows but it is estimated that by the time they reach their destination about half the load are dead or in serious conditions from the shock!
The worst part being that in selling this contaminated meat they are putting the very existence of dolphins at risk. In addition to this, in Norway (as mentioned earlier as a dolphin slaughter area), teenage boys slaughter dolphins just to prove the point of becoming a man but don’t do anything with the dead dolphins after they’ve killed them.

Why we need to STOP dolphin slaughter:
1) Because the extinction of dolphins depends on our actions
2) Because the meat sold is contaminated
3) Because the average life span of a dolphin in the wild is 45 years but those in captivity are estimated to die within the first 2 years of being locked up


How can we help?We can stop this happening in Japan by:
• Donating money to the campaign.
• Raising Awareness
• Making people more informed
• Purchasing some clothes or accessories from their website.
• Send letters to the prime minister explaining how you feel
• Get the word out
All of these ideas above are ways that we can help stop the slaughtering of dolphins and sea life in Japan.
Thank you so much again reading our Blog. Please now post us a response with your thoughts. In particular, it would be great if you could write just a few words in answer to the following questions - & help in any way you feel you can. If you feel that you would like to help you can visit this website:
Campaign Whale » Help stop Japan’s secret dolphin slaughter! If you do post a response, please can you tell us where you come from i.e. your home town & country (if not UK!)

 Had you heard about dolphin slaughter in Japan before?
 Do you now feel more informed about this issue?
 Would you now be prepared to do any of the following things to help stop dolphin slaughter:
1. Make a donation to Campaign Whale?
2. Become a member on the Campaign website?
3. Tell your friends and family about Campaign whale and try to persuade them to help?

And remember: ‘A dolphin’s smile is the world’s greatest illusion’

Many Thanks! Chloe, Emily and Amber

Pollution and noise levels rising – THINK – Say no to the Kingskerswell Bypass

Firstly we would like to thank you for taking time to read our blog. For our advocacy we have chosen to support the campaign against the proposal of the Kingskerswell bypass.

The affects of the bypass…

We passionately believe that the new proposed bypass shouldn’t be built and that is why we have taken interest in this topic. We live around the area ourselves and if the bypass was to be built it would not only affect us, but a lot of people around us. As well as the bypass affecting villagers it will also affect the environment in many ways, such as;

• It would disturb wildlife AND plant life – animals habitats will be lost
• It will destroy the true Devonshire countryside
• It will affect global warming – more pollution from vehicle fumes
• More vehicles means more litter around the area

The way in which the bypass, like many others, will affect people living around the area;

• It will raise noise levels disturbing people living in the area
• People’s views and privacy will be taken away
• Also disturb villagers as construction trucks and diggers will be going through the village
• The proposed bypass runs straight past the village church – producing noise and disrespect to the church as it is meant to be a peaceful place of worship

Our aims during our advocacy...

We want to change the attitudes of the people who believe the Kingskerswell Bypass should be built, as we believe it will badly affect people living in the area and affect the environment. Our three main aims during our advocacy to this topic are;

• To raise awareness of the problems that will occur if the bypass was to be built. We want to raise awareness to people living locally around the area who don’t realize that all the new traffic will produce more fumes which will affect both the environment and them locally.
• To gain support from people who realize why we think the bypass shouldn’t be built and then try to gain support from the local council and for them to agree with our opinions on the bypass, which will then make them want to get involved within the issue.
• To change the attitudes, opinions or policy’s of the people who think differently to us, such as people who travel on the A380 to work and have no other route to take and people who think the bypass should be built; we will try to persuade them by telling them our alternative to the Bypass.

To help us with our advocacy, please would you kindly take the time to answer a few questions for us;

• Had you heard about the Kingskerswell Bypass issue before reading our blog?
• Before reading our blog were you for/against the bypass?
• Do you have any views and opinions about the Kingskerswell Bypass?
• After reading our blog do you feel more informed about the issue?
• Would you now be prepared to support us with being against the bypass?

Please note your country or hometown so we can see how effective our advocacy blog has been globally.
For further information on this topic visit this website, http://www.kingskerswellalliance.org.uk/
Many thanks, Gemma and Meg

We Should Ban Bear Bile Farming

First of all I would like to thank you for choosing to take the time to read my blog. You may or may not know about the terrible practice of Moon Bear farming, but if you don't, I would like to tell you the truth about what really happens. My aim is to raise awareness and inform you about the practice of Moon Bear Farming and to explain to you, my readers, what it really is.

Moon bear farming is when Moon Bears are kept in agonizing captivity just so their bile can be extracted from them. The bile is then used in traditional Chinese medicines, some of which are just said to cure a simple headache. The farmers extract the bile using extremely painful methods, and the wounds that are made during the procedure leave the bears in agony every hour of every day.

The bears are kept in small, cramped cages and sometimes the bears can’t even lie down, so they have to live standing up, which puts them through even more unbearable pain.

Bear farms currently exist in China, Vietnam and Korea, even though it is illegal to extract bile from bears in Vietnam and Korea. Japan, Korea, Vietnam and China have the highest demand for bear bile, although bear parts, bile powder and bile products, are also found in Taiwan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the US and Canada.


The practice of bear farming is completely pointless, as there are over 50 herbal remedies that are a perfectly suitable alternative for the bear bile that they extract and use for traditional Chinese medicines. Those innocent bears go through all of that pain for nothing.

Some Chinese pharmacies and chemists display a sticker on the window of their shop, reading; ‘Healing without harm’, which tells us that the shop is against the practice of bear farming-A very good sign.

There are two main charities that help raise money to stop the practice of bear farming, these charities are the ‘The Animals Asia Foundation’ and ‘World Society for the Protection of Animals-WSPA’. For more information, visit http://www.animalsasia.org/ or http://www.wspa.org.uk/ .

The founder of ‘The Animals Asia Foundation’ is called Jill Robinson. She started the foundation, when in 1993, an undercover visit to a bear farm in southern China changed Jill’s life, exposing the plight of endangered Moon Bears cruelly farmed and milked for their bile. Jill knew how easily herbs and synthetics could replace bear bile, and so she embarked on a journey to end the practice of bear farming once and for all.

In 1995, Jill secured the release of the original bears that she had discovered, changing their lives forever. In 1998, she founded Animals Asia to rescue and raise awareness of the plight of the Moon Bears. In July 2000 she and the Animals Asia team rescued 500 farmed bears. With your help, we can save more.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog, I hope you have now been informed about the practice of Moon Bear farming. I would be very grateful if you would please post me a response answering the following questions, If you do post a response, please could you tell me where you’re from, i.e. your home town or country (if you don’t live in the UK!)

 Had you ever heard about the practice of Moon Bear farming?
 Do you now feel informed about Moon Bear farming?
 Would you be willing to donate to ‘The Animals Asia Foundation’ or ‘WSPA’?
 Would you persuade your family and friends to support the charities?

Many thanks! Rose.

Size 0 – Know the facts

My name is Chloe and firstly, I would like to thank you for taking an interest in my blog. I hope that after you have read it, you will become more aware of my chosen issue.

The number of teenagers with anorexia has shot up over the last few years. Last year, 84,377 bed days were taken up by those suffering from eating disorders - the equivalent to about 232 beds a day - up from 51,878 in 2002.

Many girls with eating disorders are mostly influenced by either celebrities or others around them. I’m sure you have heard of the term ‘Size 0’. This refers to the smallest size of women’s clothing in the US catalogue system and is roughly equivalent to a UK size 4. It is often used to portray extremely thin individuals (especially women), or trends associated with them.

This is life threatening. Many people and celebrities have died because their bodies could not cope with the severe changes. Anaemia,

One of the main types of people suffering from anorexia or similar eating disorders are budding models. Many model agencies only accept applicants or a certain weight, size and height.

The charily I have chosen is called SWEDA (Somerset and Wessex Eating Disorders Association). They do amazing things for men, women, boys and girls with eating disorders. They are based in Somerset, in the Southwest of England, with the aim of serving those in Somerset and surrounding counties who are affected. Here is the link to the SWEDA website:
http://www.swedauk.org/

Thank you again for taking an interest in my blog. I would be very grateful if you would please answer the following questions. If you do post a response, please can you tell me where you come from i.e. your home town & country (if not UK!)

1). Do you now feel more informed about the issue regarding Size 0/anorexia?
2).Would you support SWEDA by making a donation?
3).Before reading the blog, were you aware that anorexia/size 0 was such a big problem.
4).Would you now join a fundraising campaign?

Thank you again for reading my blog.

Chloe

Commercial whaling – know the facts.

Thank you very much for visiting my blog and I hope you find it very interesting.

Whales in general are in decline and this is mostly due to commercial whaling. This blog has been made to raise awareness. You may have heard about the campaign to reduce commercial whaling in Japan, but Japan is not the only country involved in the devastation of the whale population. Other countries that have their hand in it include: USA (united states of America), Canada , Russia, Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Indonesia, And many more...

In 2006/07 Iceland took 60 Minke whales under a permit for "scientific whaling", up from 39 in the last season. However Iceland announced in October 2006 that in addition to the whales caught for scientific research, they would resume commercial whaling and issued quotas for 30 Minke whales and 9 fin whales.

Norway resumed whaling in 1993 and since then has claimed over 6,879 Minke whales under objection.


Japan took a total of 866 whales in 2006/07 season:

• 3 Southern Hemisphere fin whales,
• 508 Southern Hemisphere minke whales,
• 197 North Pacific minke whales,
• 51 North Pacific Brydes whales,
• 101 North Pacific sei whales,
• 6 North Pacific sperm whales.

Method of killing: Whalers use heavy wood / metal harpoons fired from large guns to kill a whale. This is considered a very inhumane why to kill the whale because it leads to a very slow painful death. The average death time for a harpooned whale is 2-3 minutes, but some have been known to take up to an hour and a half. The death is so slow because unless the harpoon hits a vital organ the whale has to practically bleed to death.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/whaling/

Affect; beside the expansion taking a near deathly blow to whale populations all over the world – reducing pacific grey whales to only about a hundred- there is the possibility that it could have a lasting effect on the ocean food chains . this could result in the breakdown of the ocean eco system.

Some quick questions: Thank you for reading my blog, now could you please answer some quick questions to help me find out how effective I have been in raising awareness of this issue.

• do you feel more informed after reading this blog?
• Would you be prepared to sign a petition to ban commercial whaling all together?
• Do you feel that all the important points are covered in this blog?
• Please feel free to leave any other comments you may have about this issue.
• Could you please tell me your home town and what country live in (if not the uk) from when you leave a comment.

I really Hope you found my blog informative and eye opening . thank you for your time.

Emma.

Dogs Trust - Save Thousands of Little Lives

Thank you very much for showing an interest for this blog, we hope you find it informing but revealing.
Fact;

Thousands of healthy dogs are put to sleep every year. Even the UK’s leading rehoming centres such as Battersea Dogs & Cats home; who just last year, put down 2,815 pets.

But what can you do about it?

The Dogs trust is the largest dog welfare charity in the UK, and they never put a healthy dog down. Their mission is to bring about the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.
So here’s what they do in a nutshell;

• Each year they care for around 16,000 dogs at their nationwide network of 17 Rehoming Centres.
• They run subsidised neutering campaigns in areas of the UK with the most acute stray dog problems.
• Their Education Officers give thousands of classroom presentations every year. Free teaching resources are made available to all schools in the UK, to reduce the amount of abandoned dogs for the future.
• Their FREEDOM Project helps pet owners who are fleeing domestic violence by fostering their animals while they start a new life.
• The HOPE Project gives preventative veterinary care to dogs belonging to homeless people.
• They advise government on any matters concerning dog ownership
• They assist overseas animal welfare charities by training their staff in best practice.

And their work is funded 100% by donations, so if you love dogs. Please, make a donation today.

And there are lots of different ways you can help, for just £1 a week you can sponsor a dog’s trust dog, and your money will go towards looking after all of the dogs in their care. If you are currently looking for a dog to re-home, you could adopt a dog trust dog for £90, all of which will go towards looking after other dogs. Or, you could make a straight donation; for more information go to: http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

If you already own a dog, you could join Dogs Trust and become an official member; and you can get loads of benefits for you and your dog.

Fundraising can be fun and a great way of getting active and involved with Dogs Trust. There are many different ways you can help them …

Dogs trust has a dedicated fundraising team here to support you in your efforts to fundraise for Dogs Trust. If you’re thinking of organising your own event such as a dog show, car boot sale or sponsored walk, please contact them online or speak to a member of the team on 020 7837 0006.

Whether you organise your own event or take part in one run by Dogs Trust, events are a great way of raising funds and the profile of Dogs Trust. If you would like to organise your own event or represent us in something let them know. Dogs Trust has guaranteed places in lots of different events and is represented in many others by our wonderful supporters.

Thank-you for taking the time to read our blog, we would be really grateful if you could please scroll down and answer a few questions.

1. Had you heard of dogs trust before?
2. Do you feel more informed now you have read this blog?
3. Would you now support dogs trust in the daily struggle to accommodate the vast amount of dogs that are abandoned every day?
4. Would you campaign to help this necessary cause?

Please could you now inform us from where you are located when reading this/commenting?
Eg. Wales, England France. Etc.

Thank you once again for participating in our campaign to inform the world about Dogs Trust and the work that they do.

We must support the Cats Protection!

Firstly, I’d like to thank you for taking an intrest in my blog. I hope that after you’ve read it, you will feel more aware of the subject or your views may have changed. For my Citizenship GCSE, I am trying to advocate the Cats Protection and the amazing work they do. In paticular, I would like to raise awareness of the importance of cat neutering.

Since founded in 1927, the Cats Protection has grown to become the UK’s leading feline welfare charity. They now help more than 215,000 cats and kittens every year. The Cats Protection is a voluntary run charity with one aim:
• To find homes for cats in need,
• To promote neutering and
• To provide information about cats and their care.

One of the biggest concerns for the Cats Protection every year is to try and raise the importance of cat neutering. Neutering is a painless way of insuring that your cat can’t have kittens. However, despite this, the operation is very expensive, often around £50 for a female cat and just less for males. Because of the cost, most cat owners don’t have the neutering operation performed. This then causes great concern for a rising amount of unwanted kittens and lost cats looking for mating partners. To try to reduce this, the Cats Protection offers financial help to those who are strugglling to afford the operation.
In 2010, the Cats Protection helped to neuter 160,000 cats across the UK, making them the largest single cat neutering group in the world! This year though, they hope to top that and you could help do that by bringing in your cat to be neutered.

I think we should support the Cats Protection for the following reasons;
• Without them, there would be far more cats roaming our streets and a potential risk of a rabies outbreak
• They help cat owners in financial difficulty to neuter their cats

Thank you ever so much for reading my blog. I hope that this has made you more aware of the Cats Protection and cat neutering. If you would like to know more about the Cats Protection, you can visit their website, http://www.cats.org.uk/. Please support the Cats Protection so they can continue their great work.

If you decide to leave a posted comment, could you please tell me your home town and country (if you’re not in the UK!)

I would really appreciate it if you could please think about these questions and comment on them as a posted response:
1) Have you heard of the Cats Protection before?
2) Have you heard of Cat neutering before?
3) Before reading my blog, were you aware of the issues surrounding Cat neutering?

If you feel strongly about the importance of the Cats Protection now, would you:
1) Be willing to support them?
2) Be willing to make a donation?
3) Inform your family and friends of the Cats Protection and persuade people to support them?
4) If you have an un-neutered cat, would you now consider neutering?

Thanks again!
Rachel

MENINGITIS KILLS- KNOW THE SYMPTOMS, SAVE LIVES

Thank you for visiting our blog, we hope to make your time worthwhile. Our blog is about the ongoing problem of meningitis, which often occurs along with septicaemia. You may not realise but meningitis kills about 170, 000 people a year and can leave long term after effects, including mental and physical disabilities. Also, because of meningitis, many lose limbs, as wells as sight and memory. These are only a few of the disastrous after effects.

• Both meningitis and septicaemia are deadly diseases that can kill in hours.
• Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord.
• Septicaemia is the blood poisoning form of the disease.
• 1 in 10 people who contract it die.
• There is only a vaccine for meningitis C form, which accounts for 40% of cases
• The UK’s leading meningitis charity is The Meningitis Trust, http://www.meningitis-trust.org/

How does one contract these diseases?


Meningitis is usually caused by bacteria or viruses and occasionally is due to fungal infections, although almost any microbe can cause it. While viral meningitis can be very unpleasant it is almost never life threatening and most people quickly make a full recovery. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, is very life threatening and deadly.

This is why it is vital to know the symptoms, as they are commonly mistaken for flu. Meningitis can happen to anyone, at any time: to your family; friends or even YOU. Learn the symptoms and YOU can save lives!

Please, if you could spare a minute to comment on our blog and answer a few questions, it would be very much appreciated. We also would encourage you to view our short YouTube video about the story of a brave young boy called Harley Lane

1. Had you heard of meningitis before reading our blog?

2. Do you now feel more informed?

3. Do you think you would recognise the symptoms in yourself or others?

4. Would you be willing to donate to the Meningitis Trust or another meningitis charity?

5. Would you be willing to inform others of meningitis and symptoms/ our blog?

Please include your hometown and country (if not UK) in your comment so we can monitor how effective our blog is across the world.


Many thanks, Ellie & Vicky

Arthritis Research UK needs your support

Thank you for taking time to read my blog about the charity Arthritis Research UK. Arthritis Research UK is a charity that helps people suffering from the disease arthritis that affects the joints by inflaming them, wearing them away, making the bone brittle and causing the victim a lot of pain and discomfort that can affect their day to day life and their future. It can make the simplest things that we take for granted such as switching things on and using appliances a struggle and a pain to do. Some people think that it is only elderly people that can suffer from arthritis but actually anyone can be affected.

There are many symptoms of Arthritis, these are just a few:

• Pain when walking
• Stiffness of joints
• Difficulty in moving
• Joint tenderness
• Inflammation around the joints
• Limited range of movement in your joints
• Weakness and muscle wasting
• Joints appearing larger than normal
• Grating or crackling sound/ sensation in joints when moving

Every different type of arthritis, Arthritis Research UK provides help for.

Arthritis Research UK is a very helpful charity to people suffering as it provides support and help for those suffering, the help they provide can range from different treatments to drugs and medicines, the charity does this by funding high class research in labs across the uk so they can provide people with the care they need to at least take some of the pain out of arthritis make it easier to live. The charity also provides information for sufferers and campaigns for them. Without money and support Arthritis research UK cannot provide these resources for people.

Thank you again for taking time to read my blog; it would be much appreciated if you could take some time to answer some of these questions, If you do post a response please can you tell me where you came from i.e. your home town and country (if not UK).

• Had you heard of Arthritis Research UK before reading this blog?
• Do you feel well informed about this cause?
• Would you be prepared to donate money or join in a fundraising event to help this charity?
• Would you tell friends and family about this cause and encourage them to donate?

Thank you once again, Daisy

If you would like to contact Arthritis Research UK visit: http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/

Support HCPT – Believe in Miracles!

You don’t have to be a Catholic

You don’t have to go to church

You don’t even need to believe in God

JUST OPEN YOUR MINDS AND HEARTS!

Thank you for opening my blog and I hope you learn from it! In my blog I am going to be talking all about HCPT the Pilgrimage Trust, why and how you can support it.

HCPT takes groups of disabled children on an Easter Pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. The children travel in small family-style groups with experienced volunteers and doctors. The children stay in hotels as honoured guests and get a huge amount out of the holiday. Many volunteers are needed to accompany the children, all paying their own expenses.

Why Lourdes?

Lourdes is a catholic pilgrimage site in France. Thousands of miracles have been claimed and about 70 have been proved. This is where many people disagree with HCPT, but even though it is Catholic, you don’t have to be religious in any way to take part. They focus on the spiritual rather than religious side of things and all the staff ensure that it is an unforgettable experience for the children.

So you’re probably thinking, why support HCPT? Here are a few reasons:
• The children have a truly amazing time, and they will bring back memories they will cherish forever.
• The volunteers pay for all their own expenses and help raise money for the children.
• HCPT gives the children confidence and hope for the future.
• Many of the children would have never been able to go on holiday before, so this would give their family who look after them a well deserved break.

How can you support HCPT?

• You can donate some money, every penny counts! You can donate online at the HCPT website, http://www.hcpt.org.uk/
• You can sign a petition online.
• You can take part in many fundraising events, such as cake sales and sponsored runs.
• You can even recycle your phone via HCPT!

These are only a few ways you can support HCPT, there are many more ways of helping the children have an amazing time. Isn’t it worth it, donating a few pounds to know a disabled child could be happy and hopeful? Even if there is no miraculous physical healing, there is always great emotional healing, with the children going home with memories to treasure.

Here is a YouTube link to a video of a group going to Lourdes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOEL-FEYgaw

Thank you for reading my blog! Before going off this webpage please could you show how effective this blog was by posting a comment? Please answer a few questions.

 Had you heard about HCPT before reading my blog? Do you feel more informed about it?
 Would you now support HCPT or make a donation, by donating online. Would you tell your family/friends about HCPT and persuade them to join our cause?
 Have I changed your attitude or opinion about HCPT and if so how and why?
 Could you tell me where you live (town and country) so I know how far my advocacy has reached.

Thank you so much!

Jenny

Why bother recycling? Here are the facts…

Hello, Thank you for taking time to read my blog. My aim is to change attitudes towards in and around my area, Torbay, about recycling and the new recycling changes that have been introduced. I also want to make as many people as I can aware of the threats to our planet, and to know that by simply recycling YOU can make a difference?

We all need to embrace the changes our world faces with open arms and do our best to protect it as much as we can.

Recycling can be a big bore sometimes especially when you are...

• always washing out dirty yoghurt pots for the early morning recycling collection
• constantly sorting through smelly milk bottles
• Sorting through never ending piles of mixed rubbish for recycling

Have you had to do the chores?
Well my family and I have...
But I set out to change attitudes towards recycling in my family and now I hope to maybe encourage you to recycle a bit more.

Heres the facts:
• Up to 60% of the rubbish that ends up in the dustbin could be recycled.
• The average household can save £4000 a year from recycling this… £4000!
• If all our newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year! (That’s a lot of trees!)
• About one-third of landfill is packaging, 98% of which can be recycled!
• A typical family consumes 695 litres of Juice or squash, 400 litres gallons of milk, and 101 litres of bottled water a year. That's a lot of containers! Only 45% of which are recycled!

Sorting your rubbish into separate groups may seem horribly inconvenient to someone with busy lives probably like yourself but it’s really not much fuss-
Sort it- Place your boxes outside- And bingo!
Your waste has gone to be remade into something else and you’re helping save our planet for the future of many! Easy eh?

Not yet persuaded? Well this is the alternative...


None of us want Torbay, UK or the world to be in a situation where our children and our children’s children have to fight to keep our landscapes clean and green, our seas free from pollution and our wildlife and lives not in the threat of ruin. Here’s a video about the some of the effects on wildlife due to land fill, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yom6zlm5VqE please watch it :)
So please I’m not asking you to donate, or sign a petition I’m just asking you to RECYCLE!

Now ... If your already a recycling Junkie like myself here’s 3 little things to get you doing more..
• REDUCE the amount you buy with packaging and waste materials
• PERSUADE all your friends and neighbours to get recycling, it’s not that hard!
• KEEP your old ink cartridges; did you know they can be refilled?
If you still want more to do visit this website http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/ it will give you many more recycling ideas!

Thank you so much for reading my blog, please can you spend a moment to post me a comment by answering the following questions;
Have I. . .

1) Changed your view on recycling? If so, how?

2) Made you more aware that recycling isn’t at all that much effort?

3) Persuaded you to be more prepared to recycle in your own home and persuade others to?

Thank you for Leaving a Comment; it will be appreciated greatly, and remember to tell me where you live (town and country) So I know how far my advocacy has reached.

Thank you again, and remember RECYCLE!
Ellen :)

Play your part and try and do something about the second biggest cause of death: Cancer

Thank you for taking interest and opening my blog. Cancer is becoming increasingly more common; there are approximately 298,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed each year in the U.K. Cancer is tackled in a way that is focused on fixing, curing and stopping the physical effects of cancer. Although finding a way to cure the physical effects of cancer is very important, many people forget the way cancer effects people emotionally and mentally.

Having cancer is a major ordeal and it takes a lot of support to live with cancer. Macmillan Cancer Support help people get through their cancer journey and help people get on top of your lives and feel good about their selves. Macmillan provides support groups, information centres, online chat groups, online information publications and a website. They even provide help lines so people can have comfort, support and talk to somebody who knows about cancer.

Macmillan cancer support care, they care about every single person with cancer out there and will be there for them no matter who they are. At least 80% of all the money they raise or that is donated to them goes toward funding facilities, raising money for nurses and helping cancer patients unlike most charities where only 5% of the money raised goes to the initial causes. They run campaigns, volunteering and they also have got involved with youth groups and schools.

Macmillan’s ambition is that regardless where you live in the U.K, what type of cancer you have, that you should have the best possible treatment, care and support. Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. They provide practical, medical and financial support and push for better cancer care. We can all help. We are Macmillan.

Please help Macmillan help the thousands of people across the U.K with cancer and get involved. Macmillan wants to spread a message of hope across the country for cancer patients, friends and family that things will get better.
Thank you for reading my blog. Please post me a response by answering the following short questions. Please can you tell me where you come from (your country and town).
• Have you heard about Macmillan Cancer Support before?
• Do you now feel more informed about the effects of living with cancer?
• Would you now be prepared to do any of the following to help improve the lives of people with cancer

 Donate

 Join Campaigns

 Get involved with events

You contribution can change lives…..

Thank you for your time,
Emie Lambert.
For more information visit Macmillan Cancer support’s website (http://www.macmillan.org.uk)
Or call Macmillan’s support line on 08088008000

Reach! An arm for the Armless

Thank you for taking time to visit our blog, it is much appreciated! The problem… Each year, around 60 babies in the UK are born missing part of one or both of their arms. Added to this there are the ones that lose them due to surgery or traumatic incidents. For many families this is a shock and this is the first time they will have come across a disability.

Our aim is to raise awareness and to try to gain support for our chosen organization, Reach. Reach is an organization that supports children that are missing part of one of both of their arms. Reach gives the affected children and their families the opportunity to get together and share experiences and information. Reach is also a place to go for advice on the situation at hand. We want more people to be aware of what Reach do and therefore, hoping that this will gain support for Reach as it really is a great cause.

Reach is the only organization that supports young people with such disabilities. With help from the people at Reach these children will always be considered as a normal child, living a normal life, instead of a child that is disabled!

Reach was founded in 1978 when it became known to the public that there was such thing as an electronically controlled artificial arm, which at that time was not available through the NHS! Reach campaigned to bring this electronically controlled arm into the UK for children. This, however, turned into a support group as well, helping the children live the life they deserve!


True Story… ‘I (Beth) am a member of reach myself; I personally am missing half of my left arm and hand. I have lived with this disability since birth and it was an unexpected situation for my family. My parents came across Reach just after I was born and we’ve all been supported by Reach from thereafter. I have had the opportunity to meet others like me and to get given advice on how to handle certain things. Being a member of Reach has definitely helped me and my family. I have been through a lot in my life but with the help of Reach and a loving family I live a relatively normal life and I am now able to do almost everything that someone with two hands can do (to an extent).’

Now you know why Reach is so close to our hearts and we hope you will consider supporting Reach as it is such a good cause. They have done so much for these children, why not do something for them? Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog, if you could please give us some feedback it would be much appreciated; please try and answer the questions below as it is very important to us. If you post a response, please could you tell us where you come from i.e your home town and country (if you don’t live in the UK).

For more information visit the Reach website; www.reach.org.uk . Please help more children have the chance to live a normal life. Thank you!

o Have you ever heard of Reach before?
o Do you now feel more informed?
o Would you now be prepared to do any of the following things-
 Make a donation to Reach?
 Fundraise for Reach?
 Tell your friends and family about Reach and what it does?

We will leave you with their slogan; “It’s ability, not disability that matters”

Bethany and Sarah

Why should we do more to help disabled people with cerebral palsy?

Hello I am called Kirsty. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I believe and feel that disabled people should have the same opportunities to fulfill their life ambitions as non-disabled people. Many people throughout the whole world have been affected by cerebral palsy. If it wasn’t for Scope, people with cerebral palsy wouldn’t have the right facilities that are needed to keep them help care for them, live there lives as normal people as much as they can and make them happy. When you have finished reading my blog, I hope I will have made you think about disabled people with cerebral palsy and hope you are willing to help. I also hope I will have given you a bit more information about Scope and what it does.

I feel very strongly in making sure disabled people with cerebral palsy are being cared for the way in which they deserve. Scope helps so many people – like this boy called ‘Charles’s’.


Going 18 months back, ‘Charles’ was first diagnosed with cerebral palsy. His mum was very worried and didn’t know what to do. If it wasn’t for Scope Response (A team that provides free, impartial and expert information, advice and support to disabled people, their families, careers and professionals), I don’t know how she would have been able to cope. She was able to turn to the one place families can turn at what can be a lonely and anxious time in their lives. Scope Response was able to visit her and Charles within a few days, offering emotional support and expert advice on cerebral palsy when no one else could. A lady from the charity Scope sat with her for two hours, listening to her concerns. She was able to give her leaflets, including Scope’s Parent Information Pack, which has been specially developed to answer the questions every parent has in this situation. And most crucially, was able to explain cerebral palsy, and what it meant for ‘Charles’s’ future, in a way she could understand.

Thank you for reading my blog again. If you don’t mine can you please post me a message with your thoughts and in particularly I would be ever so grateful if you can answer these few questions listed below – and help in anyway you can/want to like donate some money (even if it is only pennies). Anything is grateful. If you do post a response, please can you tell me where you are from i.e. your home town and country (if not UK)? For more information, you can visit www.scope.org.uk
1. Have you heard about cerebral palsy and how it affects your family as well as yourself?
2. Do you now feel more informed about the issues cerebral palsy can cause?
3. Would you be prepared/want to donate in anyway to Scope i.e. make a donation or start and join a fundraising campaign?
4. Would you be willing to tell you friends and family about Scope and what is does?
5. Have I changed your opinions on Scope and disabled people with cerebral palsy?

Thank you again so much!
Kirsty

Anorexia KILLS- why choose thin over freedom?

Hello, thank you for reading my blog! This blog is here to raise your awareness about Anorexia Nervosa. I am supporting ‘BEAT’ which is a charity helping eating disorders throughout the UK.

Beat supports many disorders, but mainly Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia. Anorexia is a disease or condition when people under eat or starve themselves. People who suffer from Anorexia usually lose extreme amounts of weight, an average of 15% of their original weight in total.

People with Anorexia feel that they are overweight even though they are obviously not. They adopt an extreme dieting pattern to the point where they stop eating altogether. They disguise the fact that they are not eating by lying to their family and friends saying things like ‘I’ve already eaten’ or ‘I had a late lunch’ when they haven’t eaten at all.

Anyone could suffer from Anorexia, even men but the most common is in women and girls in their teens. This is usually to do with the media and modelling. The media take a big part in this by hiring thin models.

People with Anorexia believe that they have to look like these models and believe that the only way that they can control their lives is to eat almost nothing and that people only like them because they’re thin. However this is almost certainly untrue and all they are doing is worrying their family and friends.

Why should you care?
Anorexia is a terrible illness and over 10 million people suffer from it in the UK. Very sadly, 20% of those people die.

If you would like to know more about beat, you can visit www.b-eat.co.uk to find out more.

Please can you take a moment to answer these questions? Have you heard about Anorexia Nervosa before?
 Do you feel that you are more informed about the causes and symptoms of anorexia?
 Would you be prepared to…?

• Make any amount of donation towards Beat?
• Support Beat in the future?
• Take part in any fundraising events towards this charity?
• Campaign for this charity?
• Inform others about beat?
• Find out more?

I will again thank you for reading my blog. You post the answers to my questions and add a comment on how good you think my blog is. Finally, could you tell me your home town and country (if not UK)

Thanks!
Maya

Youth2Youth: Will you help a troubled teenager wake up smiling once again?

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog on Youth2Youth, a helpline run by teenagers themselves aiming to provide support and advice for people aged 11 to 19 who are suffering in silence. Many teens find it easier to talk to people their own age, but they do not know anyone that they trust enough to confide in, due to the fact that most are unaware that trained teenager volunteers are always only a phone call or an email away.

1 in 5 teenagers will experience depression before they reach adulthood. However, less than 33% of those suffering will receive the right kind of support.

No one should have to spend endless days with only the silence of their bedroom for company, dreading the next time they must face the world.

In such an isolated environment, many give up on their lives. Some decide to relieve themselves from their pains through self harming, and are often not helped soon enough.

A donation of as little as £10 can help train a volunteer, which will then be able to prevent the constant tears which fill many teenage eyes.

Lucy was a victim of cyber bulling:
"When I started secondary school, I was nervous but excited at the same time. In less than a month, my best friend and I were hanging around with two other girls. We were constantly together.

My friend Becky walked to school with a girl in our year. We were introduced but straight away I knew that she wasn’t my type of girl, and I didn’t make much of an effort to be involved.

Like most I spent a lot of time on Facebook, and one night very upsetting comment appeared on my page. I just deleted it and logged of, but more kept appearing. I was really hurt and decided to close down my account. Soon after I created a new one, with all privacy settings on. When I received a request from Becky’s friend, I accepted it straight away. The horrid comments again. I became quiet at school and lied to my friends when they questioned my behaviour. When walking past Becky’s friend in the corridor I heard a "Waddle, waddle, eat, eat." which I knew was aimed at me. I decided to keep everything to myself. I started missing school and hardly saw my friends. One night after an argument with my mum I started self-harming. My mum screamed when she saw, so I broke down and told her everything. First thing the next day she took me to see my teacher and I told her too. It felt great to share what I had been bottling up."

Lucy was very fortunate. What if her mum hadn’t walked in at that moment? What if it had all carried on? Lucy might not be here today to share her story. Please help Youth2 Youth make sure that every victim like Lucy gets a fresh start in life. Visit www.youth2youth.co.uk for additional information and to offer that life changing donation.

 Are you now more informed about the suffering teenagers and Youth2Youth?
 Has my blog persuaded you to donate to the charity?
 Would you be prepared to try out as a volunteer in the future?
I would be extremely grateful if you could post a reply including answers to the questions above, as well as your hometown and country (if not UK.)

Thank you very much once again,

Julia.

Water- some people can’t take it for granted

Imagine a life without safe water flowing from your tap. Imagine then, if every morning you had to get up at the crack of dawn and walk for miles down uneven paths to the nearest water hole to collect your family's water. Then imagine the state of the water, filthy, dirty with flies buzzing around and animals drinking at the same source. But you have no other choice. In many countries it would take you over six hours every day to collect enough water for your family. Having returned from this exhausting journey you could start the rest of your day. Then imagine that you had nowhere safe and clean to go to the toilet. In many cultures you would have to wait until it was dark before you could use the toilet.

Welcome to my blog and thank you for taking an interest in my issue, I am supporting Wateraid. The aim of the organisation is to make sure everyone is welcome to clean and safe water and to make sure they are well educated on the dangers and diseases caused by contaminated water. Today 4000 people will die from drinking dirty water.

In England, we take water for granted, we leave taps running, we wash our hands regularly; we can have a safe drink of water from the tap. However, many people in the world are not able to access this. Before Wateraid was around in 1981 millions of people around the globe were dying and were not able to provide themselves and their family with water, sanitation and hygiene. Wateraid is now celebrating their 30th anniversary and since it started it has risen awareness in England, America, Australia and Sweden. We can all help support and help people in the 26 counties that Wateraid works in and give these people the same chances we have to live life with the help of safe water.

Elmas Kassa is 13 and lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: "I collect water four times a day in a 20 litre clay jar. Its hard work." Elmas Kassa said. "I have never been to school as I have to help my mother so we can earn enough money. Our house doesn't have a bathroom so I wash once a week and go to the toilet down by the river behind my house. I usually go with my friends as we're supposed to go after dark when people can't see us."

The lack of sanitation hits women and girls very hard. Without somewhere safe and clean to go to the toilet they are exposed to disease. Girls are also less likely to go to school if there is no toilet available, particularly when they reach puberty.
Thank you so much again for reading my blog and if you don’t mind please could you answer the following questions to help me with my advocacy please may you leave your home town and country (if not the UK):

• Have you ever heard of this issue before?
• Would you help make a donation to Wateraid or join a fundraising campaign?
• Would you tell your family and friends about this issue?
• Have I changed your opinion on Wateraid? If so, how?

For more information you visit Wateraid - water and sanitation for all.

Thank-you

Grace

People should be more aware of the conditions in third world countries and charities that help them like Cr2ee.

Hey, we’re Holly and Susie. Thank you very much for opening our blog. We would really appreciate it if you would take the time to read this.

We would like to inform you about this remarkable charity called Cr2ee. Our aim is to gain support from people who haven’t yet heard about this charity or who are against it. We hope that by the time you have finished reading this, you will agree with us that something needs to be done about this situation, and getting involved with Cr2ee is a really good way to help!

You could support this by telling family and friends, encouraging them to help raise money, or maybe help yourself. You can help by simply donating just £1 – every penny counts! Why should you? Think of all the dying children over in those poor countries, and just imagine if that was you or one of your children. Help them to live a normal life like mine and yours.

What does Cr2ee do?

Cr2ee is a charity that helps suffering families in Eastern European countries mainly in Moldova and Romania. These families do not have
- Clean running water
- Food to feed the family
- Clean clothes that fit
- A roof over their heads (If they do it is usually falling down)
- Medication to treat their many illnesses
- Money

How does Cr2ee help?

Cr2ee helps by raising money to help these poor families in third world countries. They fundraise in many different ways but Cr2ee's main fundraising opportunity is shoe boxes at Christmas time. Anyone can make one and fill it with little presents for children in Moldova and Romania. Cr2ee also does "Send a Goat". This is where you pay for a goat and it is transported to a poor family in need of it most. Cr2ee brings Moldovan and Romanian children over to England for medical treatment that they couldn’t have in their own countries, due to unhygienic facilities and untrained staff. The volunteers of Cr2ee set up summer camps for children who have to work and don’t go to school. At the summer camps they bond with others and make friends and have fun for maybe the first time in their lives.
Cr2ee also does many other fundraisers so look on the website (http://www.cr2ee.org.uk/) for them. It would be great if you got involved!

Thank you for reading our blog. We would really appreciate it if you could take some time to answer these questions and give us some feedback, or just leave a comment! Also, please tell us what country you come from; it would really help.

- Had you heard of Cr2ee before reading this?
- If not, are you now more informed?
- Would you tell people about Cr2ee to help us gain support?
- Would you consider helping in some way by:
• Making a donation
• Being involved in fundraising
• Signing up for a monthly newsletter?

Thanks again for reading this
:) Susie and Holly :)

Together we WILL beat Cancer

Thank you for taking an interest in my blog and I hope that I can inform you all about my chosen advocacy, Cancer Research UK. As my aim is to raise awareness, gain support and change the opinions of people like you.

Their aim is to research new cures treatments and diagnosis for those with Cancer, but they cannot do this without the help of the public. If we fundraise by holding events such as sponsored races, all of the money will go towards fulfilling Cancer Research UK’s dream.

But how do you know exactly WHO Cancer Research help?

Vikki from Eastbourne is an example, here is her story.

As a police officer, Vikki was always a busy person until smoking started to take over her life, she was worried she would eventually develop cancer but something made her realise what the real problem was of her situation. Sadly, her dad died of lung cancer recently, which inspired her to help give up and prevent the same thing happening to her. But it did not come with ease as she tried a few times before actually giving up. She is now healthy and happy with the rest of her life ahead of her.

To find out more about her story visit this link: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/smokingandtobacco/reallifestories/
Even though Cancer Research UK could not provide a cure for her father, Vikki continues to support the charity due to the fact that she knows how important it is to try and beat cancer as she nearly had the experience herself. She often takes part in fundraising activities and encourages anybody who can to take part.

So why should YOU help?

The matter of cancer may not seem relevant to you at this very moment, but it does cross most people’s lives at some point. Whether it is you, a family or friend, or anybody you know that is affected. This is why it is important to research cancer now to prevent it from happening in the future. But like their motto says, TOGETHER we will beat cancer so everybody needs to have some influence towards it.

Here are some main reasons of why you should help Cancer Research UK:

- Death rates will decrease dramatically if cures are found for Cancer because it is a known killer. Although a lot of cancer can be treated nowadays, it is still a very dangerous illness that would be best avoided.
- To help family or friends.
- It is possible to help people, however close or far away they are to you, which makes you feel like you have made a real difference.
- And finally, the main reason, to beat cancer!

Although the people in the photo may not look important, these are just two of the many doctors that help to fulfil Cancer Research UK’s dream.

Once again, thank you for taking an interest in my blog and I hope I have informed you about everything to do with Cancer Research UK but I don’t know what you thought without you posting a response! Please reply, explaining how you feel about this charity before and after my blog, would you now be prepared to help Cancer Research, have I changed your feelings towards the issue of cancer and any other additional comments you wish to make. Anything would be helpful! Also, please could you include your country (where you are from).
Thank you, Sharna.

The Rowcroft Hospice really deserves our help!

I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope it will give you an insight into the truly wonderful care that the dedicated team at Rowcroft Hospice provide 365 days a year for our loved ones. We must support this inspirational cause to insure that the invaluable care continues for future generations.

Rowcroft Hospice is based in Torquay but cares for people all over the community. It is a place which not only treats seriously ill people but also cares for their spiritual, emotional and physical needs. They offer care and support for the families and friends of the patient as they realise it will be a stressful time for them too.

Rowcroft Hospice believes that:
‘Everyone facing a life-limiting illness should have access to the highest quality care, which is tailored to their needs and aimed at giving them the best possible quality of life.’

Rowcroft Hospice is in a fortunate position as they are able to offer more one to one care. The care is provided through an 18 bed in-patient unit, a lymphoedema clinic, the community and outpatient services. The hospice cares for around 1000 patients each year. Rowcroft Hospice cares for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of their patients in different ways: the physical need is treated within the different services e.g. the in-patient wards, the emotional needs are cared for by the bereavement services or occupational therapy and the spiritual needs are cared for in the Chaplaincy where the patients and their friends and family can have a peaceful place to gather.

I have chosen Rowcroft Hospice as it is very close to my heart as my grandad was cared for by the staff here during his long illness. He had chemotherapy at the local hospital and was admitted into Rowcroft Hospice for a blood transfusion and received wonderful palliative care. After two weeks in Rowcroft’s care, he was brought home where he passed away peacefully in the presence of his loving family.

The Rowcroft team and our local community hold many hundreds of events throughout the year to help raise money and awareness, some of these include: a sleep walk, a sea swim, light up a life during the Christmas period to remember loved ones, the Rowcroft lottery and many more!

I hope my blog has informed you more about the wonderful work of Rowcroft Hospice. If you would like more information about the Hospice please visit their website: http://www.rowcrofthospice.org.uk/

Please spare a moment and answer a couple of questions, if you do post a response can you please tell me where you come from i.e. town/country:

• Had you heard of Rowcroft Hospice before reading this?
• Has your opinion of this changed?
• Would you be willing to donate or fundraise for this cause?

Thank you so much for your time.

Grace.

Help Our Heroes – Who Have Been Wounded In War

"It’s about the 'blokes', our men and women of the Armed Forces. It’s about Derek, a rugby player who has lost both his legs, it’s about Carl whose jaw is wired up so he has been drinking through a straw. It’s about Richard who was handed a mobile phone as he lay on the stretcher so he could say goodbye to his wife. It’s about Ben, it’s about Steven and Andy and Mark, it’s about them all. They are just blokes but they are our blokes; they are our heroes. We want to help our heroes."

Do you know someone who has been in war? That someone might have been injured if not, you have probably heard of some of the thousands of men and woman that risk their lives everyday for us. We want to give help and support to just some of those people that were wounded and their families. We want to help them get back on their feet. Why you may ask? Because we care about the people who fight for us, fight for our way of life, our homes, families and friends. They’re the friends we never get a chance to thank, or meet. They are that dedicated to help us, so why should we be any less helpful? The soldiers that fight for us, fight for justice. They are our Heroes. Help for Heroes raises money to support members of the Armed Forces who have been wounded in the service of their country. We ask our supporters to “do their bit” to show these extraordinary young men and women that they are cared for by us.

We today hope we will raise your awareness about the problem that is currently happening today about wounded soldiers in conflict. Many family and friends have been affected by the current conflicts and this serious issue is not only local but nationally recognized.

What We Want To Do To Help

We want to give up our spare time to fundraise and donate money to our soldiers at risk and you can do the same. The ‘Help For Heroes’ charity is a huge cause whose aim is to change soldiers’ lives, by raising money for those who are wounded. Every penny raised, through this worthwhile charity, can help a soldier return back to his family.
Questions –
Thank you for visiting our blog! When you have finished please leave a comment below. Also if you aren’t from the UK, say where you are from.

• Had you ever heard or thought about this issue before reading our blog?
• Do you now feel more informed about what is currently happening to our heroes?
• Have we changed your attitude, opinion and behavior about this issue? If so how?
• Would you now be willing to donate money to this worthwhile charity http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/index.html?gclid=CJT9gPqP9qcCFYoifAodQEY4RAThank you so much again for reading our blog. Please help us support our soldiers!

Many Thanks!
Erin and Lauren

Alzheimer’s Research UK – Help us to stop others forgetting you

Thank you very much for taking the time to find my Blog and for showing an interest in my chosen advocacy topic. Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain. If someone develops Alzheimer’s, their brain will shrink in size, it will be harder for them to remember things and harder for them to carry out simple tasks. As dementia progresses, it weakens the brain and can become very severe, resulting in complete loss of memory. Dementia costs the UK economy £23 billion each year - this is twice as much as cancer and 3 times as much as heart disease. Just 2.5% of the Government’s medical research budget is spent on dementia, while 25% is spent on cancer research.

This is where Alzheimer’s Research UK comes in. Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity specialising in finding preventions, treatments and a cure for dementia. The money that they raise is used to fund world-class research at leading universities in an attempt to find a cure for dementia. Their aim is simple – to create a world without dementia. However, this isn’t easy. With little money from the government, they have to rely on public donations.

Not only is Alzheimer’s disease a cost to the UK economy, it is also a huge cost to the lives of those it affects – this is not just those who have Dementia, but also their close friends, family and especially their carer(s). To look after someone you love and have to watch them suffer and deteriorate in front of your eyes is incredibly hard, especially as they could get to the point of not only not knowing who you are, but also who they are. They could look in a mirror and not know who they’re looking at.

Sally’s story shows the pain and worry caused by Alzheimer’s:

“Since mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she’s gone downhill quite quickly. What upsets me more than anything is that sometimes, when she’s around my daughter Emma, it’s like she doesn’t know who she is. The frightening truth is that more and more people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every day. I’m terrified that if I become one of them, I won’t remember Emma either. And I know that I’m just one of the thousands of parents who feel that way. That’s why the research carried out by Alzheimer’s Research UK is so important.”

Having read my blog please would you answer the questions below and post me a response with your thoughts. If you do post a response, please can you tell where you come from i.e. hometown and country.

• Do you feel more informed about Alzheimer’s disease?
• Would you now be willing to support Alzheimer’s Research UK in any of the following ways …
1.) Make a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK?
2.) Start or join a fundraising campaign?
3.) Sign up to receive regular information about Alzheimer’s Research and the work they are doing?
4.) Inform your friends and family about Alzheimer’s Research UK so that they too may help in any of the above ways?
•Would you now be willing to campaign or fundraise for Alzheimer’s Research UK?
• Would you now be willing to inform your family and friends about Alzheimer’s Research UK?

If you are interested and would like to know more, please visit the Alzheimer’s Research UK website:
http://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/Thank you again for taking the time for reading my blog, I am very grateful that you have shown an interest.
I will leave you with a quote from Alzheimer’s Research UK
“Families all over the UK are counting on our research. Together, we can make sure we don’t let them down.”

Thank you.
Alice

The Royal British Legion- Shoulder to shoulder with those who served

Thank you for taking time to look at my blog, The British Legion are an amazing charity very close to my heart but without the charity and support of the public they cannot do the work they manage to do.
I hope that once you have read through my blog you will have a better understanding of who the British legion are would be willing to somehow get involved with this worthwhile charity.
The British legion aim to provide support, financial help and psychological stability to those servin in the armed forces and their families. In addition they work to commemorate those who have in the past fallen while serving in the armed forces through selling poppies and raising awareness.


War can leave a huge dent in peoples’ lives; the heroes who served in honour of our country should get the help they deserve! When someone returns from war they may have been injured or may return mentally unstable, that is if they return at all. The people serving in the armed forces, both men and women, don’t get the help they need most of the time but the British legion tries to help as many people as they can. While a family member is away the British legion gives support to the families and in the rare case that the loved one does not return the British legion helps the family financially and emotionally so they can go on to live a normal life.

Additionally the British Legion helps the veterans who once served in the armed forces with simple things such as changing a light bulb to more serious cases like housing arrangements. With the British Legion helping them the Veterans can live a normal, stable, happy life which they may not have been able to before.

However; without the support and charity of the public the British Legion cannot manage to do all of the wonderful things they do. You can get involved with the British Legion by donating to them via their website or post or you can show your support by purchasing a poppy on poppy day. By purchasing a poppy you are not only donating but you are also helping to remember the lives lost for our country, this may seem a small thing but if everyone were to donate a pound then The British Legion would be able to help many, many more people!

If you would like to know more about the British Legion you can visit their website at: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/
Once again, thank you for reading this and if you can answer these questions underneath it would be a great help to me:

Had you heard of the British Legion before reading this?

Do you or have you ever known or been related to someone serving in the armed forces?

Has my Blog helped you understand who the British Legion are?

And lastly, if given a chance would you support the British Legion or donate to them?

If you manage to leave a comment it would be very helpful if you could say where you come for e.g. Town/country.

Many thanks,
Freya

We should save the animals - they can’t save themselves

Hello, viewer you will today witness an amazing feat of a dog tightrope walking, actually no as this is wrong and is what my charity, Animal Aid, is trying to stop. Anywaay …Thank you for taking interest in my blog. Looking after animals (no matter what they are) is extremely important to me. Many people think “It doesn’t harm my pets, so why should I care!”, but it does matter, if we don’t do something about this now many wild animals could be driven to extinction and animal cruelty will still be in practice in the future. Something has to be done now to change this picture: My charity, Animal Aid, has been helping animals for many years now and after over 15 successful campaigns I think they need more publicity, as they are not as well known as other campaigns like WWF and the RSPCA who are rather well known animal rights campaigns but do a similar job as my charity. My charity has been helping with many major campaigns, like animal testing and to ban hunting. At the moment they are campaigning to put security cameras in slaughter houses. So far eight big supermarkets have agreed, and the videos they have recorded are gruesome with so much violence even to protected animals ! I think you should support my charity for the animals; there are many ways you can do this such as:

• Order products from the Animal Aid website you could buy a gift for a birthday(address included at the bottom of this post)
• Order a pack of purple poppies or even just one for yourself (for one poppy it is 150p but all the money goes to support these poor animals and when you wear the poppy you are also remembering the animals who die in war.)
• By a vegetarian or vegan (or you can do something like meat free Monday)
• Getting monthly emails on Animal Aid’s current campaigns
• Ordering a free “get active “ pack from the website

BEFORE you just turn your eyes away from the screen and go completely forget about Animal Aid please can you leave a comment, I would be extremely grateful if you could please answer the following questions?

1. Had you heard of Animal Aid before you read my blog?
2. Would you now support Animal Aid or make a donation?
3. Would you tell your friends and family (and your pets) about Animal Aid?
4. Have I changed your opinion or attitude to this issue and how if I have?
5. Do you now know more about Animal Aid?
6. Just out of interest which countries do you live in it would be interesting to know.

Thank you for reading, I am so grateful you have, if you need more information please visit the Animal Aid website (http://animalaid.org.uk/ ).
Maria

Imagine a world without poverty and without hunger. ActionAid do.

Hello, my name is Nicole, thank you for taking an interest in my blog. I am supporting ActionAid – a cause worth your time!

ActionAid doesn't just tackle the effects of poverty; they also change what keeps people poor. Despite improving people’s lives every day they know that it’s not enough. So they work relentlessly to change whatever is keeping people trapped in poverty. This means they have a better chance of ending poverty for good.

ActionAid is a partnership between people in rich and poor countries dedicated to ending poverty and injustice. They work with local people to fight hunger and disease, seek justice and education for women, hold companies and governments accountable and cope with emergencies in over 40 countries. At ActionAid they take advantage of over 30 years of knowledge and experience in fighting poverty. They don't impose solutions, but work with communities over many years to strengthen their own efforts to throw off poverty. They constantly ask themselves how they can make the greatest impact with their resources.

ActionAid is different from other development agencies because of their long-term grassroots development approach, their innovative ways of working on basic education and HIV & AIDS, their rights-based approach to emergencies, their peace building and reconciliation work in Africa, their close partnerships with local organisations in developing countries, their international leadership from developing countries, their committed, long-term supporter base and their lack of religious or political affiliations. Their project work in Africa, Asia and Latin America is at the heart of what they do. They have developed projects that enable people living in poverty to claim their rights to, for example, education, food, and drugs for treating HIV & AIDS. These issues are often linked, and so they have developed projects that tackle them holistically.


Anita (right), aged 5, lives in Kibera, the biggest slum in Africa, where she looks after her younger siblings and her sick mother. But here’s a thought. What if children like five year old Anita could learn to read and write at school instead of staying home to care for their younger siblings? What if they were given time to play with their friends instead of travelling miles to collect clean water each day? What if their mothers could afford the medicines they needed when they were sick instead of watching them suffer? What if children everywhere were able to just be children? What ifs won’t change Anita’s life but you can.

ActionAid is beating poverty one step at a time - and there are hundreds of ways that you can help. Do something you love, make your voice heard, have an adventure, sponsor a child, make politicians listen, sign up, join in, get your business involved – or just give a donation that will change the lives of generations. When it comes to beating poverty and injustice, it is easy to make your mark. Find out here how you can change the world.

For more information go to http://www.actionaid.org.uk/.

Thank you again for reading my blog and I would like it if you would answer my questions in the comment space below along with your home town and country (if not UK).

Were you aware of ActionAid and its work before reading my blog?

Would you support ActionAid now?
What is your opinion towards ActionAid?
Would you be prepared to donate, sponsor or fundraise for ActionAid now?
Many Thanks!
Nicole

Cat’astrophe!

Thank you very much for taking an interest in my citizenship blog which focuses on the topic of abandoned and neglected cats. I am trying to raise the awareness of the public and my family and friends. The charity I have chosen to advocate for is The Blue Cross which is a registered charity run by volunteers and completely funded by donations, cat adoption fees and fund raising events. Also people sometimes bring them in as they can’t handle the cat anymore.

The blue cross has to buy food for many cats and then keep them entertained, this means paying for more staff. Does the thought of helpless animals being left, malnourished on the streets, often treated cruelly and beaten upset you? Imagine how the animal feels, they are going through all of this and need your help. Does it make you angry when you see pictures of malnourished cats like the one above? Would you like to help put a stop to animals like this suffering further? Are you a cat lover who doesn’t understand how loving pets could be abandoned to fend on their own?

The Blue Cross are currently fund raising and need more money to finance their work in proactively finding abandoned and stray cats, returning them to good health and finding them loving homes. The number of cats brought in to the Blue Cross centres by their owners is also on the increase because people cannot afford to care for them in these trying financial times are on the increase as well. We will never turn a cat away. As the number of cat’s increases, so do the food and accommodation costs as well as the day to day running costs of the centres, so it is vital that people, who care, like you, get involved in fund raising projects. The organisation is staffed by cat lovers from all walks of life and any help you could give would be appreciated. If you want to do something, why not volunteer. Go to the blue cross web site for details. If you are unable to help with your time then please donate to the charity as much as you can and help us to help more distressed and abandoned pets. Please answer my questionnaire and give feedback; any comments will be much appreciated. Thank you once again for choosing to read my blog I hope I have taught you more. It would be helpful if you could please state the country & town that you live in if not in the UK and post a brief comment to the questions below.

 Had you heard of the Blue Cross before you read my blog?
 Would you be willing to donate after reading this?
 Would you spread the word and tell other people about the Blue Cross?

I’m very grateful for you visiting my blog thank you from Lucy.