Children In Need – Don’t discard dreams, let them inspire you

Thank you very much for giving some of your time to read my blog and taking an interest! My name is Tori and I am trying to not just raise awareness of ‘Children in Need’ but also to raise awareness of what wonderful things they do! I hope you learn something from this blog and take away a new mind set of what ‘Children in Need’ do and stand for!

I would like to tell you straight away about one of the many things that ‘Children in Need’ have done, showing you why you should care about helping! Look at the little boy in the picture, this is Harrison, he is just 8 years old. He needed an emergency operation to remove part of his skull because he had water on his brain, at first, he couldn't walk without bumping into things but a year later, thanks to the help of ‘Children in Need’ and BIBIC in Somerset, he is doing brilliantly. At BIBIC Harrison receives treatment from the physiotherapist that ‘Children in Need’ funds to help Harrison with his coordination skills. They have helped Harrison learn to do things most children take for granted, such as balance and coordination. Harrison needs to wear a helmet at school to stop him banging his head and doing damage but he can now go swimming, ride a tricycle and is having lots of fun with his friends. Every £15 that ‘Children in Need’ raise could help pay for an hour of specialist nursing for a severely disabled child, don’t you think that such a little amount of money is worth it to put a smile on his face? If you want to see more stories like Harrison’s and how ‘Children in Need’ helped, follow this web link: http: //www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/grants/who-you-help/index.shtml


If you are wondering how you can get involved, worry no more! There are lots of ways in which you can help my advocacy and change lives! Firstly, you could do one of the points below to show your support! (If you wouldn’t mind, could you please comment below to say that you have done one of these and say which one?!)

• Follow ‘Children in Need’ on Twitter
• Like ‘Children in Need’ on Facebook
• Go on to the ‘Children in Need’ website and click on ‘Share’ in the top right hand corner and choose a site you are a member of and share it on that site! (please note that you can share/like/follow on Facebook and Twitter in this way too.)

Secondly, please could you comment below and give your response to the following questions?

• What is your nearest home town and what country are you in? (So I can see how far my advocacy has spread)
• Had you heard of Children in Need BEFORE you read this blog?
• Have you ever donated money to Children in Need?
• Have you learnt something new about this organisation from my blog?
• Do you now feel more inclined to donate money to Children in Need?
• If you have any other comments, please include them in your response, and don’t forget to spread the word amongst your family and friend to try and persuade them to help out in any of the ways above!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and I really hope you will do at least one of the steps above! Come on everybody, let’s take action together!

Thanks!
Tori

Animal Cruelty- Know the sickening truth and how you can help the RSPCA in their mission to make it STOP

Thank you very much for giving your time to read our blog. We are Alex and Isla and we feel very strongly about the terrible issue of animal cruelty. Many animals suffer from real abuse such as being starved hurt or abandoned by their owners for reasons that they cannot control. Nethertheless the RPSCA was established to prevent these terrible actions from happening and so far they have saved millions of animal’s innocent lives by rescuing them, giving them a place to live, food to eat and making sure that they don’t ever have to suffer under the hands of an irresponsible owner ever again.

An example of this is Johnny. Johnny is a little Rottweiler puppy and was found by the RSPCA suffering from severe dehydration and was close to death along with his litter of 7.

His frail image, of course, was as a result of mistreatment and neglecting by his original owner. Thankfully, the RSPCA were able to make a different by treating him for dehydration and E.coli and he is now just as a pup should be: curious, mischievous and raring for adventure.

 

 

Thanks to the RSPCA, his 6 brothers and sisters have all been rehomed and love their new life without fear of abuse or rejection. Johnny himself is still waiting for new parents and loves his new life. This is all down to the RSPCA’s actions. He’s a handsome chap that appears to be well fed and watered, who loves nothing more than to have his tummy scratched. The picture of Johnny above shows him enjoying his new life as he should, free of the fear of neglect or homelessness thanks to the RSPCA who devoted their time to looking after him until he was cured of his dehydration and other illnesses. We believe in what they do to make a better world for animals and support their campaign for it.

Again you have our deepest gratitude for caring about this situation and reading our blog. Please now take the time to post a comment and tell us your thoughts on the matter. Specifically, we would be really pleased if you cared to answer the following questions:

1. Have you learned about the RSPCA from reading our blog?
2. Would you now be willing to donate towards the RSPCA?
3. Would you start or join a fundraising campaign to raise money for the RSPCA?
4. Would you sign up to receive a newsletter giving you information about the work of the RSPCA on the RSPCA website?
5. Would you tell your family and friends about the RSPCA and encourage them to help support the RSPCA?

Please could you please also tell us your home town and the country you live in.

Please visit the RSPCA website at: http://www.rspca.org.uk/home

By Alexandra and Isla 

Have you ever helped a hospice?

Hi we’re Katie Ellie and Charlotte; first of all, we would like to thank you for showing particular interest in our blog! We all feel strongly about the heart-breaking traumas young people have to face if they find out they do not have very long to live. This is where Children’s Hospice South West comes in; it supports the children and family through the difficult stages, aiming to make their lives easier. When you have read our blog, we hope that you will be willing to support them and their cause. Since it’s founding in1991, by Eddie and Jill Farwell, it has grown, now with three houses, it doesn’t give up on the children and gives them a new look on life, to get the most out of every day.

Here is the story about the Daisy Chain Fund, which is raising money to aid the work undertaken by Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). Sophie and Chris Warn set up the Daisy Chain in 2009 when they lost their little daughter, Daisy, to a rare genetic disorder called Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Daisy Elizabeth Warn died, aged just 16 weeks, in November 2009. Chsw offered Chris, Sophie and Daisy lots of love and support during Daisy’s happy but short life. Daisy is in the picture below.

Again, thank you for reading our blog, please now post us a response with your thoughts. Specifically, it would be great if you could write a couple of words in reply to the following questions, and tell your friends about the blog. More detail can be found at http://www.chsw.org.uk, please contribute to the thousands of people already giving children the life they deserve! If you do post, please could you tell us where you come from- your town and country.

·         Are you now more aware of how damaging life threatening illnesses are to the lives of young people in today’s society?

·         Did you know about the aims of Children’s Hospice South West before reading our blog?

·         Do you now feel ore informed about the help of this organization?

·         Would you be willing to do any of the following things to support Children’s Hospice South West?

1. Make a donation.
2. Get others involved in this organisation.
3. Get others involved in the fundraising events held by Children’s Hospice South West.
4. Sign up to sponsor someone who is raising money for a child.

                                                             Thank you, Katie, Ellie, and Charlotte.

IF YOU LET THE NCI DROWN, SO WILL YOU!

To begin with, I would like to thank you for taking an interest in my blog! I feel strongly about supporting people who provide a voluntary service to help others and this is what the NCI (National Coastwatch Institution) do. Not many people are aware of the NCI and its roles in which it provides for us nationally, and this is where I want to step in. Once you have read my blog, I am hoping that you will understand a bit more about the NCI and the good work they do. Please post a comment below and answer the questions at the end of the blog, thank you.  Firstly, who are the NCI and what do they provide for us? The NCI is a very worthy charity that provides a lookout to all of the coast of England. All of the members cover coast watch towers 365 days a year watching the ocean for any incidents that might occur. They save many lives each year but not many people are aware of this charity, particularly if they live in land. Unlike the MCA (Marine Coastguard Agency) and HMCG (Her Majesty’s Coastguard) the NCI provide their time at no cost as they want you to be safe. All of the volunteers are so committed to the protection and safety of others and they provide a regular service. The volunteers do a number of jobs whilst at the tower, here are only a few;

 

• They call the MCA (Marine Coastguard Agency) and HMCG (Her Majesty’s Coastguard) if they see anyone out at sea in distress

• They also applies to anyone walking along the beach or coastal paths around the sea cliffs

• Watching and logging ships- they can report them if they go missing

• Even when the visibility is reduced, they can use there high-tech equipment such as radars and radios to keep in touch with any vessels

• On top of all this, they can spot sea wildlife, which is quite rare to see (e.g. dolphins) and let animal charities know of their presence

As you can see, the volunteers provide a variety of helpful jobs. The following statistics show how useful their role is…

• Number of incidents - 304
• Number of hours manned - 190,039
• Number of stations - 46
• Number of watch keepers – 2,021
• NCI initiated RNLI lifeboat rescues - 53
• Vessels Identified & Logged – 424,497

 

All at no cost to the nation. 

So, how can you support the NCI? The NCI have many ways in which you can support them. You can donate to the NCI as every aspect of NCI relies upon voluntary contribution. You can help them enormously with a donation to the ‘NCI Development Fund’ this enables new stations to open up as well as providing financial assistance to up and running stations in need of extra help. Also they have an NCI shop where you can buy items at bargain prices in relation to the NCI. The NCI are always looking for volunteers to train as watch keepers, not just for stations that are already up and running but also for the additional stations that are in the process of being opened up around the UK coastline. Also, the NCI hold regular events around the UK which vary from Black Bess borris dancing to new stations being officially opened with singers, dancers and musicians. The NCI do as much for the worthy charity as they can. Thank you so much for taking your time to read my blog! I hope that you can now answer some questions.

Go online and visit the NCI website today: www.nci.org.uk

 

1. Please tell me your hometown & country. (If not the UK.)

 

2. Have you ever heard of this voluntary organisation before this blog?

 

3. Do you now feel more informed about who they are and what jobs they do?

 

4. Would you be prepared to support the NCI tower Torbay in the future, meaning giving donations, supporting there events etc.?

 

5. Would you tell others about this voluntary organisation and the job that they provide?

 

 

The NCI assits in saving boats like this all over England, wouldn’t you like to be a part of that? If so, join the NCI today or become involved with ‘The friends of NCI’ who raise the money to help the NCI.

 

 

Riding For The Disabled- Are You Going To Ignore Their Dreams?

Hi, my name is Alice. Firstly, thank you for taking interest in my blog! My aim is to raise awareness about Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled. The RDA is a charity that gives mentally and physically disabled people a chance to learn to ride horses. It is an amazing opportunity for them to do something fun and therapeutic, at the same time.

Erme Valley RDA is based at The Brooke, near Ivybridge, has 160 riders, 120 helpers, 8 instructors and 10 horses. They train all of their volunteers and horses from scratch to ensure they have the knowledge, training and understanding to help with the RDA. With your help, the RDA gives 3.5 thousand rides a year. But, it costs £45,000 a year to do all of this. All this money comes from the public, so if you stop giving, you are taking away all of these thousands of rides from adults and children like Claire.

This is Claire’s story…

 Claire has been coming to Riding for the Disabled for about 18 months. She has Down’s Syndrome and has very poor muscle tone in her lower body due to complications after heart surgery, and she is nearly 11 years old. Riding gives Claire lots of opportunities which she would not otherwise have. It is wonderful for Claire to have this unique opportunity to come in contact with something alive. Because of the nature of their disabilities, children like Claire do not have the same access to outdoor activities as their peers and it is lovely that she has the chance to be out in the fresh air, feeling and seeing the change in the seasons and weather. Riding is definitely one of the highlights of Claire’s week. She loves to tell family and friends about her riding, it has been really good for her confidence and self-esteem to take part in something so special. Because of her physical limitations there are lots of things Claire cannot do and riding is her chance to do something that within the family, no-one else does.

Claire’s dream was made reality by the RDA, so she can now do something that is fun and therapeutic at the same time. By donating to Erme Valley RDA, you are helping people like Claire do something they love. It would be great if you could now write a few words answering the questions below. More information and details about Erme Valley RDA can be found on their website http://www.ridingatthebrook.co.uk or on the national website http://www.rda.org.uk  Please help all these people with disabilities by donating, volunteering, holding a fundraiser or by simply buying the RDA merchandise. If you do leave a comment, please tell me your home town and country. Thank you again for reading my blog.

Questions:

1. Had you heard/thought about Erme Valley RDA before reading my blog?
2. Do you now feel more informed about the RDA?
3. Would you now support the RDA by doing one of the following (please state which):

Making a donation, signing up to receive a newsletter, buying RDA merchandise, telling your friends and family about Erme Valley RDA? 

Thank you ever so much,

Alice

Afghan Heroes: Will you help us help them?

Thank you for visiting our blog on the charity of Afghan Heroes. We’re Issy and Arabel and we are trying to raise awareness for this charity and help many of the families that need help and support because of a death of a loved one or fatal injury.  Afghan Heroes can be supported in many ways such as attending one of their events or even donating some money online. Surely no one would want or think that a family should live in grief for the rest of their lives or that the soldiers that are fighting for our country would have no help or support. In July 2009 the mother of a soldier who died in an explosion in Afghanistan had the idea to set up a charity to provide support for those directly involved in the conflict. She found other mothers with the same feelings and Afghan Heroes was launched.

Since 2009 Afghan Heroes has been delivering support through:

·         The “thank the troops” initiative – where 10,000 boxes were delivered to British troops in Afghanistan on Armed Forces Day 2010, giving them some home comforts and gratitude from the public.

·         Motivational and morale boosting support directly to our forces on the front line via letters from the public and newsletters.

·         Building a support network for the families of the fallen, creating an open environment where families can give support to each other.

·         Providing in Weymouth, Dorset the first of a network of  accommodation for families and soldiers suffering from trauma.

·         Public appearances at events throughout the UK highlighting the work of those serving in Afghanistan and raising funds through the sale of Afghan Heroes merchandise.

·         Supporting the many returning soldiers who have witnessed these horrific atrocities in the course of performing their duties.

Since 2009 there has been an overwhelming wave of support from groups and individuals raising money  initiatives for Afghan Heroes. The charity intends to continue to provide whatever help is needed for families and our brave service personnel. They need more support so will you help us to help them?

Please could you now answer some questions to help us to understand how effective our blog has been please also tell us your home town and country where you live.

Ø  Had you ever heard/thought about Afghan Heroes before reading our blog?

Ø   Do you now feel more informed about it?

Ø  Would you now support our campaign to Afghan Heroes or make a donation towards it by either donating online at http://www.justgiving.com/afghanheroes/donate or by attending one of their events? Would you now please tell your family and friends about Afghan Heroes & try to persuade them to join our cause? Please Visit the Afghan Heroes website http://afghanheroes.org.uk/content.asp?c=1  for more information

Thank you very much for reading our blog and helping us to help them.

Issy & Arabel