Urban Sports Providing Brighter Futures For Young Aberdonians

 Aberdeen City, Sport  No Responses »
May 122017
 

With thanks to Esther Green, Senior Account Executive, Tricker PR

Disengaged young people living in Aberdeen are being supported to reach their potential through a range of award-winning urban sports and culture programmes that have received a four figure boost from Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charitable Foundation.

Transition Extreme’s renowned youth projects combine its extreme sports and arts offering with essential skills and offer a spring board for disengaged and disadvantaged young people to move their lives onwards in a positive direction.

The donation from the Aberdeen Charity Committee of the global finance management company will support Transition Extreme in delivering its youth and community programmes like its Alternative, Outreach and Extreme Arts Academies.

The youth charity provides coaching in activities like BMX biking, skating, climbing wall, high ropes and art and design and adds in valuable life skills training, which helps increase confidence and motivation among young people who have become disengaged from traditional forms of education.

One of its longest running programmes, the Alternative Academy, works with 15-18 year olds that have become disconnected with mainstream education, training or employment. Working with agencies including social work, police and education, the Academy is designed to provide supports coaching which supports physical and mental health, complemented by soft skills workshops where employers provide support with essential skills like how to prepare for an interview, CV writing, applying for a job and fitting into a team.

Sam Begg (pictured above), fundraising manager for Transition Extreme said:

“Aberdeen Asset Management’s kind donation will help our youth work team deliver vital work and programmes tailored towards helping  disadvantaged and disengaged youngsters make positive life transitions.

“Our facility has a cool dynamic and buzz that appeals to young people who feel comfortable about coming here. As well as the sports side which is fun, we help deliver soft skills which helps towards future employability. People learn in different ways, not just sitting at a desk, and it’s encouraging to have young people come here and gain new skills. We practice what we preach as 25% of our workforce has joined us from these academies.”

Claire Drummond, head of charitable giving at Aberdeen Asset Management said:

“Transition Extreme is a well-known Aberdeen centre which offers a whole range of urban sports and is a real focus for the youth of the city.

“The programmes delivered by its Youth Work Teams are helping to build up self-belief and confidence among young people and offer an important part in the process towards helping them into further education, training or work.

“The support from our Aberdeen Charity Committee will help continue the good work of investing in positive life transitions for young people of Aberdeen.”

The Aberdeen Asset Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact and the firm encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects.

The main focus of the Foundation is around emerging markets and local communities, reflecting the desire to give back to those areas which are a key strategic focus of the business and to build on the historic pattern of giving to communities in which Aberdeen employees live and work. For more information visit http://www.aberdeen-asset.co.uk/aam.nsf/foundation/home

Transition Extreme is located at Aberdeen Beachfront and  its facilities are open to the public. As well as a range of training programmes for young people, it runs outreach  projects in Aberdeen communities.

More information is available from its website http://www.transition-extreme.com

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New Drop-In Sessions At CLAN Cancer Support

 Aberdeen City, Information  No Responses »
May 052017
 

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Account Manager, Jasmine Ltd.

CLAN Cancer Support has introduced a new monthly drop-in information and support session in Aberdeen.

The leading north-east cancer charity will provide the service on the first Saturday of each month, offering free support,
information and services to anyone affected by cancer.

Taking place on Saturday May 6 between 9.30am and 1pm at CLAN House on Westburn Road, no appointment is required, with anyone interested invited to ‘drop-in’ to the centre.

A full range of CLAN services will be available throughout the morning including complementary therapies, children, teens and family support and access to CLAN’s information library. Members of staff, along with trained support volunteers, will also be on hand to assist anyone visiting CLAN for the first time.

Visitors can also talk to representatives from CLAN’s Children and Families teams, who can provide specialist advice and support to individuals and families. The drop-in session replaces the charity’s monthly coffee morning, allowing for a greater focus on information support.

Iona Mitchell, CLAN’s head of cancer support services, said:

“CLAN is committed to making its services as accessible as possible and we’re encouraging those interested in hearing how CLAN may be able to help them and their loved ones to head along to our drop-in session on Saturday.

“This will be a change from our previous weekend opening, which included a coffee morning. By opening our doors on a Saturday morning, with the focus on service provision, we aim to ensure that people who may not be able to visit a CLAN centre during the week can also access our vital support services. The sessions are open to anyone affected by cancer and are relaxed and informal.”

CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort, support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Buckie, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For more information about CLAN Cancer Support, please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org

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Holiday Fun Delivered To Seriously Ill Youngsters

 Aberdeen City, Featured  No Responses »
May 052017
 

Holiday fun at Over The Wall’s Scottish Summer Camp last year.

With thanks to Esther Green, Senior Account Executive, Tricker PR

A charity which gives children and young people living with serious health challenges a holiday to help them discover a whole new world of possibilities is laying on an extra place for a deserving North-east youngster – thanks to the support of Aberdeen Asset Management’s Charities Foundation.

Gaining £1800 from the Aberdeen charities committee has enabled Over The Wall to provide an additional place at its 2017 Scotland camp for a seriously ill child living in Aberdeenshire.

The therapeutic recreation activity camp, for children aged 8-17 with serious and life limiting illnesses, takes place at Strathallan School in Perthshire in July.

Since 1999 many of the UK’s most seriously ill children have been able to go swimming, catch their first fish, dance in the sunshine, perform centre stage and create the memories of a lifetime with Over The Wall. The self-esteem and confidence of  campers sky-rockets as they learn that they are not combating childhood diseases alone.

The small national charity provides free residential activity camps for children and their families and through participation in a proven programme of fun-filled recreational and educational activities, the camps help promote inclusion whilst developing the confidence, self-esteem, coping strategies and peer relationships of all their campers.

The mum of a teenage boy who attended last year’s Scottish camp said of the experience:

“He had an amazing time, he returned more confident, happy and relaxed. For the first time he was able to enjoy activities and forget about his illness. I am a very happy Mum!”

Julie Foster, Trusts and Foundations Fundraiser for Over The Wall said:

“The camps enable the children to reach beyond their illness to rediscover a whole new world of possibilities and we rely on donations like this one from Aberdeen Asset Management, along with volunteer support,  to help us give children a week of experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun and empowering, in a physically safe and medically sound environment.”

Claire Drummond, head of charitable giving forAberdeen Asset Management said:

“Through the support of the Aberdeen Committee we are giving a local child the chance to attend camp, create memories for a lifetime and build their self-esteem and confidence at the same time. We are proud to be able to provide support in the local community in which we operate in this way.”

Aberdeen Asset Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop the Group’s charitable giving globally. The Foundation seeks partnerships with smaller charities around the world, where funds can be seen to have a meaningful and measurable impact and the firm encourages its employees to use their time and skills to support its charitable projects.

The main focus of the Foundation is around emerging markets and local communities, reflecting the desire to give back to those areas which are a key strategic focus of the business and to build on the historic pattern of giving to communities in which Aberdeen employees live and work.

For more information visit http://www.aberdeen-asset.co.uk/aam.nsf/foundation/home

For full details of  Over The Wall visit http://www.otw.org.uk

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CLAN Lunch Raises Over £10,000

 Aberdeen City, Featured, News  No Responses »
Apr 282017
 

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix.

Generous individuals from throughout the north-east have come together to raise more than £10,000 at a leading cancer support charity’s annual fundraising lunch.

CLAN Cancer Support welcomed 280 guests to Ardoe House Hotel and Spa last week for one of the charity’s biggest fundraising events of the year.

Star of Channel 4’s First Dates CiCi Coleman hosted the popular event, which included a prosecco reception, 2 course lunch, guest speaker, auction, raffle and a Michael Bublé tribute act.

Guests heard from Claire Fleming who spoke about her Christopher’s CLAN challenge fundraising effort in memory of her brother who died of cancer when Claire was a teenager.

Claire is bringing in funds for CLAN to help other families going through a similar experience, as she realised how much she would have valued the support of the organisation herself.

In advance of the lunch, table hosts were provided with a donation bag that they could fill with any unwanted clothes and items that could be handed over to CLAN on the day.

The donations gathered will be used to stock the charity’s busy shops on Rosemount Place and Chapel Street – with a fantastic 56 bags donated on the day.

The lunch was sponsored by BP for the eighth year, enabling every penny of the money raised to go directly to CLAN’s provision of free cancer support services across the north and north-east of Scotland.

Dr Colette Backwell, chief executive of CLAN, said:

“Year on year, our CLAN lunch continues to be generously supported by the people of the north-east and it was wonderful to see so many people there on the day.

“I took the opportunity to highlight how the funds raised from last year’s lunch have been spent on extending the geographical reach of CLAN’s service provision, development of our Children and Families Service which now supports over 350 children and their families, and CLAN Haven which, in 2016 provided accommodation on over 9250 occasions to cancer patients and their families from remote locations in the north-east attending Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for cancer treatment.

“CiCi was a fantastic host and we also appreciate Claire Fleming joining us and sharing her story with guests. We are delighted to have raised £10,000 and I would like to thank everyone who continues to back us. This support is hugely appreciated by our clients and everyone at the charity. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to BP for their continued commitment in supporting us through the event.”

CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort, support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Buckie, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For more information about CLAN Cancer Support, please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org

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Grants To Fund Activities For Children With Disabilities

 Aberdeen City, Featured  No Responses »
Apr 202017
 

With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates.

Michelle Ferguson, Cash for Kids charity manager.

An Aberdeen-based children’s charity has distributed over £17,500 of funding to 24 families and community groups to improve the lives of children living in north-east Scotland.
Cash for Kids, which supports sick, disabled and disadvantaged children living in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, has made the awards as part of its quarterly grant funding programme.

The programme’s broad remit ensures the charity is able to fulfil a diverse range of applications each year, some of which are not eligible for funding from other sources.

Two of the beneficiaries in the recent funding round are the Community Resources Hub at Aboyne Academy and local charity KidsOut – both provide activities for children with physical and learning disabilities.

The Community Resources Hub at Aboyne Academy caters for children with medium to severe and complex educational needs.
Unable to participate in mainstream education, they are taught a life skills orientated curriculum that meets their individual needs. The hub has been granted over £300 to give the children a one-day sailing session at Loch of Skene with Aberdeenshire Sailing Trust.

This session will allow the children to sample a new activity and develop their self-esteem and personal and social skills.

KidsOut is a local charity run by 17 Rotary clubs based in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.

The charity has received £3,500 to help stage its annual fun day at Craibstone Estate. Last year, around 600 children with disabilities from 35 local primary schools attended the event and enjoyed a range of activities and experiences. The funding will be used to help cover the cost of transporting the children to the event in June.

Cash for Kids distributes grant funding at the end of January, April, July and October each year, with applications assessed by its board. All applications must be endorsed by a third party, such as a social worker or health visitor, and applications for the next funding round must be submitted by Wednesday, 19 April.

Last month, in order to help fulfil future applications, Cash for Kids launched a major appeal to raise £50,000. The 500 Faces campaign looks to recruit 500 people from Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire who will each commit to raise £100 for the charity by the end of December. A number of tradespeople, schoolchildren and local shops have already signed up to the initiative.

Michelle Ferguson, Cash for Kids charity manager, said:

“Cash for Kids’ quarterly grant funding programme is a central and important part of what the charity does. We look to support as diverse a range of requests as possible each quarter and encourage applications from across the region.

“All of the money Cash for Kids raises is distributed locally. It is always great to assist projects such as those run by Aboyne Academy and KidsOut that provide disabled children with fantastic new experiences that can help with their development.

“The grant programme gives families and community groups access to a source of funding that can support the purchase of items that are often not eligible for funding through other sources. For some families that can mean facilitating the purchase of specialist equipment to improve the quality of life of their sick or disabled child.”

To register to take part in Cash for Kids’ 500 Faces fundraising initiative, visit www.northsound1.com/faces.

Cash for Kids is Northsound Radio’s listeners’ charity. It makes grants to individuals, families, children’s groups, organisations and projects throughout the Northsound transmission area. All money is raised locally and spent locally to benefit local disabled and disadvantaged children and young people under 18.

More information on Cash for Kids can be found at www.northsound1.com/charity, or telephone 01224 337010.

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CLAN Urges Runners To Race On Their Behalf

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Apr 012017
 

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix.

A north-east cancer support charity is appealing to runners to consider tackling some of the region’s most popular runs on its behalf.

CLAN Cancer Support has spaces available for this year’s Baker Hughes 10K, which will take place on Sunday May 14. The charity is also signing up participants for Run Balmoral on Saturday April 22 and Sunday April 23 and the inaugural Great Aberdeen Run on Sunday August 27.

Last year, runners came to the fore to raise money for CLAN and the charity is looking forward to being well represented at events throughout 2017.

Alastair Brookes, CLAN’s Head of Fundraising, said:

“These races are among the most popular in the north-east running calendar and we are thrilled to have places on offer for them.

“This year we will also see the first Great Aberdeen Run which is sure to be a fantastic spectacle which we are all very much looking forward to. We have spaces available for both the 10K and the half marathon for those who would like to be part of the inaugural event.

“We would appreciate the support of any member of the public who is considering taking part in either, or even all, of the events.

“The backing the charity has had from runners in the north-east has been incredible in previous years and we’re really looking to keep this momentum up this year. I’d encourage anyone interested in taking part in any of the races on behalf of CLAN to get in touch and find out more.”

For more information or to take up a place please contact CLAN’s fundraising team on 01224 647000 or email fundraising@clanhouse.org.

CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort, support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Buckie, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For more information about CLAN Cancer Support, please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org

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City Pub Regulars Raise Thousands For Children’s Charity

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Apr 012017
 

Regulars at a popular Aberdeen bar have answered a call to raise thousands of pounds for a local children’s charity. With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates.

During 2016, customers of McNasty’s on Summer Street dug deep to raise over £5,000 for north-east charity Cash for Kids.

The bar’s owners, Stephen and Linda Taylor, were keen to once again support the charity which works to improve the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children living in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

This contribution follows £4,000 handed over to the charity last year as a result of fundraising during 2015.

Central to McNasty’s annual fundraising initiative is a fortnightly quiz that attracts around 15 teams. The quizzes are set by pub regulars Barry Cooke and Iain Sluyter, something the duo have done in their spare time for the past seven years.

In addition to the fortnightly quiz, Barry and his friend Ronnie Falconer, assisted by the team at McNasty’s, have organised a number of other fundraising events at the bar. This has included race nights, raffles and band nights – at which local bands take to the stage free of charge. Amongst the bands that have performed are The Capollos and Winston Smith.

Co-owner of McNasty’s, Stephen Taylor, said:

“All of our customers and suppliers have once again got behind our fundraising and shown real generosity. To have increased the amount we handed over to Cash for Kids compared to the previous year is fantastic. It is great to know that the money will be used locally to make a real difference to the lives of children across the north-east.”

Quiz organiser Barry Cooke, who works as an operations support coordinator for Apache North Sea, said:

“The popularity of the quiz grows year-on-year, meaning that the amount we raise from it for charity also increases. Although each quiz takes time to set, the reward is in knowing how much the charity, and those that it supports, benefits.”

Cash for Kids will use all of the money donated by McNasty’s to help fulfil applications to its quarterly grant funding programme. Grants are made to individuals, families and community groups in order to help improve the quality of children’s lives. Applications for the next round of grant funding must be submitted by Friday, 14 April and endorsed by a third party such as a social worker or health visitor.

Cash for Kids charity manager Michelle Ferguson said:

“We’re very grateful to the customers and staff at McNasty’s who helped to raise this brilliant amount during 2016. Businesses committing to this type of fundraising, with the support of their customers, is very important for charities and can help to make a real difference to the lives of the people we support. In Cash for Kids’ case it is the thousands of sick, disabled or disadvantaged children that live in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

“The pub quiz at McNasty’s might not be the easiest, but Barry, Ian and the team at the pub certainly make sure it is a fun and sociable night.”

Cash for Kids is Northsound Radio’s listeners’ charity. It makes grants to individuals, families, children’s groups, organisations and projects throughout the Northsound transmission area. All money is raised locally and spent locally to benefit local disabled and disadvantaged children and young people under 18. More information on Cash for Kids can be found at www.northsound1.com/cashforkids, or telephone 01224 337010.

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Charity Issues Rallying Mother’s Day Call To Parents

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Mar 242017
 

With thanks to Clare Scott, Communications Consultant, CJS Communication & Marketing.

An Aberdeen-based family support charity is using Mother’s Day to highlight the important role that experienced parents can play in supporting new mums and dads.
Home-Start Aberdeen works with families in the city, with at least one child under five years old, who may be vulnerable or suffering from
isolation. 

It provides these families with weekly support, which is delivered in their own home by a trained home visiting volunteer.

The majority of Home-Start Aberdeen volunteers are parents themselves, who understand the challenges involved in bringing up a family.

Now one of the largest Home-Start schemes in the UK, Home-Start Aberdeen supports over 220 families and 360 children each year. Isolation remains one of the most common reasons for referrals and the charity has a waiting list of more than 30 families who are in need of help.

Georgette Cobban, scheme manager, Home-Start Aberdeen said:

“Many of today’s new parents don’t have immediate access to a solid support network.

“People move around a lot more, meaning that extended family are not always available to give a helping hand, or to provide new parents with a break.

“Our home visiting volunteers help to fill that role, by providing a regular presence along with advice and encouragement on how new parents can get involved with community life. As we approach Mothering Sunday, we hope that experienced parents might consider reaching out to others.

“The Home-Start model works very well as the relationship is equal. It is all about parents supporting other parents and we know that our volunteers, as well as our families, get a great deal from it.”

Now in its 30th anniversary year, Home-Start Aberdeen has launched a ’30 in 30’ campaign to recruit 30 new volunteers within 30 weeks. Volunteer induction courses are taking place throughout the year, with the next course starting on Wednesday, 3 May. For further information, go to www.homestartaberdeen.org.uk or email volunteering@homestartaberdeen.org.uk.

Home-Start Aberdeen has been working with communities in the city for 30 years. The charity provides vulnerable families with practical and emotional support in their own homes. Support is provided by trained volunteers, with supervision from a small team of coordinators. Families must have at least one child under five years old and live within the city, otherwise there are no barriers to access.

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First Dates Star To Host CLAN’s Annual Lunch

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Mar 172017
 

With thanks to Jessica Murphy, Senior Account Executive, Citrus:Mix.

A TV celebrity will bring star power to a leading north-east charity’s annual lunch event in April.

Channel 4’s First Dates CiCi Coleman is hosting CLAN Cancer Support’s annual fundraising lunch which is taking place at Ardoe House Hotel and Spa on Wednesday, April 19.

The popular event, which is being supported again by BP, includes a champagne reception, 2 course lunch, guest speaker, auction, raffle and a Michael Bublé tribute act. A host of shopping stalls will also be in situ, ideal for picking up gifts, accessories and items of clothing.

Actress CiCi is a well-known face on TV as she currently performs the role of the waitress in the hit show First Dates.

Alastair Brookes, CLAN’s head of fundraising, said:

“We are delighted that CiCi Coleman will be joining us to host what is a hugely important fundraising event for us.

“We are sure she will be a big draw to the north-east public and are looking forward to welcoming her. We expect tickets to sell out fast so would encourage people to get in touch sooner rather later to ensure you don’t miss out.”

Tickets for the CLAN Lunch, which runs from 11am to 3pm, are now on-sale and are available individually for £35 or as tables of 10 for £350.

Alastair added:

“The north-east’s support of CLAN is always incredible and we are sure it will come to the fore for our lunch. BP’s tremendous support of the event means that all funds raised will go towards our provision of free support services to anyone affected by cancer throughout the north-east of Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. Events like this would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsor and the public, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone along to it.”

Anyone interested in attending the event is asked to contact CLAN’s Steph Dowling on 01224 647000 or email steph.dowling@clanhouse.org

CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort, support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.

Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Buckie, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.

For more information about CLAN Cancer Support, please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org

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Charity Appeals For 500 Fundraisers To Meet 50K Target

 Aberdeen City, Charity  No Responses »
Mar 172017
 

With thanks to Ian McLaren, PR account manager, Innes Associates.

A north-east charity has launched a major appeal to raise £50,000 that will be used to support the region’s sick, disabled and disadvantaged children.
Cash for Kids is looking to recruit 500 people from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to be part of its 500 Faces fundraising campaign.

Each person that signs up will commit to raising £100 this year in order that the local children’s charity’s appeal target is reached.

Tradespeople, work colleagues, groups of friends, families and school classes are all encouraged to take part. It is hoped that the option of spreading fundraising over the course of a year will attract a number of participants.

All of the money from the 500 Faces appeal will be used to help fulfil applications to Cash for Kids’ unique grant funding programme. The charity provides grant funding to individuals, families and community groups across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire on a quarterly basis to help improve the quality of children’s lives.

For some families the grant programme is the only option open to them to fund the purchase of specialist equipment for their children, as often there are no other funding mechanisms. Each application made to the grant programme has to be endorsed by a third party such as a social worker or health visitor.

The 500 Faces appeal is taking place to ensure that as many grant applications as possible are fulfilled each quarter.  Currently, the total value of grant applications received by Cash for Kids outweighs the amount donated by the public and business community. The deadline for submitting applications for the next round of grant funding is Friday, 14 April.

Participants have nine months to reach their £100 goal – which equates to £2.50 a week – and can be as creative as they wish with their fundraising. Money can be raised through one-off challenges, a series of events or regular weekly or monthly donations.

People are expected to fundraise by undertaking sponsored running, cycling, swimming and even slimming challenges, beard shavings and leg waxing, or simply foregoing a weekly takeaway coffee and donating the equivalent value. For local businesses and tradespeople it may be as simple as donating their tips or a percentage of a month’s takings to the appeal.

Michelle Ferguson (pictured), Cash for Kids charity manager, said:

“The 500 Faces campaign is a really fun way for people to get involved with Cash for Kids and raise money throughout the year. There is real flexibility in how individuals can fundraise and no limit to how much each person raises.

“We hope that people across the region get behind the appeal and that all of those who sign up can help motivate one another in achieving their goals. The appeal website has individual and collective totalisers which should help to do this – they’re a bit like high-tech versions of the Blue Peter totalisers. 

“We are looking forward to our participants sharing their fundraising ideas, which will no doubt create some friendly competition.

“When £100 is broken down across the nine months to £2.50 a week, it is a relatively small amount and a manageable fundraising target. The impact that £100 can have on the lives of sick, disabled and disadvantaged children living in our communities is transformational. 

“From purchasing bread for breakfast clubs in deprived areas, to providing equipment for art therapy classes for disabled children, each donation does make a real difference.”

To register, visit www.northsound1.com/faces.

Cash for Kids is Northsound Radio’s listeners’ charity. It makes grants to individuals, families, children’s groups, organisations and projects throughout the Northsound transmission area.  All money is raised locally and spent locally to benefit local disabled and disadvantaged children and young people under 18. More information on Cash for Kids can be found at www.northsound1.com/charity, or telephone 01224 337010.

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