The WWF have given praise to police who prosecuted a man found trading in large amounts of illegal ivory. Mr. Michael Elliott, 57 of Gravesend, Kent was found guilty today at Southwark Crown Court and given a two year suspended sentence, plus ordered to pay £1480 in costs.

This was one of the largest seizures of ivory made to in the UK by the Wildlife Crime Unit. Their findings not only uncovered 24 whole ivory tusks, but also dozens of hand carved items made from elephant, hippo and sperm whale ivory.

Hippo, sperm whale and African Elephant are all listed as vulnerable, and Asian elephants are listed currently listed as endangered. It is now believed that just 470,000 to 690,000 African elephants survive today in the wild, whilst only 25,600 to 33,000 Asian elephants remain.

All of these species are protected from uncontrolled international trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The C.I.T.E.S. is an international agreement signed by 173 countries to ban the commercial trade in endangered species. Operation Charm was launched by the Met Police in 1995 and is the only current police initiative against the illegal ivory trade in the UK.

Elephant tusks can be carved into ornaments and jewellery, as can whale bones and hippo’s teeth. Whilst a small proportion of ivory is taken from animals that have naturally died, the demand for ivory often leads to elephants being poached. With an international ban in place on the trade of ivory since 1990, corruption and a lack of enforcement on the ivory markets in Africa and Asia fuel the illegal trade.

The WWF’s UK trade officer Heather Sohl said -
“We praise the successful prosecution of a man trying to break a law put in place to protect endangered species across the globe. On the face of it the sentence does appear lenient. Strict penalties are available and should be used to discourage future criminality of this nature. This case demonstrates the need for UK police forces to have officers dedicated to combating wildlife crime. By working in partnership with them we will bring an end to this illegal trade before it brings an end to some of the world’s most important species.”

Over 30,000 ivory items have been seized by the Wildlife Crime Unit in the last decade, with the group also serving as a model enforcement agency for officials in China, India and other countries who have problems with wildlife trafficking.

> > click here to make a donation to the WWF

> > click here to find out more about the work of the WWF

London grime sensation Dizzee Rascal is set to release a track for the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably.
The track is called ‘Dean’ and was written by Dizzee after a close friend of his committed suicide. The track was initially recorded to appear on the album ‘Maths and English’, but didn’t make the final cut. After representatives for C.A.L.M. heard the track they decided it would be a powerful tool in helping young people talk about their problems before things get too serious. Spokesperson Jane Powell said –

‘The key for us is putting out the message that strong isn’t silent and having someone like Dizzee get this message out is just fantastic. Young men listen, for the most part, to other young men rather than charities or government spokespeople.’

The track now has a video and is available to download from iTunes, with all the profits going towards the running of the C.A.L.M help centre. The charity runs a hotline and website aimed at talking young men with worries, something Dizzee wishes his old school friend Dean had done before he took his own life.

“He was one of the first people I’d ever known to have died and the fact he committed suicide was a shock. I didn’t quite know how to feel. Everyone’s talking about gun crime and knife crime and a lot of people are suffering because of it. With things like Calm, you can talk to them beacuase that is the main thing – talking.”

Question: What’s the smartest way to help people in the world’s poorest communities help themselves?

Answer: Quizaid a new quiz night game from Christian Aid

Quizaid is the best quiz night in town – and it’s organised by you.

Challenge your friends, colleagues and neighbours to dust off their brain cells – and make a real difference this Christian Aid Week.

QuizAid events are currently being held across the nation for Christian Aid Week. Take a look at this fantastic event that was held on Monday night in North London :

If you are interested in holding a Quiz Aid evening all the available resources can be found here: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/christianaidweek/quizaid/index.aspx

Leonardo DiCaprio is narrating and also producing ‘The 11th Hour’, a documentary about environmental issues to be broadcast on Channel 4 later this month.

The documentary, to be transmitted on May 25, will feature leading scientific and political arguments about the environmental disaster the Earth is currently facing. Guest speakers will include professor Stephen Hawking, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The film itself will be narrated DiCaprio, and was written and directed by sisters Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners, co founders of the Tree Media Group.

Tree Media have been in operation for 9 years, and thier mission is to use the media to support and sustain civil society. The film calls for action to change global human activity through technology, whilst claiming that not since a meteor hit earth 55million years ago have so many forms of life become extinct on this planet.

The film itself received critical acclaim when it premiered at the Canne Film Festival last year. Channel 4 has recently purchased the broadcast rights to the documentary from Warner Bros, who will also be releasing a DVD of the film in June.

It’s great to see big screen stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio using their voice to help save the environment, as future generations really need to sit up and take notice off the climate change issue. Hopefully with such a high profile star fronting this campaign, more people will sit up and take notice.

You too can help the planet’s enviromental problems by making a donation to Greenpeace, or even help save half an acre of rain forest with the World Trust. 

> > click here to help Greenpeace protect the environment

> > click here to save a save half an acre of rainforest

Cyclone Nargis has claimed up to 22,000 lives in Burma, with the number of dead possibly rising to 50,000 according to reports from Oxfam.

The cyclone swept the country with winds as high as 160mph, pulling down trees and phone cables, whilst destroying most buildings in its path.

Burma has declared five regions, including the main city Rangoon, home to most of its expatriate aid workers, to be disaster areas. Towns close to Rangoon have almost no houses remaining, with people living in the open without clean water, power or food. Along with extensive damage to the mainland, over 20,000 homes have been destroyed on the island of Haing-gyi, with up to 90,000 people made homeless.

The worst hit areas are in the Irrawaddy Delta region, which also happens to be one of Burma’s poorest. Alongside the massive death toll comes the huge amount of damage to food supplies and crops. Rice prices across the globe have been increasing over the last 12 months, causing severe strain on poorer nations. With millions of gallons of salt water flooding the rice paddies, Burma’s food economy and population may have to become importers of rice, something they cannot afford.

Immediate need for shelter, food and water is vital. In the cyclone-hit areas, communications are down and roads have been washed away, making it difficult to reach those who most need help. Oxfam is part of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), who are co-coordinating an emergency appeal to fund work across Burma in providing cash support and technical expertise. All donations will support the major effort that is urgently needed to meet the needs of this devastated country.

> > click here to buy an Oxfam charity gift

Charity of the Month Christian Aid kicks off their Christian Aid Week today. Read on below to see how the money raised during Christian Aid Week is spent.

Rekha Biswas from Bangladesh provides one of the most humbling and inspirational examples of tenacity this Christian Aid Week. This courageous lady has helped set up a water council which gives training to help people understand what they need to do to get clean water and then how to achieve it. And vitally, she challenges gender roles. She encourages women to come to meetings of the local pani parishad, the village water council.

Getting clean water is a problem throughout Bangladesh. People often have to walk for up to 24 hours carrying heavy pots to collect water to drink.

Through the new village pani parishad (water council), Rekha is teaching the community how to harvest rainwater safely so that they don’t have to travel for a whole day and cross a dangerous river to fetch drinking water.

By giving up a couple of pounds during Christian Aid Week, you are giving so much more than money. Your generosity can mean water, rights and courage.

• A gift of just £0.50 to Christian Aid would pay for one day’s gender training per person with BCAS to improve relationships in families and lessen the burden on women.
• £50 would pay for the monthly salary of a community pani parishad coordinator, who helps women and the poor to discover their voice, understand their right to water, learn about health and hygiene, and begin to instigate change.
• Your gifts this Christian Aid Week can help to give voice to a single woman or to a whole community.

>> Click here to donate during Christian Aid Week

If you’re planning a special event this year, why not set up an ActionAid gift list and help change someone’s life forever?

Instead of receiving the usual uninspiring gifts of flowers and chocolates for your birthday or anniversary celebration, why not ask friends and family to make a donation instead of a present? The average bunch of flowers costs £10, yet the same amount could feed a child for a week in East Africa. Your donation could help provide safe water and a regular supply of food to some of the world’s poorest people.

Not only can you ask your friends to make a donation as a present, you can also create your very own celebration web page, charting your party’s success. There you can tell people how their gift will make a difference, add photos of the event and write a blog letting people know how it all went. Action Aid can also provide you with special cards to accompany your party invitations and supply an alternative gift list to share with your guests.

10% of all children in the third world die before their 5th birthday.

You can help a child’s healthcare and education for as little as 50p a day. As a sponsor you will receive photos, messages and regular updates on how your money is being put to good use. So why not turn your special day into a special year for someone less fortunate…

> > click here to make a donation

> > click here to find out more about the work of Action Aid

We are pleased to announce that UK based health charity Sport 4 Life, whose aim is to relieve poverty and help build community spirit through the power of sport, have signed up to a dedicated section on our charity blog.

Sport 4 LifeUK, a social enterprise set up to promote and deliver community sport and exercise in Birmingham, celebrated its first 18 months of charitable work with an evening event held in February 2008. Attended by supporters, associates and sporting dignitaries, including professional golfer Alison Nicholas MBE, the event saw guests entertained in a sporting style, with healthy fruit smoothies being made by a pedal-powered blender (the ’smoothie bike’), with exercise-based games console the Ninetendo Wii getting hearts pounding, and with a table football tournament inspiring healthy competition all round. The event helped raise hundreds of pounds for community sport in Birmingham, and will be used to implement Sport 4 Life UK’s vision.

The Power Of Sport

Nelson Mandela once said -

’sport has an important role to play in the lives of people. Sport has the power to change the world, the power to inspire, and the power to unite people in a way little else can’ 

It is precisely this power that Sport 4 Life UK is aiming to harness. We have a vision to change lives through the power of sport by relieving poverty, building community and improving health, and we are already seeing the power of sport in action. As Chief Executive James Forrest says ’sport has a real power to engage with hard-to-reach groups and to change peoples’ lives for the better. Improved health, reduced stress, better community cohesion, personal development and less crime and anti-social behaviour are but a few of the outcomes we are seeing as a result of sports coaches working with and alongside local communities, and it is precisely these benefits that we want to see spread throughout Birmingham and further afield.’ The government, likewise, echoes these sentiments, with the Sport England policy document Sport Playing Its Part delineating 4 key contributions sport can make to society :-

•  to healthier communities
•  to safe, strong and sustainable communities 
•  to economic vitality and workforce development
•  to meeting the needs of children and young people.

The power of sport is well recognised and well understood, therefore, but the real challenge comes in effectively using that power.

Getting  Active in the Grass Roots

In its first year Sport 4 Life UK has focused its work within a number of deprived communities in Birmingham, and has delivered a diverse range projects.

The Street Sport initiative, a programme designed to provide constructive opportunity and personal development for disadvantaged children and young people, for example has been piloted on the Chamberlain Gardens Estate in Ladywood and the Stockfield Estate in Acocks Green. Structured and professional sports coaching sessions are delivered three times a week, with activities ranging from football to netball, from indoor rock climbing to kayaking, and from sports leadership courses to community tournaments, and are focused on engaging ‘at risk’, hard-to-reach and marginalised youngsters in activities that will benefit them physically, socially, educationally and morally. 

‘its fun and it gets me out and active’Danny (Ladywood)

‘the coaches are friendly and its loads of fun’Joseph (Ladywood)

The Discover Sport programme, on the other hand, provides sporting opportunities for disadvantaged men in Birmingham, and is aiming to use sport as a tool to unite, integrate and empower those suffering from social exclusion and marginalisation. 30 to 40 men from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds attend the All Nations Football Project every week, for example, while recovering substance users from the Slade Road Community Drug Team centre are benefitting from weekly football sessions designed to motivate participants to a healthier, substance-free lifestyle.

‘I feel reborn after running around’Mamadou Saliou Barry, Guinea-Conakry

Last, and certainly not least, the Exercise 4 Life project aims to combat poor physical and mental health and well-being amongst disadvantaged women by providing a unique 10-week aerobics programme. The course incorporates weekly hour-long aerobics classes, healthy eating workshops, exercising-at-home demonstrations, and introductions to mainstream gym classes, and is being delivered throughout the city including classes for young carers in Druids Heath, refugee women in Ladywood and disadvantaged mothers in Aston. 

‘The class has enabled women who would not normally be able to access such activities to improve their health and fitness’Anna Toogood, Karis Neighbour Scheme

Get In Touch

Anyone interested in our charitable work is warmly invited to visit our website Sport4life, or to contact our office on 0121 233 4793.

Recent reports from the WSPA prove conclusively that bear farming is still an ongoing trade in China. The bears are generally locked in a cage no bigger than a telephone box, then have daily incisions into their abdomen to remove the bile from the gall bladder. The bile is then used in medicines as a treatment for chronic stomach disease and other related ailments, particularly gall stones.

Even though it has been medically proven that there are far more practical alternatives to bear bile, there are still approximately 13,000 bears currently being farmed in Asia. Over the last 2 years the WSPA have managed to secure verbal agreements with both Vietnam and Korea to phase out bear farming, and hope that China will follow suit.

The WSPA are currently in direct discussion with high ranking officials in the Chinese government and lobbying companies to halt this unnecessary practice. Whilst mobilising support within the Chinese communities of the United States, the UK and Australia, the WSPA will demonstrate to China that practical alternatives to bear bile exist.

With the bile extraction procedure being extremely painful and traumatizing for the bear, the sooner this cruel ‘farming’ is halted the better. With Vietnam and Korea leading the way, surely China must realise that this barbaric method of cruelty done for the sake of producing medicinal goods should be consigned to the history books.

> > click here to make a donation to the WSPA

> > click here to find out more about the work of the WSPA

The WSPA are fighting hard to stop the dreadful sport of bear baiting, which is still being performed in countries such as Pakistan. The WSPA managed to halt an event in February, saving the lives of two bears, who would almost certainly have been murdered by dogs for the pleasure of a baying crowd.

The WSPA’s first attempt to confiscate the bears was met with fierce resistance from the event organiser, who makes a lucrative wage from staging such events. In reaction to the objection, an appeal was made to the bear owners personally, explaining that they could help them find an alternative livelihood away from this barbaric sport. Thankfully, the owners recanted, and allowed the bears to be taken into the care of the WSPA.

Working alongside the Punjab Wildlife Committee (PBRC), the WSPA have helped dramatically reduce the number of bear baiting events, through working with the Pakistani government to push for the prosecution of illegal bear owners and calling for greater action against bear cub poachers. Also, by creating the Kund Park Sanctuary, the WSPA have created a home and a possilbe future for confiscated bears who would struggle to re-adapt to life in the wild.

> > click here to make a donation to the WSPA

> > click here to find out more about the work of WSPA