Archive for the ‘Poverty’ Category

Christian Aid UK are appealing to their supporters to make their feeling know this election by contacting their prospective parliamentary candidates and asking them how the would act on global poverty if elected. With so much hype and spin surrounding the pre election banter, now is a great time for your voice to be heard to ask the questions that need to be answered.

Christian Aid will be calling a ‘Mass Lobby’ on Parliament to which you are invited to meet their elected representatives, and you can read their manifesto by clicking on the link below.

> > Click here to download the Christian Aid manifesto

This election is the perfect time to show our political representatives that eradicating poverty must feature heavily before it’s too late. The manifesto features 5 key areas that the next government can help to tack let the symptoms and the causes of poverty across the world.

If you want you’re voice to be heard, now is the time to act….

> > Click here or contact your local candidate today

Help Christian Aid with a Present Aid Charity Gift

Present Aid gifts represent a donation to Christian Aid’s life changing work in areas of poverty and crisis. So not only will you put a smile on a loved ones face, but you will also be making a big difference to families who need your help.

A charity gift can start from as little as £8 with a huge range of gifts to choose from, including -

• A Goat
• Meal for 80 Children
• Can of Worms
• Disaster Kit

Each Present Aid gift comes with a beautiful card illustrating how their choice of present will work in the real world and help transform the lives of poor people worldwide.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving…

> > Click here to order a gift with Present Aid

View other top charity gifts

If you’re still scratching your head wondering what to buy your Mum this Sunday then look no further than the Concern Worldwide Gift Shop. If your Mum loves gardening, why not get her a vegetable pack for just £28 and provide someone living with HIV with the seeds and tools they need to grow healthy, nutritious vegetables.

Your gift could help someone like Sepo* who grows a variety of vegetables on her small patch in Luandui village, Zambia. Sepo, who was widowed in 2000 and her seven-year-old daughter are both HIV positive. Thanks to the seeds from Concern though, Sepo is growing food for her family and selling the surplus to earn a little extra money. The family diet is improving, and she now has enough money to send all her children to school.

We’ve got gifts for every taste and budget and each one comes with the knowledge that you’ll be helping Concern give real and lasting support to people living in extreme poverty around the world.

Make a real difference this Mother’s Day, buy a Concern Gift!

> > Click here to order online for the Concern Worldwide Gift Shop

With Easter just around the corner, now is a great time to pick up something unusual and innovative for your loved ones from the Oxfam Fair Trade Shop. They have just expanded their range of goodies and have some great gift ideas to surprise young and old (it’s not all about chocolate you know!). There is a huge selection to choose from, including -

• Paper Mache Eggs
• Wooden Easter Puzzles
• Handwoven Baby Bunnies
• Embroidered Cards
• Bunny boxes

Plus of course, for all you chocolate lovers out there, there is a wide range of milk and dark chocolate treats available in the all sorts of shapes and sizes (there’s even some shaped like chocolate bars!). There’s even a selection of chocolate hampers available for those that really want to indulge this Easter. So why not treat someone special to something a bit different this Easter with a charity gift from Oxfam Australia’s Fair Trade shop, and help make a big difference to the lives of people around the world at the same time.

> > Click here to order from the Fair Trade Shop

Other top charity gifts

UK band Coldplay added some much needed weight behind the British Red Cross‘ Chile Earthquake Appeal on the 2nd March 2010. In these days of fast technology, it’s become easier and easier to reach huge audiences with nothing more than a few words, and this is what they did when they sent a tweet out to their fans.

Coldplay currently have 2.5million people following them on Twitter, and within minutes of dropping their tweet, literally thousands of their fans flocked to British Red Cross website wanting to donate to the Chile Earthquake Appeal.

Coldplay tweeted -

Two million people have been affected by the earthquake in Chile – donate towards the Red Cross’s relief work at http://bit.ly/chilerc

This small nugget of information flew round the world so quickly that it led to a huge spike in traffic for the Earthquake Appeal, leading to a 400% increase in hits in just 15 minutes!

Coldplay, who are currently touring in South America and were recently performing in Sao Paulo, Brazil, said -

the band have been extremely saddened by reports of the terrible earthquake which hit the country on 27 February 2010.

As you can see, the power of twittering is a worldwide phenomenon that is an excellent way to reach millions of people at the touch of a button. Many of the charities we feature on D4C have Twitter feeds, (as do we) so if you’d like to find out more click on the links below to view our extensive charity Twitter list and also to follow our charity blog and keep up to date with all the latest news, reviews and views.

> > Click here to follow the D4C blog tweets

> > Click here for the D4C Twitter Directory

The British Red Cross has immediately transferred £50,000 from their Disaster Fund to their counterparts in Chile following the initial earthquake. This was no mere tremor, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale with over 120 aftershocks. Aerial assessments of the overall damage are taking place, with public service announcements being provided on how to react to aftershocks and appealing to the public to donate blood.

If you would like to make a donation to the British Red Cross Chile Earthquake Appeal, please click on the link below.

> > Click here to make a donation to the Chile Earthquake Appeal

Present Aid is offering a great selection of interesting and unexpected gifts this Mother’s Day on Sunday 14th March 2010. By choosing a gift from Present Aid, not only will you giving your mum a unique gift to show that you care, but also helping families across the globe living in poverty who desperately need help. There is a fantastic range of gifts and price ranges to choose from, including:

• 50 Fruit Trees for £5
• Meal for 80 Children for £10
• Brood of Chickens for £21
• Furnish a Classroom for £51

By purchasing a Present Aid gift, you will be helping to raise millions of pounds to go towards vital work in areas of poverty and crisis. Plus with each charity gift the recipient will also receive -

• A beautiful gift card
• An explanation of how each gift really works
• Free Calendar with every order over £10
• A present of real meaning with lasting benefits
• The great feeling of helping others

Every time you buy a gift for a loved one from Present Aid, remember that you’re also buying someone else a brighter future too. So why not treat you mum to an exciting and innovative Mother’s Day present this year, as surely even you must be sick of buying chocolate by now!

> > Click here to order online with Present Aid

Other top charity gifts

If you currently live in a marginal constituency, you have a unique opportunity to be a major influence at the next general election. WWF UK would like to use your influence to help preserve some of the world’s most incredible animals and create a better future for everyone in the country.

You may be wondering what links tigers, the general election and your future, and the answer is climate change. Rising temperatures are putting up to 30% of the world’s species at risk. Tackling climate change not only offers the opportunity to safeguard the wildlife at risk from a warming world, but also to help create a green economy right here in the UK. This could also open up the door for thousands of new green jobs during a time of high unemployment.

This years general election is the perfect opportunity to let your local politicians know that there is public support for action on a greener Britain. WWF UK has teamed up with CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund, Greenpeace, Oxfam UK, RSPB and many other charities to encourage all of their supporters to ‘Ask the Climate Question’. This can be done by

1. Every time a member of a political party asks whatís important to you, list climate change in your top three issues.
2. Attend a candidates political meeting with family and friends to quiz them on climate change.
3. Get involved locally help with this campaign by writing letters to candidates

Marginal constituencies will be closely fought in the country, with political parties taking far greater interest in the views of voters in your area. With the ear of the politicians, now is a great time for you, your family, friends and neighbours to tell them that you are concerned about the future of not just humans, but also the countries wildlife and their habitats due to climate change.

> > Click here to visit the WWF campaign site

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

The British Red Cross charity is organising another Disaster Response Challenge, where people from across the country will take part in a hypothetical disaster that unfolds in real time to test calmness under pressure. The 2 day event will offer the unique opportunity to experience first hand the issues and decisions faced by the British Red Cross international emergency response unit (ERU).

The ERU’s role is to respond to any humanitarian disaster, anywhere in the world, at really short short notice. This challenge will show the competitors what it’s like to be in the immediate aftermath of a major disaster scene. The experience is organised by delegates with years of experience on the front line, something only a handful of people will get to see in a lifetime.

This event will take part on the weekend of 26-28th March 2010 with a registration fee of £50.If you would like to find out more about this event or are interested in working in this field, simply click on the link below for further information.

> > Click here for more information on the Disaster Response Challenge

> > Click here to make a donation to the British Red Cross

Christian Aid UK supporters will once again be dusting off their bicycles for the London to Paris Bike Ride wich takes place between 21st-25th July 2010. The route really is the journey of a lifetime, taking in 300 miles of stunning scenery along the way and a Tour de France finale at the end!

Maybe you would like to take part yourself and help raise much needed funds for Christian Aid’s tireless work across the globe? Last July Christian Aid’s riders raised a massive £280,000, and this year they are hoping to raise even more.

Applicants will receive, along with an unforgettable trip -

• Newsletters and emails
• Exclusive Christian Aid training T-shirt
• Training and nutritional advice
• Fundraising pack
• Celebratory evening meal in Paris

The bike ride is open to all levels of cyclist, and even though you will be riding for up to eight hours a day, there with plenty of breaks along the way. Registration is £99 with a minimum sponsorship of £1,100 per person. So if you would like to help raise funds for Christian Aid via a truly once in a lifetime experience, this is a great way to get fit and try something completely different.

> > Click here to register for the London – Paris bike ride

Help Christian Aid with a Present Aid Charity Gift

Present Aid gifts represent a donation to Christian Aid’s life changing work in areas of poverty and crisis. So not only will you put a smile on a loved ones face, but you will also be making a big difference to families who need your help.

A charity gift can start from as little as £8 with a huge range of gifts to choose from, including -

• Brood of Chicks
• Teacher’s Salary
• Can of Worms
• Computer Training

Each Present Aid gift comes with a beautiful card illustrating how their choice of present will work in the real world and help transform the lives of poor people worldwide.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving…

> > Click here to order a gift with Present Aid

View other top charity gifts

Christian Aid UK will be holding a ‘Super Soup’ lunch on Friday 26th March 2010, and you’re invited! By making sure you, your friends, family and colleagues have soup for lunch on this day, you can help Christian Aid fight global poverty and injustice by collecting donations.

The plan is for people all across Britain to put their sandwiches down, just for one day (mine will have to be prised out of my hand!) and get together to cook up a storm, or maybe just put on the kettle, in aid of Christian Aid’s Super Soup Lunch.

Wherever you are at home, work or school, simply invite them to join you in a soup themed lunch and by collecting a donation you will be helping change the world for people less fortunate than yourself. You could organise a lunch with friends, or even cook up a big pot for your work colleagues and ask them to make a donation for each serving.

Holding a Super Soup Lunch for the poverty charity may seem like a small step to make against a world full of hunger, but every little helps and your donations will go a long way to making a real difference across the globe.

> > Click here to register for a ‘Super Soup’ Lunch pack

Help Christian Aid with a Present Aid Charity Gift

Present Aid gifts represent a donation to Christian Aid’s life changing work in areas of poverty and crisis. So not only will you put a smile on a loved ones face, but you will also be making a big difference to families who need your help.

A charity gift can start from as little as £8 with a huge range of gifts to choose from, including -

• Brood of Chicks
• Teacher’s Salary
• Can of Worms
• Computer Training

Each Present Aid gift comes with a beautiful card illustrating how their choice of present will work in the real world and help transform the lives of poor people worldwide.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving…

> > Click here to order a gift with Present Aid

View other top charity gifts

The British Red Cross is still holding it down on the frontline in Haiti as the dreaded rainy season begins to kick in across the country. A full month after the tragedy unfolded, more than 20 British Red Cross representatives are now in Haiti to helping deliver aid and provide much needed shelter, sanitation and other vital services during this difficult time. With more than 500 workers from 22 countries deployed by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Haiti relief effort is in full swing but there is still so much to do.

Speaking from Haiti, British Red Cross representative, Sharon Reader, said -

One month on from the quake, the needs are still overwhelmingly real and urgent. We’re now in a race against time to prevent further damage from another potentially catastrophic problem: Haiti’s looming wet season. The rains normally hit the island in mid-February and last for three months. With hundreds of thousands still living in camps, the onset of rain may destroy the sanitation systems we’ve worked so hard to set up and would accelerate the spread of disease. This is a country still very much in crisis and we are going to have to continue to meet basic life-saving needs such as access to clean water and basic shelter for many, many more months to come.

The British Red Cross has equipped a mini digger and flat-pack latrines to help is provide sanitation to 20,000 people currently housed in two camps. As this work continues, the Red Cross is also working in the neighbouring Dominican Republic to help ensure a smooth flow of aid into the quake stricken country. By donating to the British Red Cross, the money raised will help those on the frontline to deal with the crisis as quickly and efficiently as possible.

> > Click here to donate to the British Red Cross Haiti appeal