If you’re an avid festival goer, have you ever thought working as a steward at an event through Oxfam UK? It’s a great way to help raise donations for the charity, as the festival organisers make a donation for every steward that Oxfam provides, and with 4,000 places at 15 festivals, you could be part of raising almost £1million.

Being a steward at a festival can be great fun, and also a fantastic way to meet new people and provide a friendly service for attendees. The majority of the time you will answering questions, giving directions, and working alongside the security staff to ensure everyone is safe and having a great time.

There’s a great selection of festivals to choose from, with places still left for -

• Boomtown Fair     07 Aug to 12 Aug
• Boardmasters     06 Aug to 12 Aug
• Shambala     21 Aug to 26 Aug
• Leeds             21 Aug to 26 Aug
• Reading     21 Aug to 26 Aug
• Bestival     04 Sep to 09 Sep

Glastonbury and Latitude are already full, but come on, Boomtown Fair and Bestival will be much better than Glasto in my humble opinion! You need to attend training to learn a few tricks of the trade, be over 18 years old, and have a good command of the English language. A deposit is required of £205 to secure your training place, which is completely refundable when you finish your festival shifts.

Simply click on the link below to apply for this amazing chance to work at some of the best festivals in the country, whilst helping to raise much needed funds to aid Oxfam UK’s life changing initiatives across the globe.

> > Click here to apply online

If you would like to learn more about the fantastic work Oxfam perform across the globe, or would even like to purchase a virtual charity gift for a friend our a loved one, check out our dedicated page to find out how you can help people less fortunate than ourselves.

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Do you think you could live on just £1 of food a day, for FIVE days?! This is the challenge that Oxfam UK are setting people to help them raise much needed funds in their new ‘Live Below The Line’ Campaign to make a difference to the lives of those effected by poverty.

This amazing new fundraising campaign is a innovative way to help raise awareness in the fight against extreme poverty. By challenging the people of the UK to live off just £1 per day, they will be experiencing the same hardship as up to 1.4 billion people worldwide every day. This will hopefully help them to see what it’s like on the other side, and help them to make a meaningful change in their lives.

More than 20 times the population of the UK live every day in extreme poverty. By taking part in this truly testing challenge, you will be helping Oxfam to make a real difference. The money you raise will go a long way to providing things like water pumps, community vegetable gardens and helping children back to school. Together, we can fight poverty and by taking part in the Live Below the Line initiative, you will be helping to raise awareness to this great cause.

> > Click here to sign up to Live Below the Line

If you would like to help Oxfam in another way, why not purchase a charity gift from our Ethical Collection range? There’s a great selection to choose from, with 100% of the profit from each gift going back to help poor communities that are living in poverty. Together we really can make a difference.

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Friday 8th March 2013 is International Women’s Day, a very special 24 hours for everyone to come together to celebrate the empowerment of women. It is a great day to reflect on how females are now receiving better opportunities for education and jobs, and also to help raise awareness on the gender gap that unfortunately still remains. Concern Worldwide work in tackling hunger, but believe that they cannot address extreme poverty without looking at gender inequality.

Many women across the world are still disadvantaged in terms of what they are entitled to, and their opportunities to work, study and learn. For example in Malawi, gender inequality creates a cycle of vulnerability and poverty. Our picture show Doris Malinga, who is a lead farmer in Concern’s Conservation and Agriculture programme. She has been trained to dig planting basins and prepare ‘mulch’, which helps to protect the soil from the baking sun. Thanks to her involvement, Doris and her family now have enough food to eat.

Doris said -

I harvest the crop and have enough food for my family. I also get more yield from a small piece of land and it means that I can spend more time with my family. I have so many friends who also want to try conservation agriculture, so I have been showing them what I have learnt.

Doris’ story just goes to show that change is slowly beginning to happen across the globe, as more and more women are given the chance to address their health and financial needs. As the change in attitude towards women’s participation and ability in agriculture continues, they now feel more confident in producing greater yields through support from Concern Worldwide.

Here’s hoping that more is done to invest in female farmers so they can overcome the challenges and issues that still exist around the world. Women are just as vital a part of agriculture and food production as any man, so let’s celebrate their role on Friday 8th March for International Women’s Day 2013.

If you would like to support Concern Worldwide, why not purchase a virtual charity gift for a friend or loved one from our dedicated page? Here you can find out more about their work, and how you can help provide much needed funds so they can continue to help some of the world’s poorest people.

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A massive congratulations to the students of Bacon’s College, who managed to raise a whopping £9000 for Centrepoint in December 2012. The school, based in South East London for 11 to 18 year olds, took part in a number of interesting and hilarious fundraising ideas, including -

• Sponsored detentions
• Cake Sales
• Spice Girls Impersonator

Plus twelve 6th form students and two teachers took part in Centrepoint’s ‘Sleep Out’ at the Exchange Square in Broadgate to get a real feel of what it is like to spend a night sleeping rough on the streets.

Centrepoint’s relationship manager, Martyn Paré-Hall, said -

The students demonstrated an inspiring talent, determination, imagination, energy and commitment, in the true spirit of giving. Taking their inspiration from the story of Centrepoint young person, John, students recognised the plight of other young people like themselves, but are homeless and took this message to heart and out to their families and friends.

Well done to all those that took part in this amazing fundraising idea, £9000 is a fantastic amount to raise just by one school. This money will now be used to aid Centrepoint’s quest to help people off the streets, and to give them all the assistance they require to keep them of the streets.

If you would like to learn more about Centrepoint’s work on the front line helping young homeless people, check out our dedicated charity page for more information on how you too can provide funds to keep people from living on the streets.

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Today, 34 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day takes place on the 1^st December 2012, bringing people together from around the world to raise awareness of the pandemic and encourage progress in prevention, treatment and care. Concern Worldwide are specialists in tackling hunger in the world’s poorest countries. As part of this work, it is vital that we simultaneously address life-threatening diseases like HIV/AIDS.

In 2011, Concern’s HIV and AIDS programmes had a positive impact on the lives of over 250,000 people directly and almost 1.2 million indirectly. We have three main approaches for our programme:

• Raising awareness to prevent the spread of HIV and supporting people living with HIV or AIDS, and educating community members and healthcare staff.
• Increasing access to effective care and treatment for people living with HIV or AIDS.
• Improving outcomes for people directly affected by HIV or AIDS by ensuring that they have adequate food and income.

Sauda’s Story:

Sauda Ntakiteye, 45, lives in Nyankwi village, West Tanzania. Nine years ago she was diagnosed with HIV, and just a few years ago, Sauda was close to dying – she was missing nutritious food to support the medicine she was taking.

Thanks to Concern Tanzania’s Integrated Livelihoods Programme, Sauda was trained on how to grow vegetables. Since then Sauda has been working hard on her farm and is food secure, as well as making income from selling the surplus of her vegetables and crops.

Instantly I started to feel better, and my medicine worked. I grew strong and within a short period I was able to start farming again. I live more comfortably now and I am no longer hungry.

An important part of the support and care that individuals living with HIV/AIDS need are simple items, which help to protect their health and livelihoods.

How you can help:

• £41 pays for a HIV Test and Counselling bringing confidential HIV testing, counselling and treatment to someone needing the chance to talk and get help.
• £48 pays for Farmer Field School which trains up to 25 farmers in simple techniques that can stop soil erosion, harvest rainwater, improve crop yields – and grow more food for their families.

If you would like to learn more about the amazing work of Concern Worldwide or would like to choosing from their range of special gifts, you can check out our dedicated charity page and become part of the solution.

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The Centrepoint charity is asking for your help as they attempt to rebuild one of their most used hostels. The Ealing branch is now in a state of disrepair and in need of a huge makeover to rebuild the hostel and continue to help young people’s lives.

Centrepoint is looking to raise just over half a million pounds to make a full repair of the Ealing hostel, which is a huge focal point of local vulnerable people who need a safe place to stay when their options are few.

Service Manger of the Ealing hostel, Dione John-Baptiste, said -

We’re incredibly proud of all the young people we’ve helped over the years to find jobs, places in education and homes of their own. But as more and more come through, it’s increasingly difficult to provide a positive space they can respect as their own. To become independent young people need a place they can feel at home – not part of an institution. Please help us make these vital repairs. Every penny will bring us closer to ensuring the Ealing hostel continues helping young people long into the future.

The Ealing hostel is home to up to 18 young people at a time, but has become run down and is in need of structural repairs throughout the building. Let’s hope everyone can pull together to help provide young people with a safe place stay, alongside access to education, employment and to move on to independent living.

> > Click here to make a donation

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AS ONE is a 24-hour live music and performance festival event organised by the YMCA charity. Held in Coventry over 25-27th May 2012, everyone is invited, with young people under 14 welcome if they attend with an adult.

There will be performances throughout the day by YMCA bands, then in the evening a camp fire alongside activities and sports. Refreshments will be available throughout the day, with a 24hr coffee bar serving food and drinks. There will also be a meal on Saturday evening, breakfast on Sunday morning and a packed lunch on Sunday will be provided as a part of the event package.

The As One Festival will be held at -

Tanners Lane
Berkswell
CV7 7DD Coventry
United Kingdom

starting at 2pm on Saturday 26th May, at an all inclusive cost of £50 per person, including all meals. For more information and to book your place, simply click on the link below to enjoy a great day of live music and performance by young people for young people.

> > Click here for more information on As One Festival

Sponsor a Room with YMCA

Why not Sponsor a room with YMCA and help bring young homeless people off the street. For less than 40p a day, you can provide the funds to rebuild broken lives across the country.

You will receive -

Your donations will help to offer hope where there is none, and bring young homeless people off the streets for good.

> > Click here to Sponsor a Room with YMCA

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Alastair Stewart OBE recently visited Srebrenica in Bosnia to see how the Lend With Care micro loans are working for the local people. The town saw the massacre of more than 8,000 men and boys by units of the Army of Republika Srpska during the Bosnian War in July 1995.

The mass slaughter was described by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as the worst crime on European soil since the Second World War.

Theodor Meron, the presiding judge of the Appeals Chamber, said -

By seeking to eliminate a part of the Bosnian Muslims, the Bosnian Serb forces committed genocide. They targeted for extinction the 40,000 Bosnian Muslims living in Srebrenica, a group which was emblematic of the Bosnian Muslims in general. They stripped all the male Muslim prisoners, military and civilian, elderly and young, of their personal belongings and identification, and deliberately and methodically killed them solely on the basis of their identity.

Lend With CARE is a brand new way to offer your financial support to an entrepreneur living in hardship. This gives you the chance to give someone the chance to build up a long term business from scratch. Once the loan has been paid back you can either withdraw the funds or make another loan to another business, giving you the opportunity to help even more people.

> > Click here to Lend with CARE today

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The Oxfam UK Trailwalker 2012 is just around the corner, for those that want to take part in one of the most grueling challenges imaginable! This epic experience will see teams of 4 travel 100km in 30 hours, do you have the mental fortitude and physical stamina to take part in this awesome charity event?

Last year’s participants raised over £1.5million for the Oxfam charity, which is quite a feat before taking into consideration the task in hand! Originally started by the Queens Gurkha Regiment 30 years ago, this was once used as a training exercise to test soldiers’ stamina and ability to work within a team.

The Trailwalker Challenge first kicked off in 1981, is now held in 11 countries across the globe, and has so far raised an astounding £45million to help Oxfam overcome poverty. If you would like to take part, simply click on the link below to order a brochure today to find out more information on this once in a lifetime charity experience.

> > Click here for more Trailwalker 2012 information

Help Oxfam UK with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with Oxfam Unwrapped, where you can purchase virtual charity presents which make ideal and unusual gift for a loved one.

From as little as £6 you could provide 100 school dinners for children in Brazil, or for £95 you can purchase a camel for a village in the Sudan! A charity gift is a great way to put something back into the world whilst also giving your friends and family a real conversation starter.

> > Click here purchase a gift from Oxfam Unwrapped

View other top charity gifts

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If you’re sat looking a pile of unwanted Christmas gifts this new year, why not donate them to an Oxfam charity shop and help raise much needed funds this 2012? I think we all get a few things that we don’t actually want/like, I know I’ve got a scarf that’s never going to be worn, so why not make the most of these brand new items and donate them to charity.

Charity shops are always running a little low on stock after the post Christmas blitz, so why not do your bit, whilst tidying the house, and raise funds to help Oxfam’s amazing work fighting poverty across the globe. Items that would be of great use to the charity include -

• Clothes
• Books
• Homeware
• CDs & DVDs
• Games

The new year is the perfect time to have a clear out at home, so why not be part of something amazing by taking your unwanted items to an Oxfam UK store. Simply click on the link below to find your nearest shop and help raise funds to keep Oxfam’s life changing projects worldwide ongoing…

remember, one man’s rubbish, is another man’s treasure.

> > Click here to find your local Oxfam store

Help Oxfam UK with a Charity Gift

You can help raise funds with Oxfam Unwrapped, where you can purchase virtual charity presents which make ideal and unusual gift for a loved one.

From as little as £6 you could provide 100 school dinners for children in Brazil, or for £95 you can purchase a camel for a village in the Sudan! A charity gift is a great way to put something back into the world whilst also giving your friends and family a real conversation starter.

> > Click here purchase a gift from Oxfam Unwrapped

View other top charity gifts

>> Read More