Christian Aid, our featured charity for May, is looking for entries to compete in the BUPA Great North Run in October. 150 places are currently available for the world’s biggest half marathon, with runners only asked to raise £300 to take part.

One of last year’s runners, Kevin Clelland, ran with his wife Amy and his mate, Daniel.

“It was Amy’s first half marathon so we took it easy and came home over an hour down on my time last year and 29000 places further back but it was probably my most enjoyable Great North Run yet!   Daniel and I ran as Mexicans – I attached my Christian Aid vest to my poncho and thankfully the sombrero kept the sun off my head!”

Proof that the fun really is in the taking part!

Thanks to people like Kevin, Amy and Daniel, Christian Aid will be raising money to help poor communities worldwide. If you want to be part of this truly mind-blowing event and join in the fun call us now to reserve your place and avoid disappointment on 0207 523 2248 or email events@christianaid.org

You too can help Christian Aid by purchasing one of the 40 gifts available from Present Aid. Your gift could be a herd of goats all the way up to a health workers salary, helping to transform the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest countries.

> > click here to view the gifts available at Present Aid

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

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

Christian Aid is to be the very first “charity of the month” on charity information website donation4charity which has recently rebranded and added a new charity gift shop section. The new sponsorship initiative coincides with Christian Aid Week (11-17 May) and will promote the organisation’s work to potential supporters and donors.

Christian Aid Week is the UK’s largest and longest-running national awareness week and in 2007 raised nearly £15 million for vital overseas development work. This year, as well as raising money, Christian Aid is encouraging supporters to pledge to “do something else”, like recycling an old mobile phone.

The collaboration with Donation4charity - an independent portal providing users with information on UK charities - is an excellent opportunity to promote the week and new pledge-initiative.  Since launching just over two years ago Donation4Charity users have set up over 15,000 regular direct debit donations to the charities featured on the site and have purchased over £500,000 in charity gifts.

Chris Russell, head of interactive marketing at Christian Aid said: “This year we want people to give and get involved. By taking simple actions like switching to green electricity or emailing their MP about climate change, everyone can contribute.”

“The new Christian Aid Week website has lots of innovative ideas about how to get involved, and the partnership with donation4charity it is a excellent opportunity to promote and boost awareness in the run up to the event.”

Ross Travill, marketing director at Venturian Media Ltd, publishers of Donation4Charity said: “We have chosen Christian Aid as our partner for the site re-launch as with Christian Aid week fast approaching it presents an ideal opportunity for us to educate our community on the important work that they are doing and hopefully facilitate some additional support”.

Christian Aid Week is a chance for people across the UK to really make a difference. Last year Christian Aid Week raised more than £15 million helping to transform lives across the developing world. With a bit of help and generosity we plan to do even better in 2008.

With only a few weeks left until Christian Aid Week 2008 now is the time to plan your part for the big effort.

This year, rather than simply donating, there are countless unusual and exciting ways you and those around you can get involved. Log onto the Christian Aid website to see what others are already up to. Some wacky fundraising ideas include people shaving their heads, having sponsored silences, 24 hour sing-a-thons or holding fashion parades to support the effort.

Alternatively, there are a number of smaller ways you can get involved such as recycling old mobile phones, selling old goods on Ebay and giving the funds to Christian aid, emailing your MP about Climate Change or getting an Aquaid eco-friendly water cooler. Click here for more examples of different ways you can help this Christian Aid Week.

To see how your money really does help the poor and vulnerable have a look at this video

http://www.caweek.org/about-christian-aid.aspx#where-it-goes

So spread the word. Please get friends, neighbours and colleagues to give as well.

Whatever you do, do something, it all adds up.

>> Click here to donate to Christian Aid Week

>> Click here for more fundraising ideas