One of our Donation4Charity friends has just embarked upon a 400km cycle across Kenya in aid of a selection of different cancer charities. Jess Markwood, who is not just a fitness guru but also an ace poker player, will be keeping us up to date of her amazing journey. So far Jess has raised just under an amazing £5,000, so we asked her a few questions before she headed out into the unknown to complete this epic journey.

Can you tell us a little about what you are doing?
The challenge is called Women V Cancer. I’m cycling 400km (250 miles) over five days across Kenya with a group of 89 other women raising funds for three very deserving women’s cancer charities -

Breast Cancer Care
Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
Ovarian Cancer Action

A donation will also be made to support cancer care in Kenya. Our route takes us through the Rift Valley, over Mount Kenya, which happens to be the second tallest mountain in Africa. We’ll be cycling on and off road through savannah plains, wildlife game parks, tropical rainforests and traditional villages. The trip has been organised by a fantastic company called Action for Charity.

How much training has been involved?
A LOT! I’ve been in the gym about three times a week for the last 8 months and then taking long bike rides at the weekends, dragging my poor boyfriend all over England! I’m told the fitter I can be the more I’ll enjoy the challenge obviously, although given that before I signed up to this challenge almost two years ago I didn’t do any exercise at all it’s meant a total lifestyle change.

Why have you chosen these charities?
I’ve been touched by cancer a few too many times in my life already; my dad died of the horrid disease when I was just nine years old and a school friend died of leukaemia aged just 11. In the last couple of years I’ve known three female friends who have all battled and survived cancer so it felt only right that I should help to raise much needed funds for three women’s cancer charities.

Jess will be updating her Dollymix blog along the way if you would like to follow her journey, or you could click on the link below to make a donation to this amazing charity challenge. She has already raised an amazing £4,940 of her £5000 target, so just an extra £60 will push her through the breakthrough barrier.

50 miles a day? Phew! We at Donation4Charity will be cheering her on. From our desks. Drinking a cup of tea. With a biscuit! GO JESS!!!!

> > Click here to make a donation

Action Aid UK is asking for your help to stop a new tax loophole that could end up costing poor countries billions. The government is planning to allow big businesses a much easier way to dodge their taxes thanks a new loophole that could cost poor countries up to £4 billion and the UK £1 billion!

The new loophole will be debated in parliament next month, and Action Aid are asking for you to make your voice heard vis your local MP. Simply click on the link at the bottom of this post to help raise your concerns and make the government change its plans.

Simply click on the link below to add your name to over 1500 others, and let’s stop this new tax loophole costing poor countries billions together.

> > Click here to sign Action Aid petition

Help ActionAid with a Charity Gift

You can also help raise funds with the ActionAid Gifts in Action scheme, giving you the chance to buy an unusual and thoughtful charity gift whilst also helping poor communities.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving…

> > Click here to order a gift with Action Aid

Everybody loves the Star Wars based Volkswagen adverts, right? Or maybe it’s just me, having been an avid collector of the figures back in the day, these ads were the perfect homage to my early years trying to ‘use the force’. It never really paid off for me, as even though the pen is my current weapon of choice, I reckon I would have been a dab hand with a lightsaber!

Well, Greenpeace has taken a lead from the Volkswagen idea and produced their own Star Wars related advert in an attempt to put a stop to VW’s opposition to key environmental laws. Volkswagen are currently spending millions of Euros every year to fund lobby groups to try and stop Europe increasing its commitment to reducing greenhouse gasses.

With being the biggest car company in Europe, comes great responsibility, and VW must make a change and support the planned reductions in greenhouse gasses from 20% to 30% by 2020.

If you would like to join the Greenpeace ‘rebel alliance’, simply click on the link below to add your voice in the call to turn Volkswagen away from the dark side. I just did and it literally takes 30 seconds.

It’s never too late to help lead the universe to a brighter future. If Darth Vader can change, so can VW…

> > Click here to join the Greenpeace rebellion

Help Greenpeace with a Charity Gift

Greenpeace Giving virtual gifts are a great way to show someone you care for them and the environment. Each gift idea is unique and purveys a positive message and provides much needed funds to aid Greenpeace’s worldwide campaigning.

The recipient will receive -

• a cool animated e-card that can be scheduled for a specific date
• an exciting new way to support Greenpeace

> > Click here to order with Greenpeace Giving

WSPA charity officials are pleased to announce that thankfully two of the three recently rescued bears have fully recovered from their injuries sustained whilst bear baiting. The third bear is still being kept in the quarantine as her muzzle injuries have not healed completely.

Staff at the Bioresource Research Centre are keeping a close eye on all the latest recruits, as the two recovering bears have now joined the other residents in the main enclosure of the WSPA-funded sanctuary in Balkasar. Milla and Shama are now enjoying food, exploring their new home, and are often found sitting in the grounds among the long grass. Let’s hope the third rescued bear, Lala, is able to join the other too sooner rather than later after her injuries have all healed.

Bear baiting is a disgusting and barbaric sport that needs to be stopped now. Thanks to your kind donations, WSPA  are able to rescue bears from such cruelty, and give them a safe place to live. Please continue to support WSPA and let’s end bear baiting together.

Become an Animal Protector with WSPA

• Set up a WSPA regular gift for as little as £3 a month and become an Animal Protector.
• Get access to your own personalised website with access to original content and regular posts regarding the animals being helped to protect and the projects being supported
• Choose a FREE gift after logging onto the site for the first time and show the world you are an Animal Protector with WSPA and just how much you care.

Your regular gift will help protect animals around the world from cruelty and suffering. Show how much you care about animals – make a regular gift to WSPA today and help save animals’ lives and protect them from cruelty.

>> Click Here To Sign Up For WSPA Animal Protector Scheme Today

Over 100 ‘pink ladies’ drove decorated tractors through Norfolk in July 2011, raising a whopping £36,000 for Cancer Research UK. The annual Ladies’ Tractor Road Run was conceived by Annie and John Chapman to raise funds for the Join the Fight campaign, and thanks to this amazing event a special treat is now in store for Annie!

Annie won the Cancer Research 2008 award for Volunteer of the Year when the event broke the £100,000 barrier, and in the 3 years since the Tractor Run has now raised over £200,000 for the health charity! Annie has now been chosen out of thousands of nominees to light the way at the London 2012 Olympics as a torchbearer, though whether she’ll be driving her tractor with the flame I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

The Ladies’ Tractor Road Run first began in 2003 involving 50 tractors, and raised an amazing £16,500. Yet thanks to Annie’s hard work and connections, the event continues to go from strength to strength as more people join in this interesting and innovative charity event .

Annie, said -

This event has taken on a life of its own. It’s driven by the remarkable determination, generosity and courage of a lot of special people. Each year I say it, and each year I mean it; it’s about more than money.

Congratulations to Annie for all the charity work she has put in over the last 9 years, and we’ll definitely be keeping our eye out for her during the torchbearer’s challenge. You go girl!!

Help Cancer Research with a Charity Gift

You can also help by purchasing a charity gift from the Cancer Research gift shop. There is a great selection of gifts to choose from, plus they offer a great gift wrapping service and super fast delivery. Plus you have the piece of mind to know that all profits are going towards the fight to help beat cancer.

> > Click here to visit the Cancer Research gift shop

Other top charity gifts

International Alert will be celebrating International Women’s Day on Thursday 8th March 2012, with an evening of fantastic female singers getting together to recognise women’s critical role in building peace around the world.

Tickets are £25, with the event being held at The Pheasantry Jazz Club, 152 Kings Road, London SW3 4UT, featuring -

• Jodie Marie
• Tina May
• Anita Wardell
• Bridget Christie

who will be lending their voices to highlight women’s strength, compassion and forgiveness in some of the world’s worst violent conflicts. More names may well be added to the bill, so be sure to order your tickets as soon as possible for what promises to be an unforgettable night.

Doors open at 7pm, with show time planned for 8.30pm. Simply click on the link below to order your ticket today and help raise much needed funds for International Alert.

> > Click here to order tickets today

Amnesty International UK will be meeting at Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday 11th February 2012 in support of the Global Day of Action. This demonstration for a human rights revolution is a peaceful protest to demand an end to -

• Poverty
• Corruption
• Discrimination
• Repression

Last year millions of ordinary people across Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Libya fought with the courage of their convictions through people power against their repressive states.

Demonstrate for a human rights revolution from Amnesty International on Vimeo.

The rally will take place between 12-2pm, with speeches from the Director of Amnesty International UK, Kate Allen, as well as other prominent speakers. Amnesty hope that 2012 we see further solidarity as people peacefully demand change in pursuit of a human rights revolution.

Help Amnesty International Today

Amnesty International are the world’s largest and most influential human rights organisation. You can help support their amazing work on the front line from as little as £5 per month, for which you will receive :

• FREE 40 page magazine 6 times a year
• The opportunity to make your voice heard
• The peace of mind from knowing you are making a difference

>> You can help by registering your support with Amnesty today

The Journal has just voted the Merlin charity into their top 25 in the world! This amazing recognition saw the magazine assess different charities on their -

• Innovation
• Effectiveness
• Impact
• Efficiency
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Sustainability

alongside their financial and strategic management. To be voted into the top 25 charities in the world is some feat, something Merlin officials are over the moon about.

Merlin Chief Executive, Carolyn Miller, said -

I’ve been Chief Executive of Merlin for seven years and I’m immensely proud to see that Merlin has been named in the top 25 charities in the world by Global Journal. For a lesser known charity like Merlin to receive such recognition is high praise. Many of the other organisations on the list are far better-known or bigger, so for our achievements to be in the spotlight is great to see.

Merlin is not one of the best known charities, but their life saving work across the globe is just as important as the tasks carried out by their more esteemed colleagues. Their medical teams work in some of the most poverty stricken countries in the world and treat around 9.5 million people each year.

Currently working in 15 countries, plans to increase this number will see Merlin’s front line workers treat up to 15 million people by 2015, quite an astounding figure! Congratulations to them and all their staff in receiving this amazing honour and long may their work continue in helping those most in need get back on their feet.

> > Click here to make a donation to Merlin

Figures just in from the NSPCC charity show that from Christmas Eve 2011 to January 4th 2012 there was a 19% rise in the number of calls made to Childline compared to the previous year. Over this period almost 50,000 calls were made by children looking for support over the festive season, with a quite staggering 50% increase on Christmas Day calls compared to the previous year!

14% of all of those calls were related to family problems, though there was a dramatic 103% increase in depression and mental health related counselling required this year! The one major plus of these number increases is that it shows more and more children feel comfortable contacting the NSPCC, particularly online, where the ChildLine website increased by 57% last year.

Let’s hope this number increase is a sign of more children feeling the freedom to discuss their feelings and problems with people who understand, and truly care.

Help the NSPCC Today

The NSPCC help thousands of children each year, and with your donations they can endeavour to answer more calls from children who struggle to get through on their busy phone lines.

The NSPCC children’s charity are eager to raise £50million to help expand their UK services and recruit nearly two thousand volunteers. By donating to the NSPCC you can help stop atrocities happening to children.

> > Click here to make a donation to the NSPCC

Read our NSPCC review

Action Aid charity officials are still working hard on the front line of the devastating flooding that still effects Thailand and Cambodia 5 months on. The flooding, the worst seen in both countries for decades, has affected nearly seven million residents as people are forced from their homes by overflowing water.

ActionAid officials have provided 36,900 people in Cambodia with -

• Food
• Shelter
• Water purification kits
• Seeds
• Livestock

Whilst in Thailand, the charity has reached over 10,000 with emergency packages. The main focus now is to help people to try and rebuild their lives by ensuring all health and sanitation needs are met. In Cambodia, the ruined rice harvest is causing continued problems through food shortages, malnutrition and of course lack of funds, as these crops were many people’s livelihoods.

ActionAid Head of Emergencies, Bijay Kumar, said -

Although the attention of the world’s media may have moved on, the misery continues, with hundreds of thousands of people still living in appalling conditions. One third of Thailand’s and two-thirds of Cambodia’s provinces have been devastated. The floods have killed hundreds of people, destroyed millions of homes and livelihoods, triggered some serious diseases and ruined the countries’ rice crops. Our work has only just begun. We are moving out of the emergency phase where we have helped people to survive the initial impact of the floods. Our next challenge is helping people rebuild their lives – this will involve long term support that will help people become more resilient to future disasters.

Help ActionAid with a Charity Gift

You can also help raise funds with the ActionAid Gifts in Action scheme, giving you the chance to buy an unusual and thoughtful charity gift whilst also helping poor communities.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving…

> > Click here to order a gift with Action Aid