May 2016 - The Orpheus Centre

The chosen charity for May 2016 is The Orpheus Centre, based in Godstone.

This charity has been suggested to me by a friend of mine. They provide support, accommodation and a learning programme for people with physical and/or learning difficulties.

I also didn't realise, until I checked out their website, that I have walked past their centre regularly in the past when I walked dogs over the back fields in Godstone.

More information, from their website (http://www.orpheus.org.uk/):

Orpheus

Orpheus is based in Surrey and was founded by Sir Richard Stilgoe in 1998. It is an independent specialist college offering a learning programme, supported housing and a domiciliary care service. Our students are between the ages of 18 and 25 and have learning and/or physical impairments. Our diverse curriculum covers the arts, independence, employment and functional skills.

Over the past sixteen years Orpheus has transformed the lives of hundreds of young people and their families.  Our students have performed at venues all over the country including the Paralympics, Buckingham Palace and Glastonbury. Our goal is for young disabled people to have the skills and opportunities they need so that they can live fulfilling and independent lives.

March & April 2016 - Sands, stillbirth and neonatal death charity

The Donate a Day charity for March and April is Sands

I've been falling behind with my donations this year and hadn't donated anything in March or April, and it is already nearly May - unforgivable!

It was very timely that something popped up on my Facebook feed, indirectly, that a previous colleague of mine, Adam Leyton, is attempting to break a world record next month and in the process raise a bit of money for a very worthy cause.

He is planning to visit 12 countries in 24 hours using just public transport. The current record is 11, set in 1993.You can track his progress on his blog here:
http://www.leytonweb.com/blog/a-crazy-idea/

He is raising money for Sands, a charity that offers support and counselling for people affected by stillbirth and neonatal death: https://www.uk-sands.org/

Good luck Adam, and whether you make it or not, you have raised money for, and awareness of, a worthy cause, so well done!

UPDATE: He did it! 12 countries visited in 23 hours 52 minutes. A fantastic achievement, and he has raised a large amount for a worthy cause. And judging by the exposure he has received in many different countries' media since he did it, Adam has given the charity great publicity too! Well done Adam!

February 2016 - The Stroke Association

The Donate a Day charity chosen for February 2016 is The Stroke Association.

This UK charity has an immediate relevance to me. My mother had a stroke in early February this year and is currently (as I write this) in hospital recovering from this. She seems to have been lucky and the long term effects seem to be limited. There will be some impact, but many people suffer much more from strokes.

The Stroke Association provides a lot of information that is very useful to sufferers and their carers and families. Many of the websites I have recently visited to find out more information about my mother's condition are either directly provided by this organisation, or reference The Stroke Association's guides and information leaflets.

January 2016 - Compassion in World Farming

The Donate a Day charity for January is Compassion in World Farming.

This is a charity that I have long supported. I became a vegetarian over 30 years ago not because I felt we should not be eating animals at all, but because I felt we did not treat them with the respect they deserve. I am not against animal farming, I am very much against the poor treatment that animals get under many modern farming methods. Human economics has completely destroyed morality and ethics when it comes to our treatment of animals for food.

Compassion in World Farming echoes my sentiments very well. Getting humanity to all give up eating meat is not an achievable aim. Getting humanity to give more respect towards animals is achievable. We have come a long way, not least because of charities like CIWF who highlight the practices behind much of our food industries. Raising awareness is the first step, and a very important one.

December 2015 - Contact the Elderly

The chosen charity for December 2015 is, once again, Contact the Elderly.

Although I try to choose new charities each month to donate to, with Christmas coming up we are reminded of the loneliness of some elderly people (a reminder that has also been nudged by this year's John Lewis advert!), and Contact the Elderly is a nice, small charity that actively helps lonely older people by arranging regular tea 'parties' and gatherings.

I donated to this charity in May 2014. It's about time they got a little more money from me for their good work. It also happens to be their 50th anniversary this year.

Supported by a network of volunteers, Contact the Elderly organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people aged 75 and over, who live alone, offering a regular and vital friendship link every month.

November 2015 - Moor House School, Surrey

The Donate a Day charity for November 2015 is Moor House School in Hurst Green, where I live.

This school specialises in the education of children and young people with speech and language difficulties.

Introduction to Moor HouseMoor House provides specialist schooling and therapy for children with speech and language difficulties and draws upon over 60 years of experience. The school was believed to be the first of it’s kind, has provided inspiration for other schools internationally, and continues to lead in areas of specialist education, therapy and research. Moor House shares it’s expertise and research findings to support children in the wider community.

October 2015 - Monkey World, Dorset UK

The chosen charity for Donate a Day in October 2015 is Monkey World Ape Rescue centre in Dorset, England.

Monkey World assists governments around the world to stop the smuggling of primates from the wild.

At the Centre, refugees of this illegal trade as well as those that have suffered abuse or neglect are rehabilitated into natural living groups.