MNHQ calling: Giving Week (our recent match-funding drive) - your thoughts please!

So moving on from Woolly Hugs ...

I had something else to say re the OP, can I remember it? No, because I am taken back to that squally wet fffriizzzzinnn day and being worried about BIWI being too cold

I think on....

If you remember MrsD - we set out to raise multiples of £400 for World Child Cancer, thinking and hoping we could get to £800.

Folk never fail to amaze! The fabulous crew at Woolly Hugs raised £2,919.24

I'm still drying out from our 5K, spect BIWI is too, you on the other hand had a bloody glorious day!

Pain

In fact I pity you higgle

Oh higgle is reading.
She just needs to Be Right.

If she didn't so desperately need to Be Right she would have acknowledged that she is mistaken in her impression of what WH does.
Even if she doesn't get it or would not appreciate one herself.

I hope she is less high handed with the recipients of her charity's help.

IME (which is pretty extensive) charities can rarely meet the exact needs of every applicant. They do what they can, not always what is exactly needed.
The Family Fund s an excellent charity and I really appreciated the washing machine but I really needed a Hoover and a small fride for meds.
Charities are not generally allowed to undertake work that is the responsibility of the LA.

WH cannot cure cancer in developing countries but it can and HAS ( are you listening higgle?) raised enough money to pay for end of life paid relief for dying children.

Now call me a heartless bitch higgle but I would rank that more important than a tidy garden any day.

But you carry on running your charity if it makes you feel good about yourself

It was clear MrsTeee. The registered charities were able to receive gift aid, the three smaller ones weren't.

That's why YIMBY was used rather than the regular just giving page.

There will always be naysayers, and at the end of the day no one is making anyone donate to a cause, but giving week raises the profile of smaller causes who otherwise would get lost because of all the chuggers (who I have major issues with) and larger charities who seem to dominate the sector.

Higgle, as the chair of a charity you must know how important it is to get yourself out there, attracting fundraisers. I find it very sad that you would continually kick others in a very similar position to yourself.

I think I'd like to see more publicity given to things you could do without giving funding. I suspect that many MNetters either simply couldn't give any money or were, perhaps, a little put off by the size of some of the other donations - even though MNHQ tried to make clear that every penny was important to the charities - when they couldn't afford what to others might have seemed the 'right' sort of sum. And of those, many might have been able to give of their time towards a cause, even if only a little bit.

I am thinking very carefully about what I could possibly write here that doesn't involve too many swear words.

Blankets are Offered, never forced upon.

Blankets sent to Yorkhill hospital are done because Yorkhill appreciate their value to seriously ill children and their families.

Blankets taken to children with cancer in poorer countries are taken by World Child Cancer, a medical charity, who recognise the value the blankets have in palliative care.

So, just a couple of examples where medical professionals recognise the power of a square of yarn made with love.

Woolly Hugs does not make blankets to distribute to old people in care homes.

Whilst this fact is entirely self-evident from the many comments on the thread, perhaps it will help to say 'yes, assuming an old person in a care home would want a blanket and giving them one regardless of their wishes would be a poor basis for a charitable endeavour'. Fortunately that isn't the basis for Woolly Hugs.

That's a different kettle of fish then, isn't it? It's more like the Secret Santa. Think it needs to be made clear which are registered and which aren't, and some reference to constitution and accounts made, in the case of unregistered ones.

Higgle obviously still hasn't bothered to read the explanations about the charities that she is "dissing" - and by implication, the motives of those that contribute.

I hope she reads the papers of the charity that she chairs with more attention to detail and compassion

Just one example, " The breastfeeding and expressing support team at the Brompton asked the Octavia Appeal, who in turn came to us to help them by obtaining a few pairs of knitted breasts. Babies born with heart conditions often find breastfeeding more difficult as they do not have the energy required for it and, with many newborn babies being transferred to the Brompton, it is vital they are able to support mothers with this. They have decided knitted breasts are the way forward to help them teach hand expressing techniques, positioning and attachments skills to new mums and to new staff."

I've added the bolds on the off chance that Higgle actually bothers to read a bit more about just one example of the things that Woolly Hugs does. But more importantly, it is to ensure that any other anonymous Internet readers aren't mislead by her continued insinuations that what Woolly Hugs is being foisted on unwilling donors.

Really higgle, are you completely ignoring the fact that the Woolly Hugs are created in conjunction with the recipients (which has been pointed out to you many times on this thread already) on purpose? Have you read the testimonials from the recipients on this thread and chosen to ignore those too?

sigh

I've never contributed to a Woolly Hug before, mostly because I've never thought my squares would be good enough, but higgle's ignorance and sheer bloody-mindedness to Be Right have inspired me to get my crochet hooks out. Look out Knotty and Pistey

Woolly Hugs aren't registered (yet) neither are Cakes for Kids.

Yimby, run by Just Giving is designed very much for small unregistered groups and fund-raising. To be on Just Giving you need a charity number, so a full charity.

There is a minimum level of funds(in cash) you need to raise per year to register with the CC. The nature of WH means although there ths monetary values in every item donated by a crafter unfortunately you can't put a blanket on a spreadsheet. That's what crown funding like YIMBY is needed for smaller good causes because they don't have the might that larger charities do.

To be registered with the Charities Commission you have to have an annual income of £5000 or more.

Now there are plenty of small very worthwhile small charities who aren't at that level yet. They may be new or just small. But still worthwhile to my mind.

To be a small charity you still need a constitution, accounts etc.

Huge hugs for Kristina - I am so sorry for the loss of your son, what a beautiful compassionate thing that was for them to do. xxx

If not registered charities, that needs to be made clear to donors. Which ones aren't registered?

it may be your last word - but you still think you're right and the rest of us are a bit thick - but then you can't argue with an idiot, so off you trot.

Presumably all the charities supported by the MN Fundraising Drive were registered with the Charity Commission as charities?

That needs to be a basic requirement, surely?

Could I say something about small, supposedly " useless " gifts -slightly off topic I know, but I wanted to encourage all the wooly huggers

Ds was in the special care baby unit in our local children's hospital when he was a few weeks old. At Christmas, they were visited by sailors from a navy vessel which was docked nearby, who brought gifts of teddy bears to the children .

DS was a tiny and very sick baby -he couldn't " use" a stuffed toy. But we were so touched by the love and concern shown by these men, complete strangers. DH ( not an emotional man), still tears up when he thinks of it .

This was over 20 years ago -sadly we lost DS when he was a teenager. We still have the bear, it's a tangible reminder of the love and kindness of others which helped carry us through some difficult times .

Bless all you crafters who knit love into every wooly stich .

I'm quite shocked that in 2014 it isn't universally acknowledged that if you want to help someone the best way is to say "what would you like?" "what would bring you the greatest benefit?" It might be a blanket or a cake, but I'm pretty sure that for some people some money towards a cleaner, fares, or maybe a professional family photograph might be preferred. My very last word on the topic is that where charities only give one thing - even in various forms - it may be because giving it brings greater rewards for the giver than the recipient. The charity I am chair of doesn't really come into this but with our grant scheme we pay for all sorts of odd things, from making someone's garden nicer for them to enjoy when they can't get out to essential repairs, and adapted kitchens and bathrooms, we also fund respite care. It is a question of personalisation, something that is paid lip ervice to by social care, but often not adhered to in real life.