Charities

[Hmonty]

I was a bit bored at work yesterday (hence the number of postings I made!) and so was surfing a bit. Came across something that might be of interest. Have you heard of the web site www.free2give.co.uk? It is sponsored by some top, online retail companies ie Amazon, WHSmith, Wtaerstones etc. Basically if you buy through them via this site they will donate a percentage of your purchase to the charity you select. The percentage can be upto 10% I believe. It costs you nothing and you go to the standard retailers site so you're not charged more than usual for the priviledge. The charities that benefit are broken down into different sections. I looked at the children section and there are a fair few ie NSPCC, Tommy campaign, BLISS etc.

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Just done the big clear out and found a women's refuge organization in London called "Refuge". They have offices in Maltrevers St in WC2 and can accept donations there. In parts of London, they can also pick up the stuff from your house. The number I used to get a hold of someone there was the help-line (the only number I could find) which is 0870 599 5443. I did feel bad about ringing the help-line, but they were happy to talk to me about donating some baby stuff. The woman I met today said that they especially need sterilizers, just fyi.

Anyway, came across this thread the other day looking for info, so thought I'd add this bit.

I've been getting flyers through my door asking for clothes and other items for the third world. Trouble is they don't state the charities name and the even advertise for people to deliver these flyers saying that they pay well! I have a cynical thought that they will end up on the next car boot sale. Does anyone else get these flyers?

I get flyers from a "charity" whose name escapes me for now (Ligura?), asking for clothes etc for third world causes. I'd never heard of them so checked on the internet and apparently they sell the charitable donations to needy causes and make a profit! I'm so glad I checked before giving them anything. Thieving bs!

Funny you should that Fionn, I just came across this article in The Mirror (my dh's choice I hasten to add!)
"Lugira Ltd is not a registered charity and Kuliesis (the organiser) is selling the clothes for profit to a third party....By an astonishing coincidence another company is running the same rags con just a mile to the east of Kuliesis's home. HK & Associates Ltd, which trades as Gotham...Golden Tree Union Ltd touted for clothes and again the ASA moved in and ruled that the company was conning people" The Mirror suggests you look for these points when ascertaining whether a charity is good or not:
A charity registration number (not just a business registration number)
The full name, address and number of the charity.
A permit fo work door-to-door.

If not, take the number plate, alert your neighbours, trading standards, and the Charity Commission.

REMINDER TO EVERYONE about the site www.thehungersite.com where you can help the hungry, fund mammograms, contribute to child health, save the rainforests and now even feed abandoned pets at the click of your mouse (all free of course). Click every day for maximum feelgoodfactor! Now for my link try click here

Thanks Rhubarb, very interesting.

On the charity/tedious toddler group subject (re:'the problem with motherhood thread) - I encouraged my toddler group to do the shoebox gift appeal, they all (well most!!) really got involved & seemed to enjoy it! As you say, more feelgood factor!

I'm trying to raise awareness of a great charity who work in the refugee camps near Chechnya and in Grozny helping the war torn people of Chechnya with various projects which include humanitarian aid,pcychologists who work with traumatised children many of whom are now orphans living in the tent city of the refugee camps.Also they have various other projects.Trying to find out about a web site and will try to cut and paste some more info on them.They're desperate for help and winter is particularly difficult for the people there.They do have an e mail address which is [email protected] They have a bank account at Lloyds TSB where you can go in and make a donation.You need to e mail them to ask for the number.Cheers.

Here's something I found,have a look\link{http://www.csmonitor.com/atcsmonitor/specials/chechnya/ch34.html\here

Try again,have a lookhere

I think I know what I'm doing wrong,bear with me while I try this one.Have a lookhere

my son brought home a flyer from school about a christmas shoebox appeal. i thought it was a great idea but as i wanted to more info on what to include i visited their internet site only to discover that it was a christian based organisation that would be putting religeous leaflets in the boxes before they were shipped. i was so angry. how dare someone preach to needy people in this way and on my behalf.
i have nothing against individuals religous beliefs but that is a private matter to be chosen freely not 'bought' by a box of much needed clothes.

sorry, very very cross about this.

natascha, there was a discussion about this last year, and someone actually contacted the charity to ask them exactly what they did with the "literature". Here is a link to that thread. To sum up, basically, they make the literature available for those who want it in traditionally Christian countries. In Moslem and other non-Christian countries, no literature is given.

Don't know where you are Batters, but the British Heart Foundation collects here in SW London. They put a bag through your letterbox then collect it a week later. I've just put one out this morning, and when they didn't turn up once I rang and arranged a day for them to come back. Worth checking to see if they're in your area and willing to collect more stuff.

hi batters

"Evergreen Trust - planting prosperity

We will collect your donations during the day come rain or shine etc etc..."

looks like they collect all sorts. hotline no is 020 8674 3065 or www.evergreentrust.org.uk.

hth.

Scope also do collections, as will Age Concern. Just phone up the local shop and tell them how many bags you have.

Just for the record both British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research test on animals. There are many health charities who have pioneered non-animal research methods, so these tests are completely unneccessary. PLEASE do not give them your support.

That's a tricky one Anais. I love animals and hate to see them cruelly treated, but I also love people. So which is more important? You say this kind of research is unnecessary, which it probably is, but what should we do in the meantime? If everyone stopped supporting the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research then a lot more people would die of these things. I for one know that if I had cancer, the sufferings of animals would pale into insignificance in comparison to the sufferings myself and my family would endure.

I am shocked that they still research on animals, but rather than withdraw my support, I would rather rally for a complete ban on animal testing.

The point is Rhubarb that it is not an either or. It is often presented as this emotive decision between an animal or a person, but that is just not accurate, this is their propoganda. There are plenty of other ways to test drugs and in many cases animal research is actually holding up progress. People are dying because of vivisection - it continues because people are making money from it. There are plenty of situations where drugs have been rejected because they have failed the animal tests, and later found to be beneficial, (there is a very famous example of this which I can't recall just now) and drugs which have passed the tests and then found to be harmful - thalidomide is a well-known example. The fact is that vivisection can be used to prove or disprove anything you like. Did you know that even different breeds of dog react differently to drugs - so how cn you expect that the results for other species will tally with human results? I hope that is clear.

In addition there is a huge amount of so called research being done which is going over what is already known, and it is sick, really sick. By all means lobby for a ban, but in the meantime any money you give to these charities will go towards barbaric and unnecessary tests on animals. Please, if you want to support medical research, then support charities who use non-animal methods.

I think I'm missing the point. Why are they bothering going to all the trouble of raising shedloads of money to spend on testing that is invalid anyway?

Lining their own pockets, my dear.

Thalidomide did - and does - cause abnormalities in animals which is why is was not available in most other countries.

This is the point. Some animals it damages, some it doesn't. It got through the so-called 'safety tests.'