We’d like to try a Mumsnet Giving week - tell us your thoughts/ which projects you'd like to support

[JustineMumsnet]

Now then: without wanting to gush, one of the great pleasures of toiling at Mumsnet is watching how much you all give to one another - in terms of advice, humour and friendship, obviously, but very often in material ways, too.

Over the years, we've made a few ad hoc donations to causes and charities close to Mumsnetters' hearts, but I've been pondering how we might formalise the goodwill and try to do a bit more. And I thought it might be an idea to give a Mumsnet Giving Week a go.

Here's how it could work... (and do bear in mind that this is a first pass and we're very much open to suggestions on how to improve/refine the idea; if it works well, we'd like to make it an annual event). Together, we settle on some deserving causes that could do with our collective support: maybe you're trying to bring a community garden back into bloom, for example, or want to start a support group for parents of children with SEN, or are trying to raise funds to buy a piece of vital equipment for a good cause. Or there might simply be a deserving small charity that you want to support.

Once we've agreed who we'd like to back, we'll then have a week in which we promote and highlight them, and in which Mumsnetters can donate as much or as little as they choose, via a Yimby crowdfunding page (here's a bit more about Yimby.com, a new crowdfunding community for social good).

At the end of the week, MNHQ will match your donations (although I think we'll have to set a £25k limit for match funding, just in case one of you turns out to be Bill Gates and drops a million - which of course would be marvellous, but would also leave us struggling to meet the payroll).

If this all sounds ok to you, we'd like your suggestions for projects we should support on this thread. They don't have to be registered charities; indeed, our feeling is that national charities don't tend to struggle for exposure and are probably not in most need of our support. Instead, we'd love to use this as an opportunity to give smaller organisations and community projects some airtime. And because we also want to make sure that the causes are ones that existing Mumsnetters have settled on, we're only going to shortlist projects suggested by members who are registered as of now. (Apologies to newbies who join after this point, but there's always next year.)

After this thread's been up for a bit, we'll go through it, pick a shortlist of five and ask the Mumsnetters who submitted the ideas to start a Yimby crowdfunding page in support of them. We'll then - with much fanfare - announce the start of the Giving Week, during which we'll encourage everyone to donate. And at the end of the week, we'll match what's raised.

Do hope you think this is a good idea - please shout if you think it's lousy or we've missed a trick... Otherwise, please submit your nominations for deserving projects below.

[Jcee]

Great idea!

I'd like to nominate the Starfish Project which works with people affected by relationship abuse and hate crime in Southwark.

[bluesky]

Great idea and very Mumsnet. Love the cake one. Sometimes its the smallest acts of kindness that make the biggest impact to someone's life.

[AtYourCervix]

I have 2 nominations if I coild.

Life for African Mothers is a charity that sends midwives and life saving drugs to some of the poorest countries in the world. The midwives do training in emergency skills and the drugs save lives.

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. Supports women through EP and research and policy development. And saved my life in 2001.

[Tinyflutterby]

I'd like to nominate Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow www.yorkhill.org/ as they do amazing work, are great at listening, reassuring and helping. They are the only ones who have listened and accepted that there was something wrong with our child and did anything about it. All the staff are fantastic with the children and parents and we feel so lucky to live so near if anything ever happens to either of our children.x

[McPhee]

Post pals and The Honey Rose foundation.

Brilliant idea HQ

[FloraPost]

Could I nominate Down Syndrome Education International?

www.dseinternational.org/en-gb/

Despite the 'international' in the title, this is a small British charity which leads research into education methods which benefit children with Down Syndrome. They also produce brilliant evidence-based resources tailored to the very particular learning profile of kids with Downs. They have been a complete lifeline for us. We've been using their methods and resources with my son since he was 5 months old and now at the age of 3 he can read, count and speak clearly. For kids with Downs, this can be the difference between social integration and educational achievement, or being underestimated and written off as so many people with Downs were in the past.

DSEI's work is transformational, but they are a small outfit and even many families I've come across whose children have Downs haven't heard of them. Unfortunately they've lost significant funding over recent years which has forced a cutback in the services they offered to families like mine. I was devastated when they had to close their early years programme. The major stuff, the scientific research and resource development, goes on but they really do need money. DSEI's work not only greatly enhances the lives of children now; it gives those children a huge leg-up to an adulthood with independence and dignity.

[ChineseFireball]

Can I nominate Scotty's Little Soldiers please?
Supporting the children of men and women killed while serving in the British Armed Forces.

The charity provides Christmas and birthday gifts, treats, trips and activities for the families of the fallen as well as enabling them to use the charity holiday lodges.

[ChineseFireball]

I think this is a wonderful idea and lovely of MN to match.

[AndHarry]

Such a lovey idea and very generous of MN to match.

I'd like to nominate the Luton & Dubstable Hospital's NICU Appeal. They're trying to raise £200k to build overnight facilities for parents whose babies are in NICU and have been brought in from outside the local area or are so poorly that their parents need to be there around the clock. Two of my nephews and several of my friends' children have required special or intensive care at birth and it is such a traumatic, heartbreaking time for the parents that I know this facility will really help. More information here.

[SarahMumsnet]

@TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain

Would you support an Irish one? Or is it just Uk? My friends run iCAN for children with arthritis. Tbey desp need money for funding fun days, family support meetings and funding a juvenule arthritis room in the main hospital.All children in ireland have to travel to one hospital for treatment, children as young as two and they haven't even a room.eWe have the second worst health record for kids with JIA and there is currently currently a nearly three year wait list to see a consultant. Im a JIA kid from 30 years ago and nothing has changed here.

We'd be very happy to have an Irish organisation in the mix, TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain - just need to check whether Yimby would be able to manage that. We've emailed them to ask; will let you know as soon as we hear.

[SarahMumsnet]

[quote] Bicnod
I have a question - is it only UK charities/groups or can we nominate organisations working overseas as well?[/quote]

Sorry Bicnod - just saw your question after replying to TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain - again, we'd be totally happy; just checking with Yimby. They may all be away for the bank holiday now, but I'll post as soon as I hear back from them

[SagaNorensLeatherTrousers]

I love the Cakes for Kids one

[TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain]

Yay! That's great Sarah it would be brilliant for them to get a bit of support. All volunteers trying to make things better for little kids, some as young as two years old, bloated and in agony from steroids and infusions of chemicals that are usually given in the treatment of cancer. They are all heroes through the pain. If anyone suffers from arthritis, they will know the pain. Now imagine being a two year old dealing with it. [Sad]

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

I wonder if there is a way to support Women's Aid?

One of the most powerful things I have seen on MN is women affected by domestic violence being supported virtually by lots of other Mntters (on the relationship board).

A number then leave their abusive partners. They are always advised to call Women's Aid who provide lots of real life help.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

I'd second that MrsMargo

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

May I suggest HomeStart as well. May be tricky as each branch is responsible for its own funding and they are worldwide.

I know the one I volunteer as a Home Visitor for (South Downs) has had to reduce the period of time devoted to each family to 8 weeks due to pressure from County Council.

My limited experience of about 2 years has been that it takes 2 or 3 weeks of visits, at 3 hours each, to establish enough of a relationship to even start making suggestions and pushing ideas.

I've supported my families for between 6 and 12 months, and then sometimes left them reluctantly

[turgiday]

Women's Aid. They have helped lots of mumsnetters over the year, and struggle financially.

[MoominAndMiniMoom]

I'll second Hope House Childrens Hospices - wonderful, wonderful charity.

Another hospice I'd like to nominate is Nightingale House in Wrexham - they have to rely so heavily on fundraising because so little of their budget comes from funding. They're an amazing hospice and offer so much to their patients.

Also any Young Carers group.

[Bicnod]

Fab, thanks for replying SarahMumsnet

[CheckpointCharlie]

The Befriending a Child charity looks amazing. What a brilliant idea pants.

[EasterSundaySimmons]

I nominate Huntington's Disease Association

hda.org.uk

[mrscog]

I think this is an amazing idea, and would like it if alongside the charities chosen for money giving, if there could be a list of local projects which need volunteers? This could also potentially tie in with Mumsnet Local to encourage the charities which MNers are already involved in to list in the volunteering section?

Can't wait!

[strawberrypenguin]

I would like to suggest Ronald McDonald House charity who provide amazing home away from home rooms in hospitals for parents who's children are undergoing major surgery/have long stays.

[Wolfcub]

I'd like to second the vote for reubens retreat and add Martin house hospice into the mix