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.

On the support for unpaid carers front, can I please nominate Trafford Carers Centre? They support over 4,000 unpaid carers in the Trafford Borough, but there are still another 20,000 to reach. They've recently started a project that will be supporting carers and their families (including children) through end of life care for their loved one, helping people to have their partner/parent/relative die at home, and supporting them during and after the process.

PS - regular name changer as this leaves me out like a pickled trout IRL.

What a great idea! I'd like to nominate the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. They are a tiny charity, run mostly by volunteers. I just don't know where I, and many other women who've been through EP, would be without them. They offer a unique service and because most of their volunteers have been through EP they really understand both the physical and mental effects it can have on women, which makes such a difference when you're struggling to make sense of what's happened. They provide reliable information that it's really difficult to find elsewhere. Their helpline and forums have been such a lifeline to me. I'm sure they really need the money to help them keep running these services.

I'd like to nominate the North East Trust for Aphasia. This local charity supports people with aphasia (most commonly after a stroke) in the North East region by running a support centre at Newcastle University.

Imagine life if you suddenly found yourself unable to read a newspaper, write a shopping
list, talk to family or friends, use a telephone or do many other everyday activities.

Aphasia (or dysphasia) means problems with communication (speaking, understanding,
reading, writing).

About 130,000 people in Britain have a stroke each year (Office of National Statistics) and it is generally accepted that a third of these are left with some form of aphasia.

Aphasia has a sudden and profound effect on the person, their family and friends. It impacts on the individual’s confidence, personal relationships, employment and social life.

I am a trustee of the charity and we work hard to fundraise to keep the support centre going. Many of the trustees have aphasia themselves, and this can make it very difficult to speak out about such a fantastic cause, or to organise events. NETA is a small charity but does fantastic work by running a range of activities and training events for people with aphasia and their families and carers.

Oh lovely idea!

Is Sophie charity too big a charity? It's still quite unknown ime, but I might be meeting the wrong people. It's very close to my heart and was always close to my mums heart as well.

I'd like to nominate Jump Space (www.jumpspace.org.uk), a small charity based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. It's a highly specialist trampolining, rebound therapy and soft/sensory play centre that caters for young people across the whole spectrum of physical and learning disability (as well as their siblings), and has become a lifeline for many individuals, groups and families in the north west, many of whom find themselves becoming lonely and isolated. My 10 year-old son has autism, and Jump Space has made an incredible difference to him over the years; it's also enabled me meet many like-minded, empathetic parents who understand the challenges we face. Like most charities, it's always struggling to make ends meet - it receives no central government funding - and I know that any donations would be so gratefully received by their FABULOUS staff and volunteers x

I'd like to nominate Adoption UK and BAAF.

Following on from the recent tv programmes on adoption, there are so many children, families and parents-to-be who need advice, assistance and support. Both charities have been invaluable to me.

I didn't post link for Jump Space (trampolining charity for disabled children) correctly

www.jumpspace.org.uk

I'd like to nominate this very brave lady! Cheryl's fight fund, At just 34, and after losing her dad to cancer in 2011; she was given the all clear after having cervical cancer but it returned a year to the day at stage 4b which is inoperable. She has 2 young children and her last wish is to take them in a holiday of a lifetime to disneyland paris and make memories to remember together.
www.dailypost.co.uk/news/health/watch-mum-terminal-cancer-warns-6984796#.U0vC7z7MlGg.facebook

Id like to nominate Multiple Sclerosis, in particular highlight Paediatric MS as it does not get any publicity and people are not aware that children and teens DO get MS. My son was diagnosed at age 15. He was a normal 15 year old boy, looking forward to starting Uni, learning to drive, go holidays, escaping the clutches of parents and venturing out on his own into the world. Literally overnight his life changed with this unpredictable disabling disease which claimed almost every function, mobility, sight, speech, use
of limbs and more. He was 15 and dependant on us for everything. The first time he spoke about how he felt, he wrote this... It still breaks my heart to read it... archive.today/74IqN

A school friend has just had a double lung transplant at the age of 40 because she has Alpha 1, a genetic condition that slowly destroys lung function. alpha-1foundation.org/what-is-alpha-1/. The illness has been very quick to strike and before her transplant she was bedridden and reliant on oxygen. She's only just had the op and it's really early days, but everyone is very hopeful.

So many charities on this thread, very hard to choose I should imagine.

Dravet Syndrome uk. This charity not only researches the condition but also supports children and parents of children with this life threatening condition.
It causes a child to have every type of epileptic seizure and can cause a lot of learning difficulties. We sadly lost our 2 year old nephew at Christmas to this syndrome my sister wants us as a family to continue to raise funds and awareness of this horrific condition in the hope that one day a cure will be found. X

The single most referenced charity on the mumsnet talkboards is Women's Aid. I think it's only fair, given the amount of work we have sent their way, that we do something to redress the balance.

I'd like to nominate The Charlie Cookson Foundation. They provide families of sick//terminally Ill children and children with life limiting conditions with financial support to help pay their bills for 3 months whilst looking after their children x

What a really great idea and very generous of MNHQ also. The only problem I would have is who to nominate in the face of so many people and charities trying to do so much on so little money.

Women's Aid would receive a strong vote from me as one of the 5 but I also wondered whether I might put forward one of the microfinance charities lending money to people who are, for instance, trying to start small enterprises but lack the funds - for example - to buy a new cow or some small supplies for their shop. \link{http://www.lendwithcare.org/\lendwithcare} is the one I currently support but I know there are others in the field.

That might require some further thought because additional nominations would be required after the initial allocation but I'm sure there's a way round that. Many of the loans made by microfinance organisations are also to women who are aiming to support themselves better independently so I think that would reflect what many MN members are trying to do.

I would like to nominate a new project I am working on which is raising money for Childrens Homes in Kenya. Children in Kenya are homeless as a result of their parents becoming murdered, and there is no social services to provide care placements for these children who are on the street as young as six sniffing glue. Our goals are to build a childrens home for them where they can be educated and supported to move away from drugs. £20,000 would buy a home from which we could start operating. We are in early days and just registering as a charity but we will have a charity name this week and in the process of registering as a charity- we are a committed group of British and Kenyans with experience of managing homelessness and foster care placements.

I'd like to nominate the Blake McMillan Trust - Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome.

Blake is a very beautiful wee boy with a family who work tirelessly to raise money to help fund research for Rett Syndrome and Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome.

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Blake-Mcmillan-Trust-Mecp2-Duplication-Syndrome/226615617485039

I would really like to nominate Hounds First Sighthound Rescue, a charity that rescues, fosters and rehomes lots of lovely pointy dogs. It is a fairly new charity but they have already accomplished a lot and quickly established themselves as a reputable and caring rescue. The ladies that run it work tirelessly and selflessly, organising treatment, pick ups and transport runs, food, fostering, fundraising, home checking, and offering endless support to fosterers/new owners. Their vet bills are high and they recently took in a dog that was badly injured and one that was almost starved. I know lots of MNers are dog lovers and I really enjoy reading through the pointy hounds threads. This would be a lovely way to help some of these gentle little souls, they really don't deserve all the neglect they so often seem to encounter.

I'd like to nominate Tourette's Action Please. They do incredible work with people who have Tourette Syndrome as well as in educating others about the condition.

I know its probably already been mentioned but I would like to nominate Sands. I have suffered the loss of 3 dcs and it meant so much to us that we were able to have a special room in the hospital to say goodbye and a lovely memory box to keep.

I'd like to nominate BeyondFGM
Lots of people were talking about fgm back in february, this charity has had amazing success tackling FGM in Kenya, by working with a local group and engaging with the whole community- so far 1000 girls have been diverted from fgm, which also means they will stay longer in education- this has all been acheived with a handful of dedicated supporters in the UK doing sponsored walks and benefit gigs in community centres. The ws is being developed but there's a fb page or anyone can pm me for further info
www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-FGM/201353666577507?sk=info

I'd like to nominate Spear Camden Trust camdenspeartrust.org/ - a six week employment training course for 16-24 year old unemployed young people who are not in education employment or training (NEET). The highly interactive course addresses the most common causes of underachievement, such as the absence of motivation to consider opportunities, life skills, and job search skills; and the need for information, advice and guidance, qualifications and opportunity. Spear Camden is the charity's newest site, 6 months old. Already over 70% have roles within three months of the course. This issue is a huge one for our country and world right now and it is great to see some people doing something about it.

Reuben's Retreat, an inspirational local charity who have achieved so much in such a short space of time.
They have just secured the purchase of a stunning property in the peak district, once open it will offer respite and support for families all over the United Kingdom.
They sure could do with any help to get them up and running as soon possible.
Take a look www.reubensretreat.org.

Thanks for clarifying Sarah I actually don't think I read the first post properly! It clearly says five charities will be chosen..

My nominations go to The Birth Trauma Association and Cry-Sis. Both charities' websites have helped me a lot since I became a mum.

Another vote for Women's Aid too, would be very happy to see them benefit from this.

Great idea. Please consider the Pancreatitis Support Network . I would not be here if it was not for them. Although they do support sufferers and their carers from anywhere they are a very small group and are desperate to raise money for support and research. Thanks

I'd like to nominate Reuben's Retreat. A charity founded in August 2012 in memory of a beautiful boy by his inspirational parents. Aiming to open a retreat on the North West countryside where families with children suffering life threatening and life limiting illness can build memories together, they also provide bereavement counselling already for parents and sibling who have lost precious children and the retreat will include a bereavement and counselling centre.