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

[KateHMumsnet]

Afternoon folks,

As you may remember, back in June we hosted our first ever Mumsnet Giving Week to shine a light on some brilliant causes nominated by Mumsnetters. Thanks to you, we were able to raise £11,302.43, which when we matched, rose to a whopping £22,604.86!

Woolly Hugs, Women’s Aid, Haven House, the PDA Society and Free Cakes for Kids are all overcome with warm-fuzzy feelings, as are we. This will make such a difference to all the people out there supported by these incredible charities and causes, and we hope will have a really positive impact on what they can achieve this year, so hats off to all of you!

We’ll be back with an update from the charities later in the year, so that you can hear firsthand from them about how your donations have made a difference. But in the meantime, we wanted to to ask you what you thought of our first ever Giving Week.

What do you think worked well, and what didn’t?
What compelled you to give, if you donated?
If you didn’t get involved in nominating or donating, was there anything in particular that stopped you?
What would you like to see as part of future giving weeks?

Giving back to the organisations who support Mumsnetters is important to us, and we’d like to make this a more regular feature so all feedback very welcome.

MNHQ

Higgle - sorry but that is an awful comment. Woolly Hugs help lots of people via their various projects. Not only the bereaved of MN, but Angel Hugs and Little Hugs for various hospitals, Children of Chernobyl project and Billie's Blankets for children suffering with cancer in Africa. You have no idea how insulting you are being.

Another of the charities was Women's Aid - I hope no one HERE has anything bad to say about that.

Higgle

Can't bbelieve they are for real, are we supposed to see them as genuine good causes?

If your mind is closed to the idea of creating a blanket for another...

Angel Hugs for the Brompton Hospital, London

Angel Teds for Yorkhill Hospital (Glasgow) PICU

Two of our ongoing Woolly Hug projects. You read those and tell me we are not for real and not worthwhile.

And Billie's Blankets are in honour of a MNetter's child that died of Leukaemia. Reaching out to give some small comfort to others suffering from that dreadful disease in places where available care is rudimentary.

Higgle, how can you be so ridiculous? Woolly Hugs is an amazing charity that does wonderful things for people. Those blankets bring a bit of happiness into lives of people going through a horrible time.

I am extremely proud to be a part of it.

I hope most MNers appreciate that the Woolly Hugs are not usually created as a surprise 'gift' for the bereaved family but with their consent and often with their collaboration. I made a square with a magpie on at the request of a bereaved mum whose baby's grave was visited by a magpie whenever they were there. We make squares with special significance, whether that is initials or symbols or a theme chosen by the bereaved. No-one is given one against their will and expected to be grateful for it.

Equally no-one was compelled to donate to WH as one of the MN charities. In reality they met their target within hours. All of the other charities are just as worthy and there are many other, equally good, causes to donate to. One I am particularly fond of is Lend with Care - microfinancing projects in the developing world. We all decide what to donate to and I am proud to support Woolly Hugs alongside Women's Aid and Lend with Care.

WH did a craft sale for MIND, the MH charity recently and currently has another one underway for Mia's Wood. Crafters who have the skill and want to take part but just can't afford the raw materials are sent wool etc to enable them to help.

Higgle, you clearly have no idea what the woolly hugs mean to those that receive them or the thought that goes into the creation of them. Just because you don't see the point doesn't not make it a genuine, valuable and appreciated charity. Woolly hugs are not just 'crocheted blankets'.

Higgle that is a disgusting comment you have just made re Woolly Hugs, tbh.

You have got the completely wrong end of the stick and your ignorance has just shone through your post. I get pleasure from knitting for Woolly Hugs, and I know damned well that not one single person or family who has received a blanket or teddy from them has been anything other than pleased.

Maybe take your head out of the clouds and have a read up before you post in future!

And, while I am here, WTAF has happened to MN. Why has it become so bloody joyless and why does everything have to be a bun fight?

Oh my word Higgle I havent posted on this thread as I had nothing to add however, my god you are so off the mark, what the woolly hugs do here is absolutely amazing, Ive seen the pictures of the blankets made and each one is filled with love, they are stunningly beautiful, they are personal from the knitters, the donators and the organisers.

Im stunned that anyone could not see that.

Don't think we've made a Woolly Hug for an Old Person yet have we? All the ones I did were for people my sort of age who'd been supportive members of the Mumsnet Community who happened to have something horrific happen in their life - at which point, the Mumsnet Community decided to give the posters something back to show that they are supported, loved and cared for. WTF would that person do with 600 condolence cards with trite printed messages on?

I'm saddened by the meanness of spirit on this thread. There are many worthwhile charities out there, and a handful benefitted in a meaningful way from the efforts of this forum. There are thousands more that could be supported in the future, but won't be if all this nay-saying and bitchiness continues

Well posters themselves have to take some responsibility for making a bunfight happen. Telling somebody 'fck you' isn't going to make it a happy place, is it? People can voice an opinion and it sounds as if Higgle* has a different frame of reference, I can see where she's coming from if her experience is mostly with the elderly and it sounds as if her place from their own way through with the poncho, which was a great idea.

Anyway, enough of that...

I don't know much about Woolly Hugs but have had a look at the website and it seems a lovely concern. I misunderstood and wistfully thought that I had to be good with knitting and crochet (which I am most certainly NOT). I would be very happy to donate though - do I buy wool or send a donation of money?

Higgle. Higgle. Come back

Not Your Average Granny Blanket, btw

Lying time and love are just as important as money, so please do send your squares! There are some immensely clever people I'm just good at straight lines but plain squares are definitely the sky behind the stars iyswim

I donated, and thought it was a fabulous initiative. I also liked that you extended some of the deadlines a little bit - that was considerate, kind, and showed that you do listen to your members.

I had the usual gripes about "wtf" charities - in my opinion, obviously! - but I could see that you'd covered a wide range of popular concerns, and you did have my pet charity there so this doesn't count as a gripe

If there's one overriding piece of feedback from me, it's that the project wasn't high profile enough. I kept forgetting about it until someone started yet another thread in Chat. I know you don't want to seem overly pushy, but I think you'd have raised more had it been front-of-mind more often. Maybe you could ask a few advocates for each charity to 'farm' threads as much as reasonably possible? Not sure.

WTAF has happened to MN. Why has it become so bloody joyless and why does everything have to be a bun fight?

Yeah, it's getting harder to disprove this to myself on a daily basis :(

This thread started off with a positive OP from MNHQ asking some questions about how to make the next Giving Week more effective. Instead of getting into a bun fight, why not answer their questions?

I am hoping that the peace and quiet from higgle means that she is busily reading up all about Woolly Hugs and all the various projects on the website.

I too understand what she was saying about her aunt, however it really wasn't close to what Woolly Hugs do, I just wish she'd bothered to find out about Woolly Hugs before just dismissing it.

I have thoughts re the origin OP Kate, will be back tomorrow.

Time for

Utterly embarrassed for Higgle. I guess she will have to namechange now. But its a cautionary tale not to spout forth about things you have no clue about, isn't it?

Higgle, that was really unpleasant.

Woolly hugs is such a beautiful concept - couldn't we just raise money each year for them? They support other charities, they've grown out of the site so we have a connection with them. I'd rather that because I'm not going to donate to a charity I either don't support or don't have a connection with.

I haven't felt in the slightest bit pressurised into giving money by MNHQ. They are doing a great job.

Higgles you need to do your research before insulting a much loved and respected charity.