Sign in here for Giving Week 2015: nominate your favourite organisation, charity or worthy cause

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello, hello

As (hopefully) lots of you will remember, last year we ran the inaugural Mumsnet Giving Week, raising nearly £23k (with MNHQ match-funding) for five MNer-nominated causes.

The idea is that you lovely lot use this thread to put forward the charities, organisations and good causes that you’d like to benefit - and we at MNHQ will pick five to be the focus of a week-long Mumsnet-wide fundraising drive in June. As last year, we will match-fund the amount raised by the end of the week (up to £25k, just in case any donors turn out to be Bill Gates).

A few principles: ideally the organisations chosen won’t be huge, national charities that already get a lot of coverage and fund-raising welly; they don’t have to be registered charities (our partners at JustGiving will do a bit of due diligence to make sure any that are chosen are legit organisations); and we’re on the lookout for a spread of organisations that reflect MNers’ concerns and interests. Last year the chosen organisations were the PDA Society (providing support for people with a little-known behavioural condition); the MNer-driven Woolly Hugs; Women’s Aid; Free Cakes for Kids; and Haven House Children’s Hospice.

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 Mumsnetters who are registered as of now. (Apologies to newbies who join after this point, but there’s always next year.)

We’ll be partnering up with JustGiving, which will be organising the fundraising element and will also be making a donation to the chosen causes.

You’ve got until May 22 to nominate good causes, using this thread. So get cracking, and as ever do put any queries or comments here as well.

I would also like to nominate IPSEA www.ipsea.org.uk

IPSEA provides free and independent online resources to help resolve common issues with getting the right educational support for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities.

I have been fortunate not to need their services myself so far but I'm glad to know they are there.

www.oasisdaservice.org

I'd like to nominate Oasis Domestic Abuse Service, who do fantastic work and help many women and children, thank you

I nominate Cat's Protection in light of all the anti-cat m netters out there atpit. X

I'd like to nominate the Breakaway Foundation, www.thebreakawayfoundation.org.uk

We (I'm a trustee) are the only UK wide charity offering support to children aged 0-18 with bladder and/or bowel diversions/dysfunction.

It's really isolating when your child has a bowel/bladder problem, even more so for the many children that need to have a stoma, they think that they are the only one. We provide weekend activity breaks for the families so that the children can meet others and know that they are not the only ones, and where parents can talk to others who know what they are going through.

It costs £185 per person for a weekend, and we want to be able to offer funding to as many families as we can, as having a child that is ill can be very hard financially. We are run entirely by volunteers so every penny goes to help our families.

It has to be Zoe's Place for me. They've been a massive help for our friends who have a baby with complex SN and I'm sure countless others!

I would like to nominate Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia. This charity provides surgical repair for women with a fistula due to obstructed labour. They also help women who have been cast out by their families due to fistula, giving refuge and training to support themselves. hamlin.org.au/about/

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/Home

This place is an amazing hospice and the only Children's one in Sussex.

Please can I nominate PLANETS - who stand for Pancreatic, Liver and Neuro Endocrine Tumours.
They are an amazing charity who raise money to help the treatment and prevention of the above cancer types.
They greatly supported my DH 4 years ago when he was suddenly diagnosed with having a potentially life threatening carcinoid tumour on his pancreas.
What makes their work even more special is that their top consultant, who has saved many lives removing tumours, is now crippled by Multiple Sclerosis. Very sadly he has had to stop operating but must now be greatly admired for his fundraising activities to support PLANETS.
Please see their link : www.planetscharity.org/about-planets-cancers/pancreatic-cancer/

Also

www.rettuk.org/rettuk-public/rettuk.html

Hopefully one day they will find a way to reverse this in our girls.

Another vote for the abortion support network.

They are a wonderful charity who support women travelling from NI, Ireland and the isle of Man to access abortions. Both with financial grants and with providing accommodation and other help.

I completely support rett uk

I'd like to vote for:

Womens Aid
Refuge
Rape Crisis
NIA - ending violence against women and children.
Eden House project - they work with and support women in the criminal justice system in Bristol.

I forgot to say the Trethosa Hut Project is in Cornwall

I would like to nominate the charity Off The Record otrtwickenham.com/ - thats the Twickenham one, but they have services in different areas. Like in Hampshire www.off-the-record.org.uk/

They are a Young persons counselling service, dealing with mental health issues in children from age 11 and up. They provide a vital service for young people when mental health services have been pretty much demolished by the government. Our GP suggested this, as she said there really was no NHS alternative any more.

A vote for the Abortion Support Network.

I would like to nominate Scottish Women's Aid. Last year I don't think it was sufficiently clear that WA operates as 4 separate charities in the 4 countries and so WA in England was the sole recipient of the funding. Short of nominating all four WAs the best I can do is at least suggest we rotate between the Home Countries if WA is chosen.

I didn't know that. Good idea.

I would like to nominate mummy's star. A charity that supports women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and beyond. A charity that is on the grow and come so far, the support given to women through this is incredible and invaluable :) x

Two charities that are small but fabulous for supporting families where health care sometimes can't:

www.reach.org.uk

Reach.org.uk is a national charity for children and their families affected by upper limb deficiencies. They provide support and advice and fantastically positive role models for folk with missing/partial arms or hands. They can visit schools to talk about living with limb differences etc. They hold an activity week for affected teenagers in an outward bounds setting, mentoring them to challenge themselves and share experiences with peers. Not glamorous but hugely helpful at various stages of the children's lives, bullying, positive self image, problem solving, etc "it's ability not disability that matters" is their slogan.

The other is SWAN another support system for families whose children have rare syndromes that have no name, and thus the added struggle of uncertainty about what the future holds for their child and no other community where they can seek advice and shared experiences. undiagnosed.org.uk

I'd also like to nominate the Abortion Support Network

I would definitely nominate Mummy's Star. Amazing charity that provide much needed support those unfortunate Mummy's that are diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and beyond.

I would like to nominate Scottys Little Soldiers who support children who's parents have been killed while serving in the armed forces. Also another vote for Winstons Wish who supported Wilf when his Dadda died.

I want to nominate SOBS - Survivors of Bereavement through Suicide.
They are the place I turned to when I needed to know how to tell my children about a suicide in the family.
The immense pain that suicide leaves behind is gently and kindly supported by this underrated charity. The numbers of suicides are increasing. This charity needs to continue to be there.

Yes indeed, Finbar. The numbers are frightening now - especially among young people.

I would like to nominate the Scleroderma Society, it's a little known disease with very limited funding for research, as a sufferer all research is greatly appreciated ??
sclerodermauk.org

Having just read about it I would like to vote for the Abortion Support Network too.

Crying shame in this day and age it is needed