Introducing… the Mumsnet Christmas Appeal for Refuge and Women’s Aid

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello, hello

As some of you will know, we’re not going to run the Mumsnet Secret Santa this year. It had a brilliant run over more than ten years, with many MNers nominating recipients, and sending and receiving gifts. We know from reading the ‘thank you’ threads over the years that it’s brightened up many an MNer’s festive season. But over the last couple of years it seems to have provoked quite a lot of angst and if there’s one thing none of us needs over Christmas it’s more stress.

To replace it, this year we’re going to promote a couple of very worthy causes close to many of your hearts: Refuge and Women’s Aid, both of which provide life-saving support for women in abusive relationships and their children.

‘Donate’ links will be appearing around the site, and all you have to do is hit on one (or both) of them to be taken directly to the JustGiving page for that charity, where you can make your donation. We at MNHQ will be match funding donations made to both up to a total of £10,000.

We know this is an expensive time of year, but anything at all that you can spare, however small, would be fab - collectively we can make a big difference. This page includes more information from Refuge and Women’s Aid about what how your money will be spent.

We’ll keep you updated with running totals, and there will be some Guest Posts on our Bloggers’ Network to provide a bit more background: we’ll put the links to those up here when they’re published.

Thanks for reading and we look forward to helping these two brilliant organisations give more families a Christmas to remember.

And, of course, a very merry Christmas to you all!

Thanks [santa]

click here to donate to Refuge

click here to donate to Women’s Aid

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

It's been made clear in the thread Beyond, several times, very several posters. I'm in Wales too.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

*by several posters

[HermioneWeasley]

Donated. I am delighted to see support for women centred charities that save lives. Don't really mind where those lives are.

[BeyondTheHarpy]

I meant in the title lying, rather than the thread in general. Sorry, I could have been more clear there!

[BeyondTheHarpy]

(Bollocks. Now I meant the OP, not the title. I'll just go back to bed...!)

[DailyNameChange]

I don't mind where it goes either, but was just woundering why only English based charties

[cozietoesie]

I think that Refuge's second para (upthread) goes some way to explaining that. I don't live in Wales at the moment but neither do I live in London. For me anyway, circumstances trump boundaries. That's just me though.

[DailyNameChange]

I didn't think it explained why not give to other brarches of women's aid. I appreciate people flee to refuge from all over, but equally some can't and need local support. I am not critiquing mn choice just woundering why they wouldn't choose other UK branches of women's aid. And maybe it's something obvious like english branch could distribute further, I've only ever donate goods to womens aid (in scotland and england) so unsure how it works and was just woundering why

[cozietoesie]

Over 100 contributors - so far - to WA, I see.

[MrsPnut]

Women's aid in England is the national federation and as such they do not directly run or fund local domestic violence services. Most local services are stand alone charities and if they use the Women's Aid name then they have paid the annual affiliation fee. These small charities are always in a precarious financial position, usually reliant on local authority funding and an endless round of grant applications.
I would always urge people to donate at local level to ensure that your money really makes a difference.

[cozietoesie]

I'm hoping that Mumsnetters will do both - and not just at Xmas, either.

[Makemineacabsauv]

Donating at local level thank you for making that clear. Have done in the past and was going to give to the mn appeal have been overwhelmed by donations from
Colleagues and friends and am glad it will actually help people locally (deprived area).

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

Huge thanks to everyone who's given generously so far.

For those who have asked for links to other branches, here they are:

Welsh Women's Aid

Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland

Scottish Women's Aid


MNHQ

[cozietoesie]

Thanks, Bojana.

[cozietoesie]

Oh - and if you see them mention to Tech that apostrophes in links are still showing in the App as ''' or whatever it is. A minor detail in life's rich pattern but.........

[BojanaMumsnet]

@cozietoesie

Oh - and if you see them mention to Tech that apostrophes in links are still showing in the App as ''' or whatever it is. A minor detail in life's rich pattern but.........

Morning,

Thanks cozie! I'll let them know

[LuluLovesFruitcakes]

Just wanted to say, as someone who spent Christmas in a refuge, this is such an amazing campaign. As has already been highlighted, often women have to move miles and miles away from their danger area. Refuge at Christmas is incredibly lonely, and so difficult. I was there with my 18month old, couldn't get him many presents due to limited money. We came down one morning and the whole kitchen table was laden with christmas treats (board games and food) and we each had a few presents. With our names on. It was the most humbling thing.
Hard to put into words just how grateful we all were to people like you who donated gifts for us. For strangers. Just out of the kindest of your hearts. You're making an otherwise shit time, pretty magical.

[cozietoesie]

You're not hijacking at all, Lulu.

Hope things are better for you now.

[LuluLovesFruitcakes]

Thank you cozie :)

[Lelloteddy]

Please could the title be amended as suggested previously? Not everyone will read through the entire thread.

[cozietoesie]

I'm not sure it's even possible to amend the title of the appeal now. Over 200 people have contributed to the appeal on the basis of the original title and post - how can you change it now for this year? I'm sure that MNHQ will take on board any strength of feeling for future years.

[CheckpointCharlie2]

I've contacted my local refuge and organised a collection - so many of my friends have brought stuff round, not always who I would expect, has been lovely. Thank you mumsnet, I wouldn't have even thought of it without this thread.

[cozietoesie]

Well done, Checkpoint. (And the friends also.)

[nocampinghere]

I've got some really good condition children's clothes (mostly Boden) that i should really ebay but frankly they've been sitting there too long. How could i get these to a refuge?

[cozietoesie]

Have you contacted your local organisation to ask?