Summer Donations June 2024
Well, 2024 is not proving to be a glorious summer but Give it Away were pleased to be able to make their annual half year donations at the end of June to cheer things up! The income is still coming steadily from the two rented apartments, one in Putney and one in Hampton Court where there has been a change over of tenants. Both apartments are looking good and giving a much needed boost to the regular Charities I support. Again, I was able to participate in some “Big Give” opportunities which meant that my donation was doubled – always good news!
EIKON “ we want to be the rescue party at the top of the cliff not the ambulance at the bottom”
EIKON are based in Surrey and are dedicated to the help and support of young people in the Borough. They work through a network of volunteers, community support centres and educational establishments in order to listen to the problems facing teenagers, their families and carers today and to work out a way to help. Give it Away’s donation with the help of the “Big Give” will fund two new initiatives in Surrey. Charlotte met the staff and other volunteers at Eikon in Addelestone with a pink envelope to fund these projects:
High Five! is a six week course designed to support children in Year 4 and 5 (8 & 9 year olds) with their emotional wellbeing. The sessions are held once a week for an hour in schools with groups of up to 12 children. We cover ways to improve and maintain self-esteem, resilience, healthy lifestyle and friendships. We will use the donation to fund books, which will contain our resources for teachers to use in the classroom as easy to use lesson plans to cover the key topics covered in the courses. The money will also stretch to creating books for children to take home so that they can continue their learning, and a book for parents to help support their children at home.
The High Hopes! residential came about as a result of the enormous success of the High Hopes programme which Eikon has been delivering for two years. We have championed the positive benefits of outdoor learning on mental health and emotional well-being; along with the importance of parental support and this was where the idea for a weekend residential for families came from. The aim of the residential is for young people and their parents/carers to work collaboratively together in order to positively impact their mental health and emotional well-being.
Eikon Summer Donation
Eikon Summer Donation
Give it Away has been a regular donor for many years to Back Up Trust and I always appreciate the access they give me to the people we are able to help so that I can understand their stories and how they have learnt to cope. Spinal cord injury can come out of the blue – an accident, an illness an unexpected sporting injury with the result that you are not able to walk again, news which can obviously be devastating. Mentoring plays a big part in helping people adjust to their new way of life. This donation did take advantage of the “Big Give” so there were extra funds for supporting their mentor programme. Sean and I met as usual over a drink to celebrate!
They continue their dedicated work in supporting families in Wandsworth with small children under the age of 5 with a volunteer programme which continually helps families with emotional, practical or financial crises who have no-one else to turn to. This is best described by Tatiana’s story here. Charlotte met the new team to discuss their ongoing progress and new plans for 2024
The Meath is a residential home in Godalming, Surrey for those needing full time care as a result of epilepsy.
Set in beautiful grounds and staffed around the clock with a dedicated team it is a place where everyone is safe, nurtured and cared for. I was lucky enough to go along on Sports Day (although it did rain all day) and met “my donation”, Luke who is a physical fitness trainer helping all the residents with sports and gym sessions.
My funds will help cover much needed one to one exercise sessions to make sure mobility is worked on at each individual’s own pace. I did try my best in the indoor goal as goalie but I did lose! However, the Mr Whippy van outside, in the rain, made up for everything!
MEATH EPILEPSY CHARITY donation
MEATH EPILEPSY CHARITY donation
MEATH EPILEPSY CHARITY donation
MEATH EPILEPSY CHARITY donation
REACT – Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with Terminal illness
My donations to REACT have been regular for many years now and it is heartwarming to know how efficiently and quickly they use this money to help families who desperately need it. It was good to have the chance to meet a family with baby Arthur who requires a lot of basic equipment to help him with his many difficulties. REACT were able to give this little 14 month old boy a sweet little supported seat with his name on it so he can sit up comfortably. His family made me and Conor very welcome and it was lovely to see a donation given to Vicky Andreas, CEO in action.
REACT Summer Donation
REACT Summer Donation
REACT Summer Donation
UK YOUTH – the Avon Tyrell project
Give it Away supports this centre in The New Forest at Avon Tyrell where young people with special needs get the opportunity to have an outdoor activity adventure in this beautiful parkland, experiencing kayaking, zip wire, climbing, camping, sailing and many other activities supported by dedicated and knowledgeable staff. Charlotte met the team at their new offices in London and this is an excerpt from the CEO’s letter, Ndidi Okezie to her:
We are thrilled that your latest gift will support in the delivery of the next phase of our ‘Adventures Away from Home’ fund, which gives disadvantaged young people the opportunity to take part in outdoor learning around the UK. Last year, with support like yours that was doubled in the Big Give, our fund enabled 600 disadvantaged young people to visit Avon Tyrrell with us, and 12,000 more to visit outdoor learning centres around the country. It is your founding support that enables us to make the case for more of this type of funding and scale our reach, so we couldn’t have this impact without you. We will be sure to keep you updated on our further impact in this area this year.
I want to express my deepest appreciation for your recent letter, and your incredibly dedicated, ongoing support for UK Youth.
UK YOUTH – the Avon Tyrell project donation
UK YOUTH – the Avon Tyrell project donation
LEYF runs 40 nurseries across 12 London boroughs, delivering high quality Early Years education and care to children aged from birth to five years old and Charlotte went to the school in Wandsworth. It is a lovely place to visit – dedicated staff, a great selection of toys, an outdoor play area, masses of learning/educational aids and of course lots of sweet little kiddies from babies up to 5 year olds. LEYF uses this donation as their “emergency fund” so when hardship suddenly strikes a young family through domestic circumstances, financial strictures, illness, or events beyond their control, their children can continue at the nursery using this fund. Charlotte met June O’Sullivan, CEO in the play area!