Harry is 11 [...]]]> Have you heard a story that brought tears of joy and sadness at the same time, one that proves the human spirit is as great as so many people say it is, one that inspires you and makes your minor aches and pains seem so very meaningless, well Harry’s story is all that.

Harry is 11 and has an inoperable brain tumour, his story began in 2007, when at the tender age of seven he had been having problems with his eyes and after many visits to opticians an MRI was performed the results were not good, they discovered an inoperable brain tumor deep inside his brain. For many parents and kids that would have been it, not so with Harry. He bravely started chemo treatments lost all his hair and the tumor continued to grow.

One day trying his only other option, radiotherapy he met Robert Harley who also happened to have a brain tumour and was having radiotherapy as well. They became friends after having treatments together for six weeks. Robert became ill in 2009 and Harry decided to sell beaded bracelets to raise money for brain cancer research. Sadly Robert died at 55.

Robert’s inspiration has helped Harry. He has teamed up with Cancer Research UK to try and find a cure for brain cancer. Harry still attends school and continues to raise money. You can help Harry and others by getting involved. You can order bracelets, donate to Cancer Research UK and even donate via text or use the old fashioned way by post.

Harry has also teamed up with some partners. Sarah Moss designs have donated time to help Harry design a logo. Truflo has donated £1,000 to Help Harry Help Others. The Kensington Hotel sponsored the launch of Harry’s partnership with Cancer Research UK.

The human spirit has shown just how good we are as humans when there are people in need. If so inclined, help out, donate or just take an extra minute out of your busy day and be thankful for all the good there is in the world today. You can help Harry at www.helpharryhelpothers.com.

After analysing the rewards given on 45 of the UK’s top charity credit cards Confused.com found that those wishing to be charitable could provide greater support by ditching their charity card and replacing [...]]]> Confused.com have published some research which reveals that charity credit cards may not be as ‘giving’ as customers think.

After analysing the rewards given on 45 of the UK’s top charity credit cards Confused.com found that those wishing to be charitable could provide greater support by ditching their charity card and replacing it with a cash-back reward card instead, potentially earning up to three times as much ‘cash’ which can then be donated to a charity of the cardholder’s choice.

Charitable giving in 2009 was 11% lower than 2008 according to the Charities Aid Foundation, no doubt a result of the tougher economic climate.  With 45 charity credit cards currently available, accounting for 18% of the cards on the market, many providers are offering philanthropists the chance to do their bit without dipping into their own pockets.  However the ‘rewards’ earned for charities via these bespoke cards are significantly lower than standard reward or cash-back cards.

For example, someone spending £1,000 a month on the Greenpeace Platinum card from Co-operative Bank would earn a donation of £47.50 over a year.  In comparison spending the same amount over a year on an American Express Platinum Cashback card would result in £204 cashback, which could then be donated to the charity of the customer’s choice, meaning an extra £156.50 for the good cause.

Chris Griffiths, head of Credit Cards, at Confused.com, said: “Charity credit cards offer the chance to give to a good cause simply by using a designated card ahead of our other plastic when we’re shopping.  While they undoubtedly have honourable intentions, customers may in fact be able to make a bigger contribution by using a traditional cashback card and donating their rewards to the chosen charity themselves.  Given that so many providers have corporate social responsibility programmes and extol their own ‘green’ virtues it would be nice to see them apply the same standards to their charity cards as they do to their best reward cards.  Until then it may be better for canny customers to opt for a cashback card and make their own donation.”

Watch out for pink buildings and pink fundraisers as Breast Cancer Campaign’s Paint the Town Pink returns to help raise funds for breast cancer research and promote breast awareness in York.

Returning to York for the second year running this October, Breast Cancer Campaign is aiming to [...]]]> Paint York pink – get involved for breast cancer research

Watch out for pink buildings and pink fundraisers as Breast Cancer Campaign’s Paint the Town Pink returns to help raise funds for breast cancer research and promote breast awareness in York.

Returning to York for the second year running this October, Breast Cancer Campaign is aiming to make the event even bigger (and pinker!) than before.

Paint the Town Pink, which is backed by York Council, is an annual initiative where the charity aims to turn the whole of York as pink as possible. In particular, Monks Cross Shopping Centre will be a hub of fundraising activity with a pink fundraising day (you may have noticed the bollards sporting pink ribbons), including games and collections, on Saturday 16 October and a Pink Ribbon Tribute Tree to remember loved ones and those affected by breast cancer.

The Coppergate Centre will be decorated in pink with fundraising days, including face painting and games, on Saturday 2 October and Wednesday 27 October and will also have a Pink Ribbon Tribute Board.

Local residents can help celebrate the pink month by joining the Paint the Town Pink Walk being held on Thursday 28 October, starting in Rowntree Park at 7pm. The pink activities will then come to a close as everyone in the city is encouraged to take part in Campaign’s national wear it pink day on Friday 29 October. Simply wear an item of pink and donate £2. It’s so easy everyone can get involved!

You can show your support by donating to Team Pink collectors around the city, buying a Paint the Town Pink ribbon pin or by texting PINK to 81400 to make a £2 donation today. Text messages cost £2 plus one message at your standard network rate. Breast Cancer Campaign will receive a minimum of £1.76 from each message sent. (£1.48 from Virgin Mobile users).

Lauren Basket, Breast Cancer Campaign Community Development Manager, said “Paint the Town Pink in York was a huge success last year so now we’re setting our sights even higher. The support we receive from local businesses and individuals will play a vital role in helping us raise awareness of the initiative to the residents of York and hopefully get more people involved with the charity to help us continue funding vital breast cancer research.”

To find out more about Paint the Town Pink York and how you can get involved, please call 020 7749 3708, email lbaskett@breastcancercampaign.org or visit www.breastcancercampaign.org/paintthetownpink

The Big Cake Bake launches this CF Fundraising Week (17-23 May) when people all over [...]]]> Everyone loves cake, whether it’s a sponge, carrot, gateau or cupcake. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust wants you to grab a slice of the action by using cakes to help raise vital funds for medical research in The Big Cake Bake!

The Big Cake Bake launches this CF Fundraising Week (17-23 May) when people all over the UK will be holding coffee mornings and cake sales at work, school or home to raise money for the CF Trust. All you need is a venue, large slices of cake, plenty of liquid refreshment and generous guests! If you’re no great shakes at baking, you can always nip to the shops to buy some. You can host your event during CF Fundraising Week or at any other time convenient to you. Get the kettle on and join in the fun.

Cystic Fibrosis is the one of the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited diseases and affects the lungs and digestive system. Each week five babies are born with CF and sadly three young people die from the disease. The CF Trust funds research to treat Cystic Fibrosis, it works to improve the care of those with CF and provides support to families across the country.

Find out more and get your free Big Cake Bake fundraising pack, posters and invitations at www.cftrust.org.uk/help/nationalcampaigns/thebigcakebake or call 0300 373 1100.

The funding was a combination of a campaign led by the Birmingham [...]]]> Last summer a metal detecting enthusiast found a large Anglo Saxon treasure hoard in Staffordshire and now that the purchase price of £3.3m has been met, what is now known as the Staffordshire Hoard will be able to remain in the West Midlands area.

The funding was a combination of a campaign led by the Birmingham and Stoke councils, £50,000 from an anonymous benefactor, and a grant of about £1.3 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF).

Chair of the NHMF, Dame Jenny Abramsky stated that the Staffordshire Hoard has a tremendous value in terms of heritage treasure and is the exact type of collection that the fund was set up to preserve.

Archaeologists have described the hoard as one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon finds, as it is made up of over 1,600 items such as processional crosses, sword pommels, and helmet parts.

There is more than 5kg of gold and an additional 1.3kg of silver contained in the hoard most of which is thought to date back as far as the seventh century.

Now that the fate of the hoard has been decided, the NHMF estimates that around £1.7m more in funds will need to be secured in order to make sure that the collection is adequately preserved, displayed, and studied.

As of now over 40,000 people have already viewed the collection while it was on display at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in September of 2009.  It was also on view in February at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery located in Stoke on Trent where the queues had to be closed early due to the amount of people who wanted to see the collection.

The Tag Rugby Trust is a rugby-based charity that was formed in 2002, [...]]]> An online raffle aiming to raise money for the Tag Rugby Trust has just been launched with nearly 20 great prizes to be won, including signed memorabilia, rugby tickets, clothing and kit, generously donated by companies such as Puma, Gilbert, Kitbag and viagogo.

The Tag Rugby Trust is a rugby-based charity that was formed in 2002, which helps to improve the lives of children in some of the poorest regions of the world. We currently work with orphanages and government schools in India, Mexico, Zambia, Uganda and Kenya using the game of Tag Rugby as our vehicle. We fund our tours through volunteers who pay to join the adventure and who work closely with the children in a coaching capacity. Almost without exception our volunteers say that the tour is a life changing experience for them.

Raffle tickets cost just £2, and every penny of the funds raised will go to the charity, helping to improve the lives of under-privileged children all around the world.

There are so many prizes on offer that there will be three draws made, with the first taking place on April 1st – tickets will be valid for every draw after the date on which it was bought.

The plan is to make the Rugby Raffle an annual event, with the aim of growing the prize list and raising plenty of money for charity – please help to make the first year is a success, and then look out for another in 2011.

To enter the raffle, please visit: www.justgiving.com/rugbyraffle2010

The Tag Rugby Trust website can be found at www.trdt.co.uk.

The 19 year old college student who is known as Unigirl online, states on her website that she knows the consequences of sex with a stranger but that wants money to [...]]]> A New Zealand student has accepted a different type of bid online; a bid for her virginity that a stranger has valued is worth £20,000.

The 19 year old college student who is known as Unigirl online, states on her website that she knows the consequences of sex with a stranger but that wants money to continue paying university fees.

She also thanked the many people who viewed her ad on the website and the approximate 1,200 who made offers. The student posted her virginity for sale through an auction on ineed.co.nz which has raised outrage among women in the Australian and New Zealand.

According to her add, she is fit and trim and has never been involved in a sexual tryst before. The website proprietor, Ross McKenzie, stated that he was not aware the ad existed and that while the ad is legal he will need to discuss its content with his business partner.

Regardless of their decision however, Unigirl has already closed her deal which means that his investigation is a little late. The website was launched in late August and usually attracts buyers and sellers for personal interests such as travel companies and partners.

National police spokesman Jon Neilson stated that although there was no breach of law involved with the transaction, the police would like to admonish that this is not a safe practice for others to emulate. He added there are plenty of problems and issues of personal safety that arise with something of this context.

Ben and Marawa demonstrated their hula hooping skills in a bid to [...]]]> Hula Hoops yesterday launched its nationwide Hula Hoops Hoopathon campaign with adventurer, explorer and one of Britain’s best loved TV presenters, Ben Fogle, in London’s Leicester Square. Ben was also joined by Hula Hoop record holder and La Clique star, Marawa the Amazing.

Ben and Marawa demonstrated their hula hooping skills in a bid to encourage the public to register for a place at one of the 16 Hula Hoops Hoopathons where thousands of people will simultaneously hula hoop across different locations for two minutes to set a new hula hooping record. Ben also became the first of a string of well known faces to rise to the Hula Hoops Two Minute Celebrity Challenge and managed the full two minutes, he will be the first to go up on the official celebrity leader board on www.hulahoops.com

The Hula Hoops Hoopathons are taking place at the 16 Flagship Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile events across the UK on Sunday 21st March. you can book a place at www.hulahoops.com and get sponsored to raise loads of cash for this fantastic cause. But, if hula hooping sounds like a bit too much effort, just pick up a special pack of Hula Hoops and find out how to make a donation. Hula Hoops will donate £1 for every donation of £1 or more, made via text or online, using special packs of Hula Hoops.