Recent updates
The latest news from our projects
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Social Impact over the UK
An update for TheGivingMachine - Be The Key
Feb 23 2016
Here's a video using Google Earth showing how many causes are benefitting from free donations via our charity cashback site at www.TheGivingMachine.co.uk . Join in and help us give away even more.
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Pawsome Mews!
An update for Bristol's First Cat Cafe
Feb 11 2016
Dear Supporters,
We have some good mews for you.
We have just secured £10000 external funding, giving us £12,660 of total funds raised on our crowdfunding campaign. It brings us so much closer to our funding goal and we still have 40 days left. Pawsome! :)
We have also updated 3 of our perks:
-> Cat-opoly with friends
-> Private Purrty
-> Corporate Meow
You can view them on our campaign (www.fundsurfer.com/catcafe) to learn more.
And please don't forget to share our campaign with your cat loving friends who would be excited about Cat Cafe coming to Bristol.
That's all for meow.
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East Herts YMCA helping young people to belong, contribute and thrive
An update for TheGivingMachine - Be The Key
Feb 11 2016
Here's an example of how free donations generated by TheGivingMachine charity cashback site make a difference. Thank you so much for your support and please do share with your friends and family.
Robert Purcell, CEO East Herts YMCA
TheGivingMachine team
:)
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Diplomatic Council Project website
An update for E Tuk Tuk for Sri Lanka
Feb 7 2016
Visit the projects website for background information and frequent updates.
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Thank you £1000 reached
An update for TheGivingMachine - Be The Key
Feb 5 2016
Thanks for being brilliant, we're on our way to the goal. Our video has been seen thousands of times which means more people know about TheGivingMachine.
Have a great weekend!
TheGivingMachine Team
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Campaign Extension
An update for Bristol's First Cat Cafe
Feb 2 2016
Dear Supporters,
We have an important update to share with you all.
Over the past 16 days thanks to your support we have raised £2481. We still have a long way to go but we are not giving up. In order for us to reach our funding goal we need more time and have decided to extend the campaign for another 30 days. This means the payment for your pledge will only be processed upon successful completion of the campaign on 22nd March 2016.
Extending the campaign gives us more time to work on other financial options such as private investment and corporate sponsorships. With this strategy we feel that raising £65,000 is a more realistic and achievable goal.
Every single one of you has shown amazing support and belief in this project already and for that we are forever grateful and hope that you understand our decision.
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London businessman saves the day by investing in a GOAT!
An update for Goats for Sustainable Woodland Management
Feb 1 2016
Things just goat very serious down at Tortworth Arboretum. Rebecca Cork, who runs the Tortworth Forest Centre had been raising money to buy some goats for the woodlands. With hours to go they had still not reached their target on Fundsurfer, (a crowd Bristol based crowd funding site)… enter Howard Skidmore, a business man who saved the day by donated £300 and naming one of the goats after his new company TechJunctionUK.
Howard Skidmore of TechJunctionUK said:
“As Cyber professionals we value innovation & understand that a technical solution often isn’t the best response. The team at the Tortworth Forest Centre have shown great innovation on two fronts. Firstly, it is an inspired solution to use goats to control Japanese knotweed, the alternatives being machinery & harsh chemicals. Secondly, the usage of Fundsurfer to finance the solution. TechJunctionUK is a new start up too, seeking to signpost tech professionals to technical training courses& cyber jobs. We know all too well that sometimes it’s nice to support the new kid on the block.”
Tortworth Arboretum is at present being restored by Rebecca Cork and groups of volunteers. Over the last year they have cleared up significant areas of the woodland by hand to encourage new flowers and plant growth and have been able identify many ancient and rare trees.
Rebecca said:
‘We are ecstatic that Howard has stepped in at the 11th hour- we desperately wanted to get some goats to help keep the weeds under control and to have some lovely animals around while we work. Restoring Tortworth Arboretum is a real labour of love, I get immense pleasure in my work, and in seeing the volunteers who come and help each week. We can’t wait to welcome TechJunctionUK to the woods. Although she might get nickname of TJ!’
Tortworth Forest Centre is a not for profit community interest company which aims to improve lives by reconnecting people with nature. Working with children, parents and more specific groups including people recovering from alcohol dependency, they offer volunteer days and wild weekends all of which are held in the beautiful surroundings of the arboretum at Tortworth, which is owned by www.woodlands.co.uk.
For further info and interviews contact:
Dee Macdonald- Marketing & PR : 07791 860 954
Rebecca Cork: Tortworth Forest Centre: 07717 201 329
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Good News - Cute Meows from Holly Hedge
An update for Bristol's First Cat Cafe
Jan 28 2016
Dear Cat Lovers!!
We got some good news!
Many of you have been asking about our cats and where they will be coming from. Our kitties will be coming from Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary, Bristol Based Shelter.
After speaking with the owner we decided to work together.
You&Meow will be a foster for those unwanted cats who desperately need new loving home. We will provide the space for the cats, so they don't need to wait in the cages instead.
All cats will be available for adoption. Adoptions will go through Holly Hedge who will carry on with their required adoption process (home checked etc.). Cats well-being and finding them safe, fuurever loving home will be our priority.
That's all for meow.
Have a pawsome day and please keep sharing our campaign :)
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A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS
An update for Aid Box Convoy - vital supplies to refugee camps in France
Jan 27 2016
Thank you so much for your very kind and generous donation to Aid Box Convoy, it will have made the life of refugees living in the appalling conditions of Grande-Synthe Camp more bearable. It is thanks to the generosity of people such as you that these brave and dignified people are receiving food and shelter.
There are now approximately 3000 people living under canvas in this camp, including 170 families and 300 children. Many of the remainder are unaccompanied minors, mostly boys between the ages of 13 and 18. There is considerable illness on the camp including hypothermia, scabies, flu, broken bones, many burns, anaemia, chest infections and more. Due to the intense cold, -5 degrees C at present at night, gas cookers are used for heating in nylon tents!
Since its founding in September 2015 ABC has distributed many hundreds of Aid Boxes, food, clothing, bedding and much else to the ever increasing number of refugees arriving at Grande-Synthe Camp and is generally working to raise awareness of the plight of these people and having been successful in many ways. Many have diarrhoea and cannot reach the too few toilets, especially at night.
The local mayor is supportive but is prevented from doing much to help. French political leaders are keen to prevent aid getting into the camp but ABC has been given passes and is sharing these with other aid organisations. No-one is starving now as volunteers are there cooking day in and day out. ABC has also managed to house some people in substantial canvas tents with wood burners. There is a small but substantial schoolroom and community room run by volunteers where children can be warm, safe and dry. However, conditions remain dire on the camp with mud and excrement up to the knees.
Your donation will enable ABC to continue raising awareness and provide on the ground aid. We are now have a solid team of five people living in France and on site everyday, other volunteers go out weekly to help. The following is an example of what these people are doing
- Providing cleaning products and cleaning toilets daily
- Cleaning the camp, with the aid of refugees
- Assessing individual needs daily, ensuring the sick are seen by Medicine sans Frontiere and new arrivals receive an aid box, tent, sleeping bags, blankets
- Advising those bringing aid and helping with distribution
- Storing aid in the Calais warehouse
- Helping with building, trying to get people out of the mud, laying pallets paths
- Purchasing clothes, wet weather trousers and tops and shoes of the right size for individual refugees
We are currently collecting for winter emergency aid boxes, other on-going needs remain for fire wood, wellies, gas, stoves and wind-up lamps with usb connectors to charge up mobile phones and phone power packs. Mobile phones are the only life line refugees have with their family members who remain in war zones or are spread around Europe.
It is difficult to describe the full extent of the needs of the refugees, but suffice to say that the vast majority arrive with little more than they stand up in. We are therefore committed to continue supporting the refugees in Grande-Synthe camp but cannot do so without the help of people like you, so a heartfelt thank you again from the Aid Box Convoy team and all the refugees on the Grand Synthe, Dunkerque Refugee camp.
Imogen, Joby, Sam and Rob x
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Rachel's recommendation
An update for TheGivingMachine - Be The Key
Jan 27 2016
Thanks for support Rachel :) #HappyDays
