Charity for May: YMCA

It's okay, you're not the only one who wanted to burst into song after reading 'YMCA'.  It's a charity I actually donate to quite frequently, since they have a store open just down the road from where I live.  I like to go in and have a browse (even if the people who volunteer in there seem a little shifty...) and I adore sifting through all the books.  I think I've carried my own weight in paperbacks home from there.

The YMCA is the largest and oldest youth charity in the world.  They provide families with support, give young people a safe place to stay and help them create a fresh, positive start in life.  They're currently helping to tackle youth unemployment (staggeringly, almost one million 16-24 year old people in England are unemployed.  That's scary.) and are promoting personal health and fitness in communities across the UK.  

Regardless of sex, faith, culture or background, the YMCA is dedicated to helping young people create a better world for themselves and those around them.  And I think that's pretty awesome ^_^ Young people get a lot of stick for being young and it's reassuring to know that there are organisations like the YMCA who are working worldwide to ensure that the future is better for all of us.

I hope you're all having a happy week :) I am having a really good one so far and I'm terribly excited to share lots of good news with you ^_^ Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Charity For March: The Shakespeare Globe Trust

{Source}

Shakespeare; for most people, it's either adoration or utter confusion.  I -love- Shakespeare with a passion.  During my studies at university, I took every Shakespeare class offered and wrote all of my major papers on his works.  I've seen his plays performed in huge theatres by incredible casts and in tiny theatres by unknown performers.  The draw for me is that there is no single interpretation of any of his work; you create your own meaning from the words (with a little help from the glossary!) and the story he tells becomes what -you- make of it.  I think it's pretty impressive that stories told 300 years ago can have such relevance and impact on life today.

I chose The Shakespeare Globe Trust because I have been to the Globe theatre several times and it is an incredible place.  Beautifully reconstructed, it is the perfect place to not only broaden your knowledge of Shakespeare with guided tours, brilliant exhibits and fascinating talks, but it is the -perfect- place to watch Shakespeare's plays.  The Trust is an educational charity, which works with over 100,000 people a year through workshops, seminars and classes (I was fortunate enough to work with them while I was at university and it was an -amazing- experience!) and receives no government subsidy, so it relies heavily on public support and donations.  Through this support, fantastic projects grow and evolve and the Globe is able to host a stunning season of plays every year.  Supporting the arts is something I feel very strongly about and combined with a genuine love of Shakespeare, this is the perfect charity for me to support.

I'd love to know what you think of Shakespeare - have you read him?  Did you like him?  I hope you're having a great weekend ^_^ Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Charity For February: Send A Cow

Considering the amount of time I spend in thrift stores or putting my pennies in charity buckets, it was hard for me to decide who to donate to this month.  There are an overwhelming number of deserving causes and choosing between them is so difficult!  While I normally would decide to donate to an animal charity or one a little closer to home, I found Send A Cow really sat right with me, in terms of the charity's ethics (what your donation gets spent on, how much actually goes where it is needed) and the way that I was able to -choose- for myself what I wanted my donation to be used for.

Quite simply, this charity is cool: You can donate an amount of money if you'd like, but I chose to donate money to buy something specific.  There are options to buy livestock, tools, even whole farms!  Rather than sending aid, Send A Cow sends the means to becoming self-sufficient, allowing communities to provide for themselves and, once they have 'graduated' from the programme, helping other families, other communities that are in need.  The families that grow through this charity can, in turn, help other families achieve the same things.  Sure, it's not an overnight solution to a problem, but with 14,000 families helped every year, it's an amazing step in the right direction.

I hope you guys are having a brilliant day ^_^ Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo

Charity For January : RSPCA

This charity really, really means a lot to me.  

When I was considering getting some kitties, the first place I went to was our local cattery, which is run by the RSPCA.  The cats were all really well taken care of, happy and given all the right health checks.  The ladies who volunteered at the cattery clearly loved it there and put in so much time and effort making sure all the animals were comfortable and content.  With the help of the volunteers, I picked out two beautiful kittens, had my home checked over for suitability, and was delighted to be approved and take them home.  The process was thorough and friendly, to ensure the cats were going to the best home possible.

All of the animals up for adoption are given full health checks, all the right vaccinations and they are neutered or spayed (unless they are too young, in which case you are given a voucher to have the procedure done when they are old enough).  Hundreds of thousands of animals are rescued, rehabilitated and re-homed every year, through the tireless efforts of thousands of volunteers working with the animals, in thrift stores, available on cruelty hotlines.

Having three cats and generally being an animal lover, cruelty is something I despise and animal welfare is so important to me.  Unfortunately, cruelty to animals isn't something that can be stamped out, but with the help of organisations like the RSPCA, who help to change legislation and prosecute those responsible, animals who are treated badly can be saved and offered a new, better, loving life.

They offer lots of advice for pet owners too, how to get involved with animal charities and lots of interesting bits about wildlife, farm animals and all the international help they give.  And there are so many cute animal pictures ^_^ 

I am eternally grateful to the RSPCA, as without this wonderful charity we wouldn't have the three beautiful kitties that fit so perfectly into our family.

Thank you for stopping by today, I hope you're having a good one!

xoxo