Our charity partners

Action Medical Research is a leading UK-wide medical research charity dedicated to helping babies and children. We know that medical research can save and change children’s lives. Yet surprisingly, child health research is poorly funded. Our research is not limited to one condition and we have the flexibility to identify the best medical research most likely to deliver real benefits to babies and children. By taking part in a challenge event you can help us to find ways to reduce premature birth, support children facing a lifetime of challenges caused by disabilities, and develop cutting-edge therapies for rare and incurable diseases.

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading care and research charity for people with dementia and those who care for them. Currently, there are 700,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to one million by 2025. The Society works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and fights for a better world for people will all types of dementia. Through our network of branches, we touch the lives of over 30,000 people every week providing practical services, support and advice.

Anthony Nolan is a pioneering charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancer. Every day, we use our register to match remarkable donors willing to donate their blood stem cells to people who desperately need lifesaving transplants.

We are here to inspire independence in anyone affected by spinal cord injury and to encourage everyone to get the most from their lives.  We work with people of all ages, from young children to the elderly, whatever the motivation or background.

We help people realise their ambitions and overcome prejudice, creating the opportunity to transform lives.

Beanstalk is a national literacy charity that recruits, vets, trains and supports volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind with their reading. Our vision is that all children and young people will have the essential skills they need to grow up and lead successful lives.

Beanstalk reading helpers work with children on a one-to-one basis, giving them consistent support to improve reading levels, increase overall confidence and help them gain the vital literacy skills they need to succeed in life.

Each Beanstalk reading helper works with three children and sees each child for two 30 minute sessions a week, during term-time, for a whole year. Together, they read, play and talk. With Beanstalk’s support the child’s approach to learning and enjoying reading is often transformed.

We currently work in areas of deprivation in the North of England, Midlands, Greater London and Kent. We have over 100 staff and more than 2,900 volunteers, who support approximately 10,000 children a year, but there is still much more we can do. Our aim is to reach out to almost 18,000 children by 2018.

Beating Bowel Cancer is a national charity working to raise awareness of symptoms, promote early diagnosis and encourage open access to treatment choice for those affected by bowel cancer.

Through our work we aim to help save lives from this common cancer, the UK’s second biggest killer cancer.

The Brain and Spine Foundation is committed to providing reliable information and support to people living with neurological conditions across the UK. There are hundreds of different conditions and treatments relating to the brain and spine and these are often complex and poorly understood by those affected. The Foundation provides a Helpline staffed by neuroscience nurses, a range of 30 booklets written in lay terms and a website which is visited by over three quarters of a million people annually. BSF is a registered charity which is funded almost entirely by voluntary donations

Breast Cancer Care is the only UK-wide charity providing specialist support and tailored information for anyone affected by breast cancer. Our clinical expertise and emotional support network help thousands of people find a way to live with, through and beyond breast cancer.

Right now, more women are being diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before. This year, over 50,000 women will be told they have the disease – that’s one woman every 10 minutes. And despite all that we’ve achieved, women are still dying from breast cancer – and they’re dying on a heart-breaking scale. Every single month, 1,000 women in the UK have their lives cut short by the disease. We can’t live with that. It’s time to act.

Research holds the key to a world where everyone who develops breast cancer lives. That’s why we support nearly 450 of the brightest researchers, funding around £23million worth of ground-breaking research projects at more than 30 institutions across the UK and Ireland. We are focusing on four critical areas – prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatments and secondary breast cancer, when breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body and becomes incurable. And by tackling the disease from all angles, we’ll stop it taking lives.

With your help, we believe that by 2050, everyone who develops breast cancer will live. It‘s time to make it happen. It’s time to support Breast Cancer Now.

United Hatzalah of Israel’s core mission is to provide emergency medical care in the initial minutes after an incident occurs, bridging the gap between the time an emergency call is made and when an ambulance arrives. Our ability to deliver first aid and psychological support in the first three minutes maximises the chance of a life being saved and minimises the impact of long-term injury. Our service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year in Israel and is totally free.

When international disasters and crises occur, United Hatzalah of Israel coordinates a volunteer international relief team to assist in humanitarian missions. At such scenes, our volunteer teams provide first aid and humanitarian support including blankets, food, clean water and more. Additionally, our Psychotrauma Crisis and Response Unit provides psychological first aid to those traumatised by the scenes they witnessed.

Calums Cabin is a holiday retreat on the Isle of Bute for children suffering from cancer to come with their families, to spend quality time together and make irreplaceable memories.

Cancer Focus NI has worked for almost 50 years to reduce the impact of cancer in Northern Ireland. We do this by providing care and support services to anyone affected by cancer, delivering cancer prevention programmes to thousands of people in schools, workplaces and communities, campaigning for effective health policies and funding local ground-breaking research. All the money we raise stays in Northern Ireland

CARE fights poverty and injustice in 86 countries around the world to help the world’s poorest people find routes out of poverty. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives in the aftermath. CARE International is non-religious and non-political, allowing us to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to anyone in need regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, political view or sexual orientation. With more than 60 years’ practical and hands-on experience, our programmes tackle the deep-seated root causes of poverty, not just the consequences.

Caudwell Children provide family support services, equipment, treatment and therapies for disabled children and their families across the UK. We also run our Enable Sport programme for talented disabled athletes and our Destination Dreams holiday for children fighting life threatening conditions.

Passionate, positive and practical, we are motivated to improve the lives of the estimated 770,000 disabled children living in the UK, starting with the 400,000 living in or on the margins of poverty.

What makes us special:

• We don’t believe in waiting lists for children
• We treat families and their children as individuals
• We’re a national charity with a local heart
• Our management and running costs are covered by a kind benefactor so that donations go directly to help disabled children in need

The Child Bereavement Charity is the UK’s leading charity that supports families and educates professionals both when a child dies and when a child is bereaved. Every year the charity trains around 5000 professionals across health care, social care, education, the emergency services and the voluntary sector. It also provides a support and information service, award-winning resources, an interactive website with online forums, and Buckinghamshire-based family bereavement support.

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

When cancer strikes young lives CLIC Sargent helps families limit the damage cancer causes beyond their health.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate. Today, 11 more children and young people will hear the devastating news that they have cancer. From diagnosis, CLIC Sargent’s specialist care teams will step in, ready to help, support and guide. They will provide a specialist package of support tailored to each young cancer patient and family.

CLIC Sargent fights tirelessly for children and young people with cancer, often when they feel they can’t. 

DEBRA is the national charity supporting those directly affected by, and working with, Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) – a potentially fatal skin condition that causes constant pain due to unstoppable internal and external blistering. DEBRA provides lifelong care and support to the entire EB community.

Dunfermline Advocacy seeks to address some of the social isolation issues experienced by vulnerable adults in West Fife.  We match local people (citizen advocates) with vulnerable adults (advocacy partners) in the community to provide invaluable support and friendship. Citizen Advocates are people from all walks of life who want to help others in their community. They are a friend, an ally and a spokesperson and they take time out of their busy lives to support people who may not otherwise be able to put their own interests forward. Advocates may help their partner with practical support and advice, or just be someone to turn to for moral support. Advocacy Partners are vulnerable adults looking for support and someone to speak up for them. Partners are generally people with learning disabilities or other issues that mean they may risk isolation, social exclusion or unfair treatment. Partners may also have a mental health need, physical disability or long-term (chronic) health condition that means they are at risk of being unable to safeguard their rights. Partners may be people living independently, in long-term care or in supported housing.

Extreme Kids & Crew is a welcoming community centre where children with disABILITIES, their friends, and their families, socialise, create and play. Together families share resources, stories, tears, and laughter while children play and take part in inclusive arts programming that is open to all members of the family. We provide programming with the whole child in mind. We are A SPACE TO BE.

Halton Haven Hospice provides specialist care, completely free of charge, to people of Halton and surrounding areas who are living with end of life or life-limiting conditions.

Each year it costs £2.3 million to run Halton Haven which means £6,301 is needed every day to keep the hospice open. It is only thanks to the support of local people and organisations that they are able to raise this money and continue offering services to the local community.

Highland Hospice is the only hospice caring for adults in the Highlands and is currently in the middle of the Project Build Appeal to rebuild its In Patient Unit on Ness Walk in Inverness.

By rebuilding, the hospice will be able to double the size of the current unit on its riverside site, upgrade its Day Therapies Centre, provide a quiet sanctuary room and increase space for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and bereavement support. The new building will house more single rooms and improved family accommodation, and provide the scope to develop innovative virtual hospice services which will help extend the reach of hospice care throughout the Highlands.

The hospice still needs around £940,000 to reach its Project Build Appeal target, in addition to the regular fundraising needed to run its day-to-day services.

We need your support more now than ever.

We believe every child is entitled to health care, an education and a family.

We strive to provide children across the globe with these three key rights.

It¹s Good 2 Give! offers support to young people with cancer and their families. As our name makes clear, we believe that giving should be as easy and as enjoyable as possible. You can donate money, time, even a good idea. All are welcome. All will make a difference. Our support is practical, delivered at a local level in Scotland. Living with cancer is never easy but we want to make it a little more bearable. We¹ve always helped with the day-to-day essentials of life but we¹ve long wanted to help on a more emotional level too. And in 2015, on a loch in the Loch Lomond and  Trossachs National Park, The Ripple Retreat will do just that. Conceived as a warm, welcoming, relaxing environment for families living with cancer, this beautiful, organic retreat will offer much-needed respite in a stunning natural setting. Since 2010, we¹ve raised more than £1m towards its design and build. With your help, we¹ll soon be opening its doors to the people who need it most.

Jersey Cheshire Home is the only residential facility for physically disabled adults on the island. We provide care and support to those living with a range of disabilities including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, Spina Bifida, Strokes and Head injuries.

Our purpose-built facility may only cater to a limited number of full-time residents, but through our additional Day Care, Aquatherapy & Physiotherapy services we help over 60 individuals every week manage and improve their condition.

Over the 30 years, we have been operating our support staff have helped many hundreds of people with complex conditions to get through some extremely challenging times, their dedication and commitment considerably benefit those we care for and creates the welcoming place our residents call home.

The Jersey Cheshire Home is affiliated to Leonard Cheshire International, which supports many projects running in Cheshire organisations across 54 countries worldwide. Within the UK, Leonard Cheshire Disability has over 100 care homes, helping thousands of people and their carers through a wide range of services. We would like to reassure our donors that all funds raised for Jersey Cheshire Home stay at Jersey Cheshire Home.

Junior Achievement Isle of Man is a Manx registered charity dedicated to addressing the social and economic challenges faced by young people.  With the help of 400 volunteers we run programmes in schools that focus on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. This year we will work with over 5,500 young people to transform their future and their own economic success.  To achieve this mission we need to raise £300,000 annually so that our programmes can reach every student on the Isle of Man at no cost to the schools. The funds raised through this exciting challenge will go towards this work to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in the Global Economy.  Junior Achievement Isle of Man is a member of Europe’s largest provider of educational programmes reaching 3.4 million students across 39 countries and has been endorsed as best practice by the European Commission.

In the summer of 2012 work will begin on South Lanarkshire’s first in-patient palliative care hospice, on a 1.83 acre site adjacent to Hairmyres Hospital, East Kilbride. The purpose-built hospice will cost £3 million to build and even more to equip, and it will cost £1.5 million a year to run. The new hospice will consist of a 10-bed in-patient palliative care unit and a day hospice. Kilbryde Hospice currently runs a day hospice in East Kilbride which offers comprehensive advice and support to patients with life limiting illnesses – conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s and Motor Neurone Disease. The day hospice offers an extensive range of free support services – both clinical and emotional support – not only to the patients themselves, but also to their family and friends. The therapies, services and activities provided by Kilbryde Hospice significantly relieve stress, ease tension and reduce anxiety in patients and their families at some of the most difficult times in their lives. There’s a counseling service offered to support patients and their families. Of course there are quiet rooms for appropriate occasions – but there’s also a wonderful energy and a great camaraderie at the day hospice, and our team of trained volunteers are always on hand with a warm welcome and a cup of tea. And for some, that’s all that’s needed.

Laughter Africa works with street children in Africa to fulfil their aspirations and to help them to bring about positive change in their lives in the following ways:

In order to continue to provide our services free of charge to over 2,500 patients and their families each year, we currently have to raise a minimum of £4 million in voluntary income annually.  Your continued support in helping us to achieve our target is so very much appreciated, and we are proud that 90% of the money donated to LOROS goes directly towards patient care.  For the past 25 years LOROS has relied on the support of local organisations and individuals in order to provide our many services; with your help, we can continue to make a difference to our terminally ill patients and their families.

Every day of your life matters – from the first to the last. We believe everyone living with a terminal illness should be able to get the most from the time they have left, however hard that may sometimes feel.

We’ll be here for you and your family when you may feel like no-one else is, to help you cope when you don’t know how. Marie Curie Nurses care for you in your home, when you need them most, day or night. Our hospices are at the heart of communities around the UK. And our trained volunteers and advisers are here for you with practical information and support when you don’t know what to do next or just need to talk.

We’ll be by your side with care and support every step of the way, bringing light in the darkest hours.

Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. We work to create a better life for the 1 in 4 people who experience mental or emotional distress each year. We do this by providing high-quality information and advice, and campaigning vigorously to promote and protect good mental health for all. Mind is an independent organisation and we rely on fundraising and donations to continue our work – your help and support will make a real difference.

Most of us know someone who has experienced poor mental health – which actually affects one in four of us at some time in our life. Mind in Harrow helps over 1000 Harrow residents every single year who suffer from such problems, including depression, panic attacks and suicidal feelings.

Moray Women’s Aid is the largest provider of support services to women and children experiencing Domestic Abuse/Violence throughout rural Moray. Services include provision of safe accommodation both at Marleon House and within the community, community support, professional counselling and drop in centres. Marleon House provides a safe and secure environment, a place where women can take time out to resolve issues and receive appropriate support and encouragement to empower them to move forward with their lives with confidence. The organisation provides a holistic service to women and children and thus works extensively with partner agencies to ensure that everyone entering the service is offered services appropriate to their individual needs. Our Children and Young person’s project provides both in-reach (Marleon House) and outreach support (within schools etc.) throughout Moray. Amenities provided at our purpose built premises include a fully equipped children’s playroom, teenager’s room and a secure garden. Services include a crèche, mother and toddler group, after school clubs and one to one sessions to tackle issues such as bullying, anger management, feelings and healthy relationships etc.

At Myton we believe that everyone matters for every single moment of their life and that treating patients with dignity and respect is more important than meeting targets. We also know that making someone feel better is not just about medicine – sometimes holding someone’s hand or taking the time to listen to their fears makes the greatest difference – if someone you love was dying isn’t that what you would want for them? We touch the lives of almost 4,000 people each year across Coventry and Warwickshire, in our hospices, via our patient and family support services and in the community through Myton at Home. We have to raise almost £8 million each year to continue providing our care. We can’t do it without people like you.

The National Brain Appeal is the charity dedicated to raising much needed funds for The National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square London. The National is one of the world’s leading centres for the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with a wide range of neurological and neuromuscular conditions including multiple sclerosis (MS), brain cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, Prion disease, head injury. Donations are vital to our work and help The National Hospital remain at the forefront of research and development in neurology and neurosurgery. Without support from people like you, none of the major developments to help patients at The National Hospital over recent years would have been possible.

NDCS is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people in the UK. NDCS believes that every deaf child should be valued and included by society and have the same opportunities as any other child.

We offer free information and support to families with a deaf child.  Through our publications and web forums, the Freephone Helpline, our specialist advisors and family events, parents can rely on us from initial diagnosis through to adulthood.  

NDCS relies on voluntary income to continue its work and could not continue without the support received from individuals who often put a huge amount of time and effort into fundraising.

Norwood is a leading Jewish charity supporting vulnerable children, families, and people with learning disabilities. Norwood is ambitious for the people who use our services and we strive to ensure that everyone can live the life they choose, irrespective of their ability. We achieve this by providing professional help in a warm and caring Jewish environment, supporting people to be as independent as possible.

Nugent is a registered charity serving children and adults of all ages across the North West.  

Founded in 1881, we have over 140 years of experience operating care, education, community, and social work services. As a leading voice in the care sector, we look to improve health, life chances, quality of life, and levels of achievement while reducing poverty and increasing safety for all.  

One to One Children’s Fund is a small Charity based in Hampstead, making a big impact in the world. We relieve the suffering of children who are innocent victims of poverty, disease and conflict. We remedy and prevent the adverse impact of HIV/AIDS and trauma on children, working hand in hand with communities to develop and implement projects which can be scaled and replicated. By delivering sustainable projects and empowering local people, One to One Children’s Fund succeeds in rebuilding lives.

Orchid exists to save men’s lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness. 37,000 men will be diagnosed with a male-specific cancer in 2010; from sons to grandfathers, men face the risk of prostate, penile or testicular cancer. Orchid plays a leading role in the fight against male cancer through research and awareness and by supporting patients.

Every hour, someone in the UK is told they have Parkinson’s. Because we’re here no one has to face Parkinson’s alone. We bring people with Parkinson’s, their carers and families together via our network of local groups, out website and free confidential helpline. Specialist nurses, our supporters and staff provide information and training on every aspect of Parkinson’s. As the UK’s Parkinson’s support and research charity we’re leading the work to find a cure, and we’re closer than ever. We also campaign to change attitudes and demand better services. Our work is totally dependant on donations. Help us to find a cure and improve life for everyone affected by Parkinson’s.

Pelican Cancer Foundation is all about saving and improving cancer patients’ lives. We are dedicated to curing bowel, liver, bladder and prostate cancers by advancing cancer detection and treatment. Surgery cures more patients than any other cancer intervention. Our work to advance precision surgery for bowel cancer saves thousands of lives each year in the UK alone. Pelican achieves this by sharing life-saving and life-enhancing knowledge and skills with surgeons and cancer teams. We develop and run training courses on the latest procedures and best practice. Pelican also leads vital clinical research aimed at extending and improving patients’ lives today. Pelican Cancer Foundation is based in a state-of-the-art training facility in The Ark, Basingstoke, adjacent to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Foundation Trust Hospital.

Prostate Cymru is the leading prostate health charity in Wales supporting men with benign prostate disease and prostate cancer. Since its inception in 2003 the charity has grown from strength to strength and is committed to ensuring men in Wales have the best possible access to information, support & treatments. 

At Refuge, we believe that no-one should have to live in fear of violence and abuse. On any given day Refuge supports more than 6,000 clients, helping them rebuild their lives and overcome many different forms of violence and abuse; for example domestic violence, sexual violence, so-called ‘honour’-based violence, human trafficking and modern slavery, and female genital mutilation.

Right To Play is harnessing one of the most powerful and fundamental forces in every child’s life, the power of play. Our programs protect, educate, and empower children to heal from the harsh realities of war and abuse, to change their behavior and protect themselves from disease, to go to school, graduate and create a better future.

We’re the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and we’re here for everyone affected by sight loss. Whether you’re losing your sight or you’re blind or partially sighted, our practical and emotional support can help you face the future with confidence.

Whether you need advice on staying in work, using technology to help you do everyday tasks, or simply someone who can offer emotional support to help you come to terms with sight loss.

We’re RNIB and we’re here from the moment you’re diagnosed to help you get on with your life. From the day when you need us the most, until the day you’re living your life again.

With your support, we can reach more blind and partially sighted people and face the future with confidence together.

SA-YES was founded in 2008 to provide much needed support for marginalised children and young people in South Africa. Our first project is a  programme for youth leaving residential care in Cape Town. Our goal is to provide  the youth with guidance that will enable them to develop their skills, further their education and source suitable housing, in order for them  to participate in society as independent, mature, responsible adults.

The Sandville Self Help Foundation is a charity based on the outskirts of Porthcawl and its mission is to offer physical, emotional, social support and empower individuals who are living with a life limiting or life changing condition whilst also supporting their families and carers during these difficult times in their lives. Our values of Respect, Compassion, Integrity and Kindness are at the core of all our services. They inspire and drive us to ensure we provide the best possible advice, information, care and support to as many people as we can reach, living and dying with a life limiting or life changing condition and at times through bereavement.

Saving Faces is a research charity based at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital. Our mission is toimprove the care and treatment of all patients with disorders and injuries affecting the mouth and face.

People suffer the consequences of facial diseases, injuries and disfigurement every day. According to the latest figures, oral cancer is rapidly on the rise. Unlike most other cancers where survival rates are improving, deaths from oral cancer are predicted to increase by 22% over the next 20 years. Research, early diagnosis and education for clinicians and patients are now more important than ever.

Our Work

We conduct clinical trials to determine the best treatment for oral cancer.

We fund PhD students and clinical fellows to conduct lab-based research and investigate the psychological effects of living with cancer.

We provide patient support through the Saving Faces Expert Patient Helpline.

Along with the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS), we have created the world’s first National Study Centre dedicated exclusively to facial disorders.

We run an electronic advice service for doctors and dentists to help them detect mouth cancer as early as possible.

Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we’ll be here. We provide support, information and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year. We raise awareness of the issues that matter. And with your support, we’ll keep driving change across society until this country is great for everyone.

Sebastian’s Action Trust is a charity founded in 2004 from the last wish of our founder who wanted to reach beyond the limitations of his own lifetime and illness to help others. His desire to create a special place where families facing enormous challenges could come together for memory making, rest and relaxation is the cornerstone upon which our family focused yet child centered model has evolved.

We provide emotional, social and practical care for life-limited and life-threatened children and their families. We offer family respite care at our flagship facility, The Bluebells in Basingstoke, together with outreach and specialist support at our second centre, The Woodlands in Crowthorne, that is aimed at reducing isolation, providing meaningful support and building resilience to help our beneficiaries face the uncertainties of the future.

At Sebastian’s Action Trust, we passionately believe seriously-ill children should be able to have quality time together with their families, never having to face life alone. Our vision is to ensure lives, however short, are lived to the full.

Send a Cow transforms the lives of Africa’s poorest families by making real and lasting change.  We don’t give short term aid we give people the resources and the knowledge to help themselves and for the last 25 years, we have enabled hundreds of thousands of families to grow their own food, create a surplus to share and sell, improve their communities and educate their children. Send a Cow was created at a grass roots level by farmers in England who passionately wanted to help poor farmers in Africa. Today, still offering practical and hands-on support, we work in seven countries across Africa where our work is more effective, more ambitious and more influential than ever before.  We know that our approach changes lives for the better and last year we worked with more than 16,500 families, however, thousands more families are waiting to work with us now.

Every day, thousands of young children across Africa, have their lives shattered by the death of a parent through HIV/Aids. Their turmoil begins before death, it starts while nursing their sick mother or father and enduring the insufferable agony of not being able to do anything to make it stop.  Then being left completely alone, vulnerable and without hope. Prince Harry set up Sentebale, in memory of his mother Princess Diana, to help the most vulnerable children in Southern Africa.  Since we began, just four years ago,  Sentebale (which means  ‘forget me not’) has changed the lives of thousands of children through care, health and education – giving children hope and the opportunity to begin to enjoy their childhood.

At The Deaf Health Charity SignHealth we work to give deaf children and adults in the UK and Uganda the same healthy future as their hearing friends.

We are a charity dedicated to making sure Deaf people get the same sort of access as hearing people to healthcare and health information.

At the moment Deaf people generally have poorer health than hearing people, simply because access to medical services and health information isn’t routinely provided in sign language.

We think it’s time for change.

Sparks is a unique children’s charity funding cutting edge medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure for conditions and illnesses affecting children, babies and expectant mothers. Childhood cancer, childhood arthritis, meningitis, club foot, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and the risks associated with premature birth are just a few of the areas where Sparks funded doctors and scientists are leading the race to save lives.

SSAFA provides lifelong support for our Armed Forces and their families. Every year we give life-changing support to more than 60,000 people. Thanks to our supporters, we are able to extend a helping hand to our servicemen and women and their families, doing whatever it takes to meet their needs.

St John’s Hospice provides end of life care for people suffering with cancer and HIV/AIDS. Each year we provide care and support to patients from the Greater London area. Through our In-Patient Unit, Day Centre and Hospice at Home Service we help over 600 patients and their families. The hospice is free of charge to all our patients. We are reliant on voluntary donations to maintain the free service.

St Mungo’s Broadway provides a bed and support to more than 2,500 people a night who are either homeless or at risk, and works to prevent homelessness, helping about 25,000 people a year. We support men and women through more than 200 projects including:

• Emergency, hostel and supportive housing projects
• Advice services
• Specialist physical and mental health services
• Skills and work services

We currently work across London and the south of England including in Bristol, Reading, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Sussex, as well as managing major homelessness sector projects such as StreetLink and the Combined Homeless and Information Network (CHAIN)

St Vincent’s Hospice is a charitable organisation at the heart of the community, offering specialist care and services to all those affected by life limiting illness.

The hospice exists to provide care for people who have been diagnosed with a life-shortening illness including in the last days of their lives. We also help the loved ones of our patients through the entirety of their journey, and afterwards through bereavement support.

In addition to any public funding that the hospice receives, every year we have to raise over £2.2M to keep the doors of the hospice open and ensure that our services are available when people in Renfrewshire and adjacent areas of North Ayrshire need us most.

Supporting those in their teens and early 20’s who are fighting cancer.

There are 2,555 new cases of cancer diagnosed in teenagers and young adults in the UK each year.

We provide those aged 13-24 with the social, emotional, and physical support that is vital to their recovery. They can come together with others their age who understand what they’re going through, and remember who they are as a person, not just a cancer patient.

The effects of cancer can be long-lasting, which is why our support is too. Whether a young person is coming to terms with a recent diagnosis, undergoing treatment or years into remission, we’re here for them every step of the way.

Through our free activities and residential stays, we provide opportunities to help them rebuild their lives or, at the very least, live with their diagnosis in the best possible way.

At a time when it can feel like there’s so much they can’t do, we’re here to show them what they can do, without the ‘c’ word holding them back.

Thames Hospice is the local charity providing expert care for people living with life-limiting illnesses in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. A vital part of our work is also supporting their families and carers. It costs more than £7 million every year to keep our Hospice running. We rely on 80% of our income from charitable donations, which enables us to provide our services free of charge, 365 days a year, to the people who need us. 

The Air Ambulance Service is a dynamic, forward thinking organisation which is  constantly striving for excellence and breaking new boundaries within the third sector. Launched in December 2011, TAAS became the umbrella organisation for The Children’s Air Ambulance; a national transfer service for seriously ill children and babies, and two Helicopter Emergency Medical Services; Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance. Our organisation receives no Government or National Lottery funding; we provide an outstanding service entirely through the generous fundraising. We are driven by first class professionals and supported by an army of fantastic volunteers. We do not see the lack of Government funding as a financial burden but instead enjoy the freedom it gives us to be completely patient focussed.

The Children’s Trust is a national charity caring for children from across the UK providing care, education, therapy and rehabilitation to children with multiple disabilities, complex health needs and acquired brain injury. We help many children nationally who have acquired brain injury from a tragic accident or sudden illness and through specialist care and rehabilitation, the children are able to regain everyday skills to help them lead a fulfilling life as possible. By taking part in a challenge your support would allow us to reach more children who would benefit from the many unique services The Trust provides.

The Esther Benjamins Trust rescues and rehabilitates Nepali children who have been abandoned, trafficked or abused. Child trafficking victims, street children, dependents of prisoners and deaf young people are often forgotten by Nepali society – we make sure they are remembered. We provide residential refuge where necessary and access to education and meaningful vocational training.

“Gesher” is a new primary school for children with learning and communication difficulties. Gesher is a registered charity whose main aim is to provide a tailored education to those children who cannot cope with the large sizes of today’s classrooms and the one-size-fits-all approach of mainstream education. The children will benefit in particular from small cohorts and a variety of therapies integrated into their daily school life.  Gesher also plans to work with academics to become an autism research centre, and to open its doors during holidays and out-of-school hours for therapy, training and outreach activities.  With the right funding and support, it is hoped that Gesher will be able to welcome its first pupils in September 2016.

The J’s Hospice has been developed through the drive and vision of the local community to see enhanced care and support for young adults across Essex with life limiting conditions such as cancer and a wide range of complex neurological and metabolic conditions. The J’s provides tailored nursing, respite and end of life care, advice and advocacy, emotional care, bereavement support and a range of activities for the young adult and their family in the comfort and security of their own home.  Our aim is to encourage young adults throughout the county to live life to the full, however short.

The National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for people affected by Autism. Over half a million people in the UK have autism. Together with their families they make up over two million people whose lives are touched by autism every single day. Despite this, autism is still relatively unknown and misunderstood. Which means that many of these two million people get nothing like the level of help, support and understanding they need. Together, we are going to change this. What better way to challenge yourself both mentally and physically than by doing a National Autistic Society trek? It’s a great way to meet new people and explore amazing places you’d never even dreamt you’d go to. What’s more, the feeling of achieving the ultimate lifetime challenge is something you’ll talk about for years to come. By supporting the NAS, you’ll also be helping us continue our work, ensuring that people with autism fulfill their potential.

The Prince’s Trust is a charity which provides practical and financial support to disadvantaged young people in the UK, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. We work with thousands of 13 to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law. Our wide range of programmes are designed to encourage and empower young people to turn their lives around.

The Victoria Foundation exists to provide life enhancing medical assistance which transforms lives. We provide medical equipment and support to individuals and charities too including:
Specialist wheelchairs and medical equipment helping children and young people reach their potential.
Fully accessible mini-buses helping ensure the elderly are not isolated at home but are able to continue to be part of their community.

Medical treatment when it is not readily available, and we support future generations of doctors by providing grants for medical students who are facing financial hardship.

The Whittington Hospital Charitable Fund is dedicated to raising money for patients, services and staff at Whittington Health and raises, manages and distributes funds to offer a better patient experience and to improve Whittington Health’s environment for service users, patients and staff. Whittington Health aims to provide the very best care for patients and service users from our 400,000-strong local community. With your help, we can support acute and community services by raising money to purchase vital equipment, improve patient and family areas and training for staff.

are authentic, meaningful,non-invasive, respectful and very importantlybeneficial to local communities.  Uthando is aregistered company not for profit and NGO with the Government of South Africa. As a Fair Trade Tourism certified company, and subscribes to the principles as set out in the 2002 Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism in Destinations defined Responsible Tourism as follows :

• minimises negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;
• generates greater economic benefits for local people and enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the industry;
• involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances;
• makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world’s diversity;
• provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
• provides access for physically challenged people; and
• is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence

Velindre is Wales’ premier Cancer Centre, providing care, support and treatment to cancer patients and their families for over 60 years.

Velindre is the major provider of radiotherapy and other specialised anti-cancer treatments in Wales. Access to radiotherapy is critical to improving patient outcomes for cancer.

We all know of family, friends and loved ones who have been touched by cancer.

The incidence of cancer is rising by 2% each year in Wales with nearly 20,000 people diagnosed with this illness each year. One in two of us will develop cancer and 150,000 people will be living with a current or previous diagnosis of this disease.

However as Velindre staff strive every day to deliver the best cancer services through exceptional care, more people than ever are living with cancer – survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years through better treatments and earlier detection.

We want to lead in the delivery and development of compassionate, individualised and effective cancer care to achieve outcomes comparable with the best in the world.

Donations to Velindre are used to fund things over and above what the NHS provide, so fundraising really does make a huge difference to our patients and their families.

Walking With The Wounded identifies and supports organizations that look beyond immediate medical care and short-term rehabilitation to the challenges of reintegration and retraining for civilian life. Our wounded have a very different future to the one they had planned. Join us in empowering those who have given so much on our behalf. This is the future that Walking With The Wounded is addressing. The funds raised finance new qualifications, courses and further education for those who are seriously injured. It enables the blind, the burn victims, the mentally injured, the amputees and all the other wounded to rebuild their lives and return to the work place.

WaterAid works to transform lives in 27 of the world’s poorest countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific region and Central America. We work with individuals and their families in their communities and use a mix of low-cost technologies to deliver lasting water, sanitation and hygiene solutions. Safe, clean water is essential for life, but one in ten of the world’s population doesn’t have access to it. This, combined with poor sanitation, results in over two million people dying from water-related diseases every year. The lack of clean water close to people’s homes also affects their time, livelihoods and quality of life. Water is just the beginning; providing clean water and sanitation enables people to take the first essential steps out of poverty.

WeSeeHope is an international development organisation committed to creating sustainable change for vulnerable children in Southern and Eastern Africa.

We work across five countries – Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – in areas where children are acutely impacted by lack of opportunity, isolation and exploitation.

Focusing primarily on education, child rights and economic empowerment, we address these issues through seven community-led programmes that we have developed over the last 20 years, which:

– Teach vulnerable children life, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, helping to open up opportunities for their future.

– Enhance the skills of parents and guardians to provide for their children, enabling them to set up small businesses and economically empower themselves within their homes and communities.

– Equip community volunteers and leaders with the skills to identify when a child is vulnerable and support them with their social, emotional and educational development.

Our aim is that vulnerable children have the skills to change their own futures, and that their families and communities are able to support them along the way.

Whiteleys Retreat offers free therapeutic respite breaks and extended support to children, young people and their families living with cancer or a life altering illness across Scotland. 

Whiteleys Retreat is a charity registered in Scotland  SC047040

Tragically at least 100,000 children in developing countries die each year from easily curable cancers due to the lack of expertise and resources in their countries, and worse still, many die in pain due to the lack of effective pain relief available to them. World Child Cancer is working to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for the 130,000 children in developing countries who develop cancer each year – no child should suffer.

Worldwide Cancer Research funds pioneering research into any type of cancer anywhere in the world. If you fundraise for us, you’ll be funding some of the most diverse and unexpected projects in the world’s best institutions helping to find better treatments, better diagnoses and a better understanding of cancer for the future.