Leeds Children’s Charity Christmas Appeal 2013

Champion a Child this Christmas

As we enter the festive season, it is important to reflect on our achievements and also consider those less fortunate.

This year, we are delighted to have taken 481 children to the Silverdale holiday centre and due to increasing demand we fully expect to send the same amount next year if not more. The need for places at the holiday centre is becoming greater all the time, highlighting the fact that more and more children are living in poverty and suffering from neglect.

This is why today we launch our Christmas Appeal to ensure we can help the children that need vital respite from challenging circumstances. Our Champion a Child scheme is the best way you can help a child in need as it will cover the cost of their holiday to Silverdale – their travel costs, food and anything else they may need during their stay. Some children come to us without even the most basic essentials but with your pledge you can have a real and positive impact on a child’s life.

Reflections & Thanks

It has been an incredible year for fundraising here at Leeds Children’s Charity with some amazingly dedicated people undertaking all sorts of challenges and stunts to support us. This July a brilliant team of runners took part in the Leeds 10k and raised a record breaking £15,341.62! Other people did triathlons, held bake-offs and even masquerade balls to ensure we continue to support vulnerable children in Leeds. If you would like to raise money for us, from bathing in baked beans to jumping out of a plane please get in touch>

Next year, we hope to reach even more people. With your help, we can make 2014 brighter for hundreds of families and children.

How You Can Help

There are many ways to donate, either with a one-off donation or as a monthly direct debit. As its Christmas, why not give the donation as a gift to a loved one? However you wish to help us, there are plenty of options to suit you>  

A monthly donation is just £15 a month and regular support is what keeps this charity running and brightening children’s lives.

This Christmas, make a difference to a child’s life and support our Christmas Appeal.

 

Good News and Donations

The past month has seen Leeds Children’s Charity go from strength to strength after we secured some prominent corporate sponsors and received some extremely generous donations.

Here’s a brief snapshot of just some of the fantastic progress we have made in the past few weeks:

A special mention must go firstly to a very active patron of the charity, Eric Forster who has generously pledged the sum of £2000 to go towards the outdoor playing equipment. As a former chairman, Eric’s continued support has raised thousands of pounds and he has also encouraged others to donate through his connection with Leeds Rotary Club.

Simply Health, a healthcare organisation based in Leeds has pledged over £2000 which will largely go towards improving the picnic area at the centre.

Toy Trust have awarded Leeds Children’s Charity £5000 following our successful application for funding to provide respite to young carers and disadvantaged children who are supported by Signpost.

Scurrah Wainwright Trust have awarded Leeds Children’s Charity £2500 to go towards  young carers respite holiday.

Over £1000 has been delivered to the office by Catherine Noble who is organising bucket collections on behalf of the charity – keep an eye out for them in your local supermarket or shopping centre!

Whilst this money is vital to the charity we are also grateful to the many people who have donated their time, labour and resources to us. GSS Architecture has offered to brighten up the exterior of the holiday centre whilst Akzo Nobel and Dulux will be painting the boys dormitory. Simon Docherty and his staff at Premier Inn have very kindly pledged mattresses, tables, quilts and numerous other furniture and bedding for the center.

We are also looking forward to welcoming some more volunteers joining us at the centre in June and are ever grateful for people doing various challenges on our behalf. To volunteer or run the Leeds 10k to raise money for LCC please email us at info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk or get in touch via Twitter @LeedsChildrensC

With Thanks

Leeds Childrens Charity

Support Tony’s bike ride to help children of Leeds

I have just returned from a 500k cycle ride through the heat, humidity and mosquito infested jungle terrain of Vietnam and through into Cambodia to raise funds for Leeds Children’s Charity.

It was difficult cycling in 35 degrees each day and especially humid in Vietnam but much drier in Cambodia. The local children were always pleased to see westerners cycling past – all shouted hello as we passed, and high fives; they were especially interested in tall people like me!  The children were always very happy despite having little in the way of possessions – just had the basics of clothing, food, water and shelter.     To see photos of the trip, please go to http://www.tonysbikeride.com/

Almost 2 years ago I cycled 500k across the Zambian bush to raise money to build schools for the local kids it felt so good to be able to make a difference thanks to the generosity of friends and colleagues that I felt I should do something similar, but this time for the under privileged kids of Leeds, my home city.  I am supporting the Leeds Children’s Charity who take local under privileged kids away on a week’s holiday to Silverdale near Morcambe – all the more poignant as   this is where my own grandma used to go when she was a child almost 100 years ago.

I’ve already raised over £1,500 and it would be great to get this total to £2,500 to support the vital work of the Leeds Children’s Charity.     Can you please please help this local and very worthy cause.

To support Tony, please  go to http://www.justgiving.com/Tony-Passmore1 to help raise funds for disadvantaged children of Leeds.

To donate please click here ,   it only takes 60 seconds through Just Giving

Tony Passmore is Managing Director of More Ability, part of the Passmore Group.

Onesie’s raise money for the Leeds Children’s Charity

Many activities have been organised to raise money for the Leeds Children’s Charity, but I think this must be the first for the Onesie’s.

During Christmas time, Emma Ward and her colleagues at Arla Foods organised a raffle and wore Onesie’s to raise money for the charity.  £424.38 was raised from this activity and this money will be match funded by the company.

The trustees are enormously grateful to Emma and her colleagues for their generosity.  The money raised will be used to help finance short breaks/respite for 4 disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have an opportunity to leave difficult home situations.

The charity will be providing 480 holiday places during 2013 and it would be fantastic if more supporters were to organise unusual and wacky ways in which to raise much-needed revenue to help children to have a break by the sea away from dysfunctional families or responsibilities beyond their years.

Do you have a wonderful new idea that will involve your friends and colleagues and raise funds for the charity?  We would love to hear from you and to have the chance to share the fun with others.

If you would like to help, please contact info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk, or telephone 0113 245 4281.

Thank you to all the fantastic supporters of the Leeds Children’s Charity

2012 was another successful year for the Leeds Children’s’ Charity.  Most importantly, 434 disadvantaged children enjoyed a break by the sea at the Leeds Children’s Holiday Centre, Silverdale – children who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to have a break from difficult home situations.

Catch me if you can

The trustees could not do their work without the wonderful support given to the charity by many amazing sponsors and benefactors.  These include Northern Rail who sponsor train tickets for the children and their escorts; Richardsons Solicitors who have raised money and also provided invaluable advice and support; Aviva Leeds who have taken the charity to their hearts and have organised a whole variety of fundraising activities, sponsored bicycle ride, runners in the Leeds 10k, cake bakes, and more; DWF LLP who have raised money through dress down days, raffles, book sales, marathon running, and collected much-needed resources; Leeds University students who have done an amazing job of organising activity weekends and weeks for the children, raised money through auctions, raffles, music nights, and a Christmas Fayre in the City; and many more extremely generous benefactors too numerous to mention – corporates of all sizes, groups and organisations, and remarkable individuals who donate money, time, and/or resources to help underprivileged children in Leeds.  2013 has already started with a bang.  Lowell Group have nominated the Leeds Children’s Charity as their Charity of the Year and have already organised a full programme of fundraising events.  Support such as this will enable the charity to provide 480 disadvantaged children with a much-needed holiday by the sea during the summer of 2013.We are enormously grateful to everyone for their ongoing support and I apologise that there is not space enough in this blog to name all our incredible benefactors.  However, sponsors and supporters are always given a mention on our website, blog, social media sites, or newsletter whenever the charity benefits from their munificence.  We feel that it is our duty to broadcast that there are extremely generous people who are supporting children in dire need.

If you would like to help the Leeds Children’s Charity in any way, please contact info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk, or telephone 01132454281.  We would be delighted to hear from you.

Happy New Year

Lisa Worsnop School of Dance entertains to help children of Leeds

A very special thanks is owed to the pupils of the Lisa Worsnop School of Dance for their amazing dancing and singing talent and skills presented to friends and family in order to raise funds for the work of the Leeds Children’s Charity.  The show, ‘Curtain Call’ was a pleasure to watch from start to finish.  Pupils from 4 to 40 took part in the show and they were all bright, enthusiastic, and entertaining stars of the night.

The charity was chosen to be the recipient of money raised from three shows that took place on 7 and 8 December 2012 for which we are enormously grateful.

Lisa Holmes, the dance teacher, said that it was a pleasure to raise money for such a worthy cause.  Nearly £300 was raised from a raffle, loose change was collected in buckets as the audiences left the building, and a donation is to be made to the charity from ticket sales and revenue raised from the sale of DVDs of the show.  All the money donated will be used to provide free residential short breaks/respite for disadvantaged and socially excluded children of Leeds aged 7 to 11 years.

The charity will provide nearly 500 holiday places during 2013, and the money received from this fundraising event will help the trustees to achieve their target.

If you would like to support the Leeds Children’s Charity, please contact info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk or telephone 0113 245 4281.

 

Aviva Cake Bake and Taste treat to raise funds for disadvantaged children

Another amazing and successful fundraising idea from the CR Team of Aviva Leeds to raise funds for the work of the Leeds Children’s Charity was to bake a cake and to be creative in its decoration.

Seven fantastic cakes were produced for the final judging and these ranged from a fruit cake bursting with fruit and port to King Kong on the top of the Empire State Building.

The very difficult final judging was undertaken by Verlie McCann, Chairman of the Leeds Children’s Charity, and Diane Chapman, Compliance Manager, Creditor Centre of Excellence Leeds, Aviva Leeds, and leader of the CR Team.

All the cakes were judged on creativity and taste. Lauren & Sam’s King Kong Battenberg sponge cake was the obvious winner on creativity.  Everything on the cake was edible from spaghetti railings and radio aerial, marzipan King Kong, and sugar glass.

Mairead’s Chocolate Guinness cake with truffle topping and cream cheese was, without doubt, the winner on taste.  The contrast of black chocolate sponge under the white double cream cheese topping was outstanding and the taste was delicious.

After the judging, all the cakes were cut and sold to raise funds for the charity.

The CR Team at Aviva have pledged their support to the Leeds Children’s Charity for two years and have organised simple yet very effective fundraising events to raise over £15,000 for the charity to date.  A team of employees also gave up their weekend to decorate a large room at the Leeds Children’s Holiday Centre that is used by hundreds of disadvantaged children every year.

The trustees of the charity are extremely grateful for this very generous support, and it is a pleasure to work with such committed and dedicated people who want to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children of Leeds.

If you would like to help in any way, please contact info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk, or telephone 0113 245 4281.

Richardsons & Co Solicitors LLP continue to support the Leeds Children’s Charity

Richardsons & Co Solicitors LLP  are very generously supporting the work of the Leeds Children’s Charity  by providing expertise, collection of much needed resources, and organising fundraising activities.

Expertise and knowledge have been offered to the trustees to assist with the review and updating of the charity’s Constitution and Rules.  This exercise will be of benefit to current and future trustees in the management of the charity and will ensure that the governing document is fit for purpose for many years to come.

Collections of Christmas Gifts and food for families in need will be taking place during November and December to help disadvantaged families and children to enjoy some festive cheer.   Items will also be taken to Leeds Children’s Holiday Centre to be enjoyed by many hundreds of children who will be provided with a short break during the 2013 holiday season.

Fundraising activities being considered are a York to Leeds walk between the offices of Richardsons & Co Solicitors LLP, runners and joggers to join the charity’s 2013 Leeds 10k team, and much more.

The trustees are extremely grateful to all the staff at Richardsons & Co Solicitors LLP for their help and support.

If you would like to know more about the work of the Leeds Children’s Charity, please contact info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk or telephone 0113 245 4281.

‘Grow Your Tenner’ to help the Leeds Children’s Charity

 

By donating just £10 through the website – https://localgiving.com/charity/leedschildrenscharity – this money will be match funded and gift aided to generate £25 for the work of the Leeds Children’s Charity.

1 x £25 will pay for railway tickets to transport 2 children from Leeds to our holiday centre at Silverdale, near Morecambe

2 x £25 will feed 2 children for a week at the Leeds Children’s Holiday Centre by the sea

3 x £25 will pay for diesel to transport 14 children in our minibus to local areas around Silverdale

4 x £25 will pay for games and equipment to be used by hundreds of children who enjoy a holiday by the sea

5 x £25 will pay for shoes and clothes for those children who arrive at Silverdale with only the clothes they are wearing and shoes that do not fit

6 x £25 will pay for one child to have a holiday by the sea

How would you like to Grow Your Tenner?

If you would like to know more about the work of the Leeds Children’s Charity, please do contact at info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk, or telephone 0113 245 4281

Leeds White Rose Rotary Club supporting Leeds Children’s Charity

Members of the Leeds White Rose Rotary Club together with trustees and volunteers of the Leeds Children’s Charity will be collecting at the Rhinos – v – Bradford Bulls rugby match tonight at the Leeds Carnegie Stadium.  Please watch out for bright blue buckets and collectors in white Leeds Children’s Charity t-shirts who will happily take your money to help disadvantaged children of Leeds.

Trevor Hatib, President of the Leeds White Rose Rotary Club, said that the members were delighted to be able to support the very worthwhile work of the Leeds Children’s Charity, and the collection at tonight’s rugby match is just one way in which the members can help.

If you would like to contribute in any way, please contact by telephone – 01132454281 – or email – info@leedschildrenscharity.org.uk