Melody Care’s Post

I’m amazed by the generosity of supporters, and have been humbled to see five and six figure sums given to charity. But the truth is, any amount is incredible because no one has to give and it’s often a sacrificial choice ❤️ Even if the amount seems inconsequential to you, it may have the power to transform somebody else’s world 😇 It may come naturally for you to give money, but we may overlook the many other ways in which donors generously give to support a charity’s mission. Here’s just a handful of examples… ⏱ Volunteering time, expertise, or perhaps donating office space for a charity’s use. 🎟 Organising a fundraising event for a cause close to your heart - like the amazing humans hiking Kilimanjaro in aid of Hope4❤️ with Chris ❤️ Lomas (have you sponsored them yet?) 🍎 Donating tangible items such as foodbank supplies, clothes, books, or prizes for an auction. 🤝 Forming mutually beneficial partnerships between businesses and charities. Whatever the method, you are helping charities to further their cause, helping people to live a better story. There are endless giving opportunities - find a method that’s enjoyable and resonates with YOU ☺️ What’s your favourite way of giving? #fundraising #giving #charity

Now THAT is how to celebrate a charity milestone birthday. This week the RNLI celebrated its 200th birthday with a flurry posts across social media from volunteers and supporters all describing in their own words why they charity's work is so important. This outpouring of affection felt genuine and heartfelt. Myriad aspects of the charity's work, present and historic, were celebrated publicly by real people, telling real stories. It was engaging, affectionate, and inclusive. And it was everywhere. Meanwhile, the charity's leaders weren't afraid to confront the hard stuff when pushed by interviewers on The Today Programme and elsewhere, skilfully driving home key messages that the charity exists to save lives at sea, and that means all lives they're tasked to save. So often in our sector we make an assumption that nobody cares about our "internal" milestones. But that's not the point. If we can coordinate ourselves, our anniversaries offer the perfect opportunity to help everyone care about us and what we do. Bravo to Jayne George and the team for delivering such an enormously uplifting and impactful celebration of this amazing charity. I can only imagine what a mammoth piece of internal coordination this will have taken to pull off. It hints at a very special internal culture. Happy birthday, guys, and thank you for all the amazing work you do. Photo credit: RNLI/Matthew Rowe #charitycomms #charitymarketing #supporterengagement #supporterexperience #RNLI200 ______ An enormous bright yellow inflatable rubber duck sits on the deck of the Appledore lifeboat. Two crew members in RNLI yellow overalls and red lifejackets are standing behind smiling.  

CHARITY CYCLE AT BOOM BATTLE BAR!! Throughout October we are raising money and awareness for Hospitality Action! If you're in the hospitality world and you haven't heard of these guys. you need to get to know! Details of exactly how we will be raising funds (With your help 🤞) Can be found here - https://lnkd.in/ezEbKzFe If you are able to head to one of our epic venues and support the team on their charity cycle then please come on down! If you aren't able to make it, any donation no matter how small would be greatly appreciated! In the words of Hospitality Action themselves, this is how they may be able to help you or a loved one in the future... "Whatever you do in Hospitality, Hospitality Action is here to give you the help. advice and support you need when times get tough. Serious illness, mental health issues, financial difficulties, family problems or addiction: Whatever challenges you might face, Hospitality Action is here to get you back on your feet!"

CHARITY Contrary to claims by many people, giving to charity does not keep egos in check. On the contrary, people who give to charity organizations are always bragging about it. The way these people think is that they are superior; therefore, they can give to inferior or less fortunate people. I feel that charity should be practiced within your professional ambit. Pay your workers decent salaries, give them material benefits. Do not exploit them. Follow Lean Management principles to keep the workforce and the management happy. That is charity for me. Giving a certain percentage to nameless faceless charitable projects is equivalent to social drama for me. Besides, the fact that executives from large charities travel first class and stay in luxury hotels while turning up for meetings in the most expensive suits and shoes does not inspire trust.

Dear Colleagues, As you might already know, I’m participating in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout again tonight. This will be my 8th year of contribution. A huge shout out to all those who have already donated and helped me raise over $3000 to date. With only a few hours to go before the event commences, I’d like to make one final reach out to all those who would like to donate but may not have yet had the chance to do so. Every dollar we raise goes to Vinnies’ not-for-profit services, which include food, accommodation, education, counselling, employment and health programs. I understand the difficult economic times we currently endure mean our charity budgets are perhaps less than they have been in years gone by, but rest assured, every dollar donated counts and could change somebody’s life forever. I would greatly appreciate your support for this important cause. The Vinnies CEO Sleepout happens for just one night, but it raises vital funds to support people all year round. Please feel free to make a donation at CEO SLEEPOUT - Rob Marino  

After Festability ends, what do you think is the first thing to go on our “to do” list? A) book in the date for next year and let providers know the date? B) Reflect with our guests on what a great event it was? C) Say thank you. Numerous people and organisations help us in one way or another. It may be by offering a service we need, or offering us a discount on their service, or stepping in at the last minute to help us resolve an issue. It may be they volunteered for us, or they were paid to provide a service but went above and beyond. It may be that they offered us a very generous sponsorship or donation. It may also be that they helped us previously but their shared. knowledge continues to help us. Or it may be that they are family members who have helped to hold the fort while we were on a field telling someone where to place a loo! We know we may be the organisers but without the support and back up of several others, Festability wouldn’t happen. It amazes us when people are surprised that we say thank you, especially if we have paid for their services. Thank yous cost nothing but they go a long way. Did you also know that saying thank you makes you happier, not just the recipient of the thank you? Have you said “thank you” today? Just send a quick text message, an email or WhatsApp and show someone your appreciation.

I do a lot of work for charity, but I don't like to talk about it. I remember that was a standard joke from before I ever got into show business. That kind of false modesty about your own good deeds is transparent, hey? So, I'm redressing it as "I do a bit of work for charity, and occasionally, I'll talk about it" Sometimes, you get asked to do stuff for charities, and when you look into it, everyone else is getting wedged in, and you are expected to do a Saturday night for nothing. It's my choice, though. if you don't charge, it's easier to say no when you can't or think you've done enough. My mate Alfie Joey gave me a tip years ago to colour code your wall planner so you can see how many free nights you are giving away over the next few months. Sometimes, it's good for the soul to do these things; it's a truism that you get more out of giving than you put in. If you are lucky enough to earn a nice living doing something fun you love, give karma a chance and do stuff if you can. You'll get a lovely warm feeling about yourself and never know who is in the crowd that might book you in the future. It would be poor etiquette to list the many great things I've done for charity in the last year - so I won't. But you know now that I have, so that's served its purpose :) One charity I want to mention is North West Air Ambulance Charity - they are all brilliant dudes, and I have had the pleasure of hosting the awards for the last two times. For free, of course - hahaha. I don't like to talk about it.... Now, things have taken a terrible turn for the worse. I'm running the The Great Run Company Mcr 10k for them. If training is too harsh, you should ingratiate yourself with the people who might have to airlift you to the hospital.

🎤 Big shout out today to St Ann's Hospice, one of our chosen charities for 2023-24 🎄 Did you know they are picking up Christmas Trees to recycle post Christmas... 📆 Pick ups run between tomorrow, 11th Jan and Sunday 14th Jan and there is still time to register and make a donation ❌ But that's not all they do to make it a win win win for you to support them: 💳 Payroll Giving - Your employees can join the IN Accountancy Limited team and make a donation every single month via their pay - it's super simple and easy to set up 👗 Clothing Donations - if your wardrobe is anything like my daughter's (as in moving on to the floor as it's so crammed full🤦🏽♀️), then perhaps you should consider feeing up some room and donating some of the clothes you simply don't wear to St Ann's charity shops... out with the old, and maybe hold off on the new for a bit?? Unless of course you find something there that grabs your eye 🤔 🚛 Free Furniture Collection - if you're having a post Christmas clear out like I need to do, St Ann's provide a free collection service for any furniture you would like to donate to their charity shops - how great is that?? ✍ Free Will Writing Service - you'll have to wait until March for this though, as that is 'Will Month' when a number of local solicitors will be waiving their fees when you donate to St Ann's... this is such an important item to have in place, I'd strongly urge you to plan this in if you haven't already done so If you can't find a way to support this truly deserving charity with all of these options, then do let them know what other ideas you might have...

Start your day off by brightening someone else's! There are countless ways to spread kindness and joy, without having to give up much of your own time or energy. Take a moment to think about how you can make someone's day a little better. Whether it's a small gesture, like holding open a door or giving a compliment, or a grander gesture, like donating to a charity or volunteering your time, every act of kindness counts. So go ahead, find a way to make someone happy today - you might just make their whole week! #SpreadKindness #MakeSomeoneHappy #PayItForward

In case anybody thinks that I have forgotten about 'Club Ausome', no, I have not forgotten. This is the recommendation list I am building for my website. There is also the 'Club Ausome Live' series of events, which is here: https://lnkd.in/ecudhkzc I keep adding to the 'Club Ausome' list all the time, so I have been hesitant to publish it because I will no doubt have missed somebody out. I have so many awesome neurodivergent and/or disabled friends with their own small businesses and charities, and I want to include them all. The rules of Club Ausome are: 1) Everyone is neurodivergent and/or disabled (this rule is giving me grief, because I keep adding people, and then remembering that just because I think they might be neurodivergent does not mean they identify that way, but it is kind of the whole point of the list). 2) Everybody is either self-employed, or running an emerging charity (I am excluding corporates and well-known charities, because they do not need my recommendations). 3) Everybody is what I call 'mutually supportive', i.e. they often signal-boost others, rather than only promoting themselves. In my work and socials, I am meeting awesome new people all the time, who fit all of these criteria, so I am bound to forget somebody, but also you might be missing because: a) I don't know if you are knowingly openly neurodivergent and/or disabled, or b) You are not self-employed, you do not run your own charity, and you do not need a signal boost (e.g. you already have a huge profile). But even with those caveats, I am still worried about publishing this list, in case I have missed off anybody who I really wanted to include. Help, what should I do?!?