Team Talks: Joanna’s cold water swimming

Fundraising recruitment is a ‘people’ business. So, we thought it was about time you got to know the people behind Bamboo.

In our ‘Team Talks’ series, we’ll be grilling each member of the team on their hobbies, passions, and anything else we can think of.

First up is Joanna, talking about her passion for cold-water swimming.

What is cold water swimming?

Basically, it’s any form of outdoor swimming.

I do sea swimming regularly, but I’ve also tried river and lagoon swimming.

How long have you been doing it?             

I started doing it during the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, I swam every day in a private pool.

Swimming is my exercise of choice as its gentle on my joints and good for my various ailments. (Joanna has Congenital talipes equinovarus, also known as club foot. And Femoroacetabular impingement).  

Then lockdown happened, and it all stopped.

Everyone else swapped their usual exercise for long walks, but I couldn’t do that as my hips were painful, and I kept falling over.

Not being able to swim really got me down, so I went to see a doctor.

The first one I spoke to prescribed antidepressants. I didn’t want to take them, but as I was so low, I gave them a go. But they didn't sit well with me. So, I called the GP again and spoke to a different doctor.

I’ll never forget our conversation. I was sitting in my car, crying. I told her I was struggling physically and mentally as I couldn’t swim.

She asked if I was comfortable swimming in the sea. I said I was, but I hadn’t done it for years as I lived in London and had a busy job.

She suggested I look into cold water swimming. She said there were groups all over the country, and if it appealed, she would write a letter that would allow me to do it without getting fined.

After the call, I jumped on Facebook, found the Blue Tits, and before I knew it, I was venturing out for my first swim, armed with my bathers, bobble hat, and my precious GP letter.

How was your first session?

I was nervous. As the group had been doing it for some time, I thought they might be cliquey. But they welcomed me in and made me feel comfortable, instantly.

As for the swim, it was amazing. Every bit of my body felt worked, including the bits I didn’t expect to feel, like my forearms.

But it wasn’t just good for my body. The social side of it was great for my mental health.

Do you still go?

Yes. I try and go twice a week. I’ve made some amazing friendships from it. We go for coffees, breakfasts, and celebrate each other’s birthdays. It’s lovely.

The group has also helped build my confidence. Off the back of it, I did the Tenby Boxing Day swim in a Christmas tree onesie last year

Do you swim all year round?

Yes. I remember the temperature was -2° on one of my swims in February. There was frost on the sand. It was warmer in the sea!

How does the Blue Tits work?

The Blue Tits is the overarching group, then there are local groups across the country.

Each group has a Facebook page, and everything is organised through them.

It’s very informal. You don’t have to pay to do it.

How many are in your group?

There are seven or eight regulars that go pretty much every day. They can afford to do it as most of them are retired.

Is it safe to say you’d recommend cold water swimming to burnt out fundraisers?

Yes! For me, it's a form of physical and mental therapy. It allows me to switch off from everything else going on in my life.

I knew anti-depressants weren’t what I needed!

And I can’t rave enough about the Blue Tits. They’re not regimental like some cold-water swimming groups. They’re relaxed, there are no expectations, and you don’t have to be a skilled swimmer to join.

We have a saying. ‘Never leave you flock’. Basically, you swim as a group and look out for each other. If you start struggling, or feeling unwell, someone will be on hand to help.

If you want to get out after five minutes, that’s fine too, as we respect each other’s limitations.

Final Word

Joanna clearly gets a lot from cold water swimming. Why not give it a go and start reaping the rewards yourself?

Want to find out more about the Blue Tits? Take the plunge and check out their website.

The rise of the charity shop

The retail sector is fighting for its life. Last year, almost 50 shops closed every day across the UK and it’s a similar story this year.

But one shop is bucking the trend – the charity shop. Not only are bricks-and-mortar stores growing in number, but sales are through the roof.

For example, Oxfam’s retail income increased from £39.4m in 2020/21 to £90.3m in 2021/22, while Barnardo’s saw growth of 158% year-on-year to £78m in 2022.

And the trend is being seen across the sector. Data published by the Charity Retail Association shows that, between October-December 2022, there was a 9.1% increase in the average number of transactions per day in charity shops compared to the same period in 2021.

According to the latest figures, charity shops are now estimated to raise around £360m a year for charities, which exceeds pre-pandemic contributions.

What’s caused the surge in popularity?

There are three key factors at play:

Sustainability

The focus on sustainability has slowly been increasing for at least a decade now. And charity shops in particular have become a big part of people’s efforts to shop more sustainably. Back at the start of the pandemic, a study found that 60% of people were making more environmentally friendly or ethical purchases.

What better place to do that than at a charity shop? Especially as fast fashion is, well, falling out of fashion. People want sustainable options - such as second-hand clothes - and a good deal. Charities tick both boxes.

Cost-of-living

Charity shops are central to their local communities and one of the first places people turn to when money is tight, so it’s not surprising footfall has increased during the cost-of-living crisis, as people look to get the best value for their money.

Social Media

Social media has also played a part in the charity shop boon.

The hashtag #CharityShopHaul has amassed 217 million views on TikTok, thanks to the rise of charity shop influencers - yes, they exist - like Jen Graham. She’s built a loyal fan base of more than 70,000 followers over the last year, who love seeing her show off her charity shop hauls.

Next level

The nation’s obsession with thrift shopping has led to the emergence of initiatives that take charity shopping to the next level:

Charity superstores

Cancer Research UK and The Salvation Army have taken charity shopping to the next level by launching multi-department charity superstores. Housed in retail units left vacant by failed brands such as Debenhams, they offer everything from furniture and homeware to electricals and fashion.

Charity Supermarket

Charity Super.Mkt, - the UK’s first multi-charity fashion pop-up store, was the brainchild of Wayne Hemingway, founder of British fashion brand Red or Dead, and Maria Chenoweth, CEO of sustainable clothing charity TRAID.

The supermarket opened in Brent Cross shopping Centre in January 2022, and offered a curated selection of stylish second-hand garments, bringing together the best donated clothing sourced from 10 UK charities under one roof.

The first time that national and local charities have collaborated on a store, the proceeds were split between Age UK, Blue Cross, Cats Protection, DEBRA, Havens Hospices, Helen and Douglas House, Marie Curie, Shaw Trust, Shelter, Smart Works, Sue Ryder, Thames Hospice and TRAID.

In four weeks, the initiative raised over £300,000 and saved 11 tonnes of clothing from landfill.

Charity Shop Gift Card

In another ‘first’ for the charity sector, The Charity Retail Association (CRA) rolled out the UK’s first  Charity Shop Gift Card.

Accepted in shops run by regional and national charities in most areas of the UK, the card is made from recycled materials, and can be purchased on the CRA’s website and at participating shops, including Sainsbury's, Tesco, Boots, Asda and WHSmith.

As a social enterprise, 65% of annual profits from sales of The Charity Shop Gift Card will go to UK-based charities.

Brand/charity collaborations

There are also a growing number of collaborations between mainstream high street brands and charity shops, as corporate responsibility moves higher up the agenda for companies. 

For example, in 2017, high street clothing retailer TK Maxx staff launched a campaign called ‘Give Up Clothes for Good’.

Championed by celebrities and families living with cancer, the initiative rallies people across the UK to drop off their quality, pre-loved clothes, accessories, and homeware at collection points in all TK Maxx stores. The items are then sold in Cancer Research UK shops to raise funds to support research into children’s and young people’s cancers. 

TK Maxx customers have collected over 1.7 million bags of donated goods, amounting to more than 8800 tonnes of pre-loved items diverted from landfill.

The future is digital

Digital fundraising through online retailing is nothing new: the first online charity shop was launched by Oxfam back in 2007. But people are spending more time online than ever before. This, combined with the UK’s new-found enthusiasm for second-hand bargains, means the opportunity for charities to establish online charity shops as major digital fundraising sources has never been greater.

Looking to build up a digital fundraising team? We can help. Call us on 0203 750 3111 to find out how.

The Bamboo team battles it out at the Blue Cross quiz!

At Bamboo, we love a quiz. And doing one to raise money for a great cause is even better. So, we jumped at the chance to take part in a virtual charity quiz on June 1 …

Here’s the lowdown.

The quiz was raising funds for Blue Cross, a fantastic animal welfare charity that provides a wide range of support and services for pets across the UK.

For the unfamiliar, the charity:

• Provides free and reduced-cost veterinary treatment for sick and injured pets when their owners can’t afford private veterinary fees

• Finds loving new homes for pets

• Offers behavioural and training advice

• Runs a pet bereavement support line

• Manages a network of pet food banks

Right, back to the quiz.

Once we were all logged on, there was a brief introduction from our Blue Cross host, then it was time to test our wits.

The quiz was run through Slido (which, incidentally, is a great option if you’re looking to host your own virtual quiz). It consisted of 30 multiple-choice general knowledge questions, and we had 20 seconds to answer each one (20 seconds goes mighty fast when you’re torn between two answers!)

This question stumped a fair few of us: ‘Alexander the Great died from complications after falling off his elephant. True or false?’
54% of us thought it sounded random enough to be true, but we were wrong. He died ‘mysteriously’ at the age of 32.

How did we do?

Not too badly.

It turns out our very own Tim Barnes (Co-Founder) is a secret egghead. With an impressive score of 26/30, he enjoyed a comfortable win.

His prize? In his words, ‘loads of dog stuff,’ (it’s just as well he has a dog!)

Our Digital Marketer, Georgie, came a respectable 4th, closely followed by Recruitment Consultant, Conan, who ‘officially’ finished in 6th place, but claims it should have been ‘tied 5th’, (he ended up with the same score as the person in 5th place). However, he shared his 6th place spot with fellow Bamboo brainiac, Joanna (our Partnerships & Operations Director(, so he was in good company.

Content Manager Cara was disappointed to finish in 7th place. She was convinced she’d guessed well enough to win …

As for Graham (the other Bamboo Co-Founder), he claims he got kicked off the platform before the quiz finished, so didn’t get placed. Likely story!

Blue Cross is looking for human and canine volunteers!

We asked Blue Cross if they wanted us to flag any campaigns/initiatives in this post.

Alyson Jones, Director of Rehoming at Blue Cross said: “Our Hertfordshire branch (the nearest branch to London) is looking for foster cat volunteers.” (find out more here). She added, “we’re also looking for ‘canine’ volunteers to be ambassador dogs in Manchester” (if you’ve got a brilliantly behaved pooch, check out how to apply here).

The charity has also launched a campaign to ban greyhound racing. If you want to support it, sign their petition here. 

Final Word

We thoroughly enjoyed exercising our collective grey matter for such a great cause.

Congratulations to Blue Cross for organising such a fun event, and to Tim for being such a boffin!

Celebrating small charity week

When most people are asked to name a charity, they’ll mention the big, household names whose adverts they see on TV or in their favourite weekly magazines.

While these charities do amazing work - fighting cancer, heart disease or dementia - they only make up 3% of the charity sector. The other 97% is made up of small charities (with an income of under £ 1 million); and micro charities (those with an income of under £10,000 per annum).

Despite the prevalence of small charities, they receive just 20% of the UK’s charitable giving.

But what they’re able to achieve on a shoestring budget is nothing short of incredible.

In honour of Small Charity Week, we’re going to shine a spotlight on three small charities that are making a mighty difference.

Stem4

Stem4 is an award-winning organisation that promotes positive mental health in teenagers. They do this through the provision of mental health education, resilience strategies and early intervention.

Despite its modest budget, the charity provides mental health support to 100,000 young people each year. It also provides mental health education to 60,000 young people, their parents and carers, teachers, GPs and school nurses.

The charity has also developed four, award-winning, evidence-based mental health mobile apps:

• Calm Harm focuses on managing the urge to self-harm

• Clear Fear provides teens with a range of tools to manage anxiety

• Move Mood helps teenagers manage depression

• Combined Minds helps families and friends provide support to teenagers

The apps have been downloaded three million times, across 227 countries and territories.

Stephens and George Charitable Trust

In 2012, 40% of children in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, were found to be functionally illiterate upon leaving primary school. In response, the Welsh education inspectorate placed the borough council under “special measures”.

That same year, Stephens and George Print Group set up a charitable trust to help tackle the area’s education and literacy challenges.

Following consultation with schools, social services and other community providers, the trust put together a three-year strategy incorporating a range of initiatives.

As a result, the Stephens and George Charitable Trust enrolled 120 reading support volunteers to go into schools and read to children with complex needs. They also put in place the infrastructure to distribute 10,000 donated books to children who need them each year.

The charity also runs Charity Baby Bookworm sessions (an initiative that encourages parents to read to their children before they reach school age).

The charity secured funding from several grantmakers for these projects, but it’s also taken steps to increase its earned income. Notably, it used a community asset transfer to take over the Dowlais Community Centre. This now acts as a community hub and revenue source with a gym, cafe and hall hire. The charity also opened and runs Merthyr Tydfil’s only bookshop.

Kumon Y’all

Divisions in local communities can be deep-seated, particularly when it comes to race and religion.

For one predominantly Muslim community in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, two events shone a harsh spotlight on how the Saville Town area was divided: the neighbourhood was home of the UK’s youngest-ever suicide bomber; and the scene of a violent stabbing of a young person by members of a far-right group.

These events spurred local charity Kumon Y’all to take action to tackle the rise of extremism among young people, and challenge misunderstandings between Muslim and non-Muslim communities. They asked young members of the Dewsbury community to come up with an event to bring everyone together. The most popular idea was a football tournament.

The charity proceeded to contact various religious groups, and, in 2013, the community enjoyed its first ‘Let’s Unite’ tournament.

The annual event has grown significantly over the years. In 2022, 40 youth teams and 12 adult teams took part, and the action was watched by 5,000 spectators.

Since the event was introduced, incidents of hate crime in the area have fallen significantly. As a result, the charity has been approached by neighbouring cities to roll out the model in their communities.

Be a part of small charity week!

Want your events/webinars listed on the small charity week website? You can register them here. The page will be open until 18th June.

Disability in the Workplace: Joanna’s Story

A recent study by healthcare provider Bupa found that two in five (43%) employees with a less visible disability haven’t disclosed it to their employer.

This got us thinking. Half the team at Bamboo have a disability. Have they felt comfortable enough to talk about their disabilities at work?

We asked them to find out.

Seeing as its Clubfoot Awareness Month, we’re kicking off with our Partnerships & Operations Director,  Joanna.

What disability do you have?

I was born with Congenital talipes equinovarus (CTE), also known as club foot. Essentially this means, when I was born, my feet and ankles were turned inwards. My left foot was affected more than my right, but I had treatment on both feet to realign them. This consisted of a combination of The Ponseti Method (a technique used to straighten the feet using manipulation and stretching) and operations. 

I also have Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition in which extra bone grows along one or both of the bones that form the hip joint, giving the bones an irregular shape. Because they don’t fit together properly, the bones rub against each other when I move.

Over time, this friction has damaged my joints, causing hip stiffness and pain. It’s also limited my mobility.  

How does your disability affect you?

I was pretty active during my childhood and teenage years, but I had to put up with excruciating leg spasms. I was also very susceptible to falls - I managed to fracture my Thema bone when I tripped up a kerb.

With regards to the club foot, in 2012, I had to have a major operation on my ankle as it started to collapse to the side. I had metal bolts inserted to realign it. Unsurprisingly, this put me out of action for a while.

Prior to the operation, I was on crutches for months - whizzing about London attending client meetings. It wasn’t ideal, so I knew it needed to be done.

As a result of my condition, my feet are different sizes. I wear size 7/8 on my left and a 5 on my right. It was a nightmare finding shoes until I came across a Facebook group called Jo’s Odd Shoes. I now get fabulous, odd shoes for the cost of postage!

How do you manage your FIA?

I take Naproxen, (an anti-inflammatory), every day, for pain and swelling.

I also self-medicate with cold water swimming. I swim with a national group, The Bluetits. I can honestly say it’s the best medicine!

Have you disclosed your disabilities to employers?

I haven’t discussed my disabilities with previous employers. I was concerned they’d think I was incompetent. I have always overcompensated as a result.

Over the years, my job as a recruitment manager has required me to attend lots of external meetings. Although the travel caused me a lot of pain, I was determined to do it. So, I used to travel around London on crutches. As a result, I’ve got trapped nerves in one of my elbows, which is extremely painful. I’ve lost feeling in part of my hand.

Have you had to take time off work because of your condition? If so, have your colleagues and manager been understanding?

I was unable to walk for two months after an ankle operation. Initially, my employer was unsympathetic. Even though I was still working (and incidentally, was their highest biller) they said they weren’t going to pay me. However, after I told the CEO the operation was the result of a long-term disability, his attitude changed.  

Have you ever been discriminated against because of your disability?

I sometimes struggle on public transport. Because my disability isn't visible, people don't realise I need a seat.

Even if I have my crutches, people are often too busy on their phones to look up!

What can employers do to support people with the same condition as you at work?

It's about being accommodating. I need to be active, but not too active.

At Bamboo, I have ‘Friday wellness time’. I can use it to go for a swim, walk on my treadmill, or attend a physio session.

It’s also about asking employees what they need. For example, I have a walking pad that enables me to keep my hip joint moving. If I sit at my desk all day, my hip gets "locked" which leads to back pain.

What advice would you give someone with your condition when applying for jobs? Should they be open about the condition?

You've got to feel comfortable telling the company you’re joining. The onus is on them to make sure they’re open about being a disability-positive employer.