Team Talks: Cara's charity work

Recruitment is a people business. So, we thought we’d introduce you to the people behind Bamboo in our new ‘Team Talks’ series.

In this post, Content Manager, Cara talks about her passion for charity work.

Where did your passion for charity work come from?

In 1980, my father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis; a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, (the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves). Some people have mild symptoms, such as blurred vision, numbness, fatigue, and tingling in the limbs. In severe cases, MS can lead to vision loss, mobility problems, and paralysis.

My dad had a severe case. In 1990, he was registered blind, and over the next 20 years, he lost the use of his legs and arms. By 2010, he was bed-ridden.

Despite his disabilities, pain, and chronic fatigue, he refused to give in to the illness. For years, he crawled around the house rather than rather than give in to a wheelchair. It could take him anywhere up to 40 minutes to crawl just a few metres.

His attitude inspired me to start volunteering as a fundraiser for my local MS branch.

Over the course of 20 years, I organised all sorts of events, from comedy and talent nights to blind beer tasting events and music festivals.

I loved doing it, so stepping down from the role in 2019 was bittersweet.

Why did you step down?

As I organised the events single-handedly, they were extremely time intensive. I had to stop as I was struggling to manage them alongside my job.

However, I found a new way to give back.

What was that?

My mother was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (a form of blood cancer) in 2019.  To learn more about the disease, I joined a Facebook group.

While scrolling through the posts, I came across one from a guy called Joseph. The post read; ‘my cancer hasn’t responded to chemo. It’s going to kill me. I’m only 26. I don’t want to die.’

The message had a profound effect on me. I could sense his desperation and felt an overwhelming desire to help, so I reached out to him.

Understandably, he was suspicious at first, but I was persistent, and, over time, we established a bond.

I encouraged him to lean on me for emotional support. As his condition worsened, he started contacting me daily, often in tears.

I was desperate to give him some hope, so I started researching. I reached out to specialists in his type of cancer to ask about drug trials/new therapies, and one of them mentioned CAR T-cell therapy - a cell-based gene therapy that involves altering the genes inside T-cells (a type of white blood cell) to prime them to attack cancerous cells.

It’s a last resort for patients who haven’t responded to any other form of treatment.

The doctor said it could be a difficult and lengthy process to get Joseph approved as the treatment had only just been licensed in the UK. However, he agreed to put Joseph forward for it, and six weeks later, he started the gruelling process.

Did the treatment work?

Initially, his tumours shrunk. But within five weeks, they’d doubled in size.  

At the time, the doctors didn’t know why. They now think it was due to a phenomenon known as ‘hyper progressive disease’ (an adverse outcome of immunotherapy consisting of an acceleration of tumour growth, accompanied by prompt clinical deterioration).  

As devastating as it was, I was adamant we’d find a solution.

With Joseph’s consent, I contacted the national press. I hoped one of the papers would agree to tell Joseph’s story and it would attract the attention of someone who could help.

The Daily Mail featured his story in January 2020, but tragically, Joseph died before we could follow up on any leads.

He had the presence of mind to write me a card before he died saying how grateful he was., and how he wouldn’t have survived as long as he did without my support. It was a beautiful gesture.

What did you get out of helping Joseph?

Acting as a ‘doula’ for Joseph was the most practical way I could help him.

I’ve always thought if I had cancer, I wouldn’t want people to make me food or bring me flowers. I’d want them to do the stuff I wouldn’t have energy for – researching the best doctors, hospitals, and treatments … I’d want them to advocate for me and fight my corner.

Doing this for Joseph was the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

I’m now doing the same for a friend who’s fighting terminal bowel cancer.

The state of charitable giving by FTSE 100 firms

The UK’s largest listed companies donated the same amount to charity in 2022 as they did in 2016 despite almost trebling their pre-tax profits, according to new research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

The organisation’s Corporate Giving by the FTSE 100 report* found that FTSE 100 firms gave £1.85bn to charities last year. This matches the amount donated in 2016 and is significantly less than the £2.51 billion they gave a decade ago.

Taking increases in inflation into account, this represents a decline of 17% in real terms.

If the FTSE 100 companies had continued to donate the same proportion of pre-tax profits as they did in 2016, the charity sector would have received an additional £3.74 billion of funding.

Having endured a pandemic, cost-of-living, and energy crises, as well as rising inflation, this is a significant amount of funding charities have missed out on.

The good news

Donations may be down, but it’s not all doom and gloom. There were some positive findings from the report. For instance:

• 42 of the 100 companies increased their donations, resulting in £542.4m in the charity pot. This represents an average increase of £12.9m per company.

• The number of FTSE 100 brands that continued to donate while making pre-tax losses climbed from six to 10 between 2016 and 2022.

• The figures suggest that a culture of corporate giving is embedded more widely across the FTSE 100 than ever before, with the top 10 corporate donors accounting for the smallest ever proportion of the overall sum given. In 2022, the ‘top ten’ accounted for 62.5% of the £1.85 billion gifted, compared to 68.3% in 2016.

Giving by sector

So, which sectors are leading the way in corporate giving?

Despite accounting for just five of the FTSE 100 companies, the healthcare sector provided £409.9m (22.2%) of total corporate giving - considerably more than any other sector.

The basic materials and consumer staples sectors, including mining firms Rio Tinto, Glencore, and high street brands such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Unilever, were also among the most generous, contributing an average of 1.76% of pre-tax profits.

At the other end of the scale, the Consumer Discretionary and Industrials sectors, which includes brands such as B&M European Value Retail, JD Sports, and Smiths Group, provided just 9.3% of all giving.

‘More should be done’

Neil Heslop OBE, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation said of the findings: “The role of FTSE 100 businesses in leading a purposeful corporate culture is vital. More can and should be done, especially now as household incomes are squeezed, and charity finances are strained due to the cost-of-living crisis.

A resilient civil society requires charities, the private sector and government to all play a role.”

According to the report, the call for more to be done is echoed by consumers, with more than two-thirds (69%) believing businesses have an obligation to support the local communities in which they operate.

*The CAF report looks at global support given to charities by FTSE 100 companies in the form of voluntary cash and in-kind donations, matched employee funding, employee volunteering and management costs incurred.

On the hunt for a corporate fundraiser? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out how.

Charity world records

The desire to be officially recognised as ‘the best in the world’ drives people to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things.

People have braved extreme conditions, baked jumbo-sized foods, and done extraordinary things to their bodies.

But for charities, the benefits of smashing a world record go way beyond prestige.

Record-breaking has the power to unite people around a common goal, supercharge fundraising efforts, and take brand awareness to new heights.

Intrigued? Here are three inspirational record-breaking charity campaigns to get your creative juices flowing.

Who is Hussain: Most blood donations in a day

In 2022, social justice charity, Who is Hussain launched an ambitious campaign to drive new blood donations across the globe .

As charity director Muntazir Rai explained, “the pandemic hit blood reserves across the world hard," said Muntazir Rai, the charity’s director. “With hospitals struggling to meet demands, Who Is Hussain volunteers rallied together and launched our #GlobalBloodHeroes campaign.”

The campaign, which was supported by the NHS Blood and Transplant and the Imam Hussain Blood Donation Campaign, aimed to break the world record for the most blood donations in a single day.

To achieve its goal, the charity partnered with world-leading health and blood donor organisations including the Red Cross (global), Naryana Health (India), the NHS (UK), Vitalant (U.S.A), and l’Établissement français du sang (EFS) in France, to set up donation centres across the globe.

And their efforts paid off. On August 27, 350 blood donation centres across 27 countries, including Argentina, Iraq, and Thailand, collected blood from more than 37,000 people.

The blood drive kicked off in New Zealand as the day began, and the final donations came in from the West Coast of USA.

The result? The charity smashed it.

The total number of blood donations was 37,018, beating the previous record of 34,723 set in 2020.

In response, Muntazir Rai said: "Who is Hussain was founded just over a decade ago, inspired by the compassionate legacy of Hussain ibn Ali. It's incredible to think that the selfless altruism of this man, who lived over a thousand years ago, has inspired over 37,000 people to participate in the biggest blood drive in history.”

Challenging MND: The quickest journey down the Thames in a pedalo

In 2020, a four-man team led by Challenging MND founder Alex Gibson smashed a Guinness world record by navigating the 128 miles of the Thames on a pedalo in the fastest time.

The team, which also included Challenging MND patron, Andy Long, travelled through the night in torrential rain, to complete the gruelling journey in two days, 15 hours, and two minutes - breaking the previous record by nearly two days.

They were also the first team to complete the journey non-stop. 

Founder Alex, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2018 said of the record, "Along with making a superb new Guinness world record, we hope this feat raise awareness for motor neurone disease and puts Challenging MND on the map to help establish us as the go-to charity for creating memories for people affected by MND.”

The impressive feat made headlines across the UK, and saw the team raise £23,437 for the charity.

British Heart Foundation: The world’s longest chain of paper hearts

On Valentine’s Day 2018, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) attempted to break a Guinness World Record by creating the longest chain of paper hearts.

Through their network of 720 charity shops and thousands of supporters, the charity asked people to write messages of love and support for people battling heart disease, or in memory of those they’d lost.

The campaign was also supported by stars from the world of sport and entertainment, including Ulrika Jonsson, Esther Rantzen and the England Women’s Hockey Team, who all wrote personal messages to be included in the chain.

With the help of volunteers, the charity created a chain of 17,939 hearts, which surpassed the previous record of 11,288, made by wine and spirits brand, Moët Hennessy UK.

The chain measured almost 1.5 miles long - equivalent to 25 football pitches.

The record was broken as a mark of solidarity for the 7 million people fighting heart and circulatory disease in the UK, and to raise funds for the BHF’s life saving research.

Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said of the record-breaking effort, “the British Heart Foundation is committed to funding over half a billion pounds of new research before 2020 to help bring an end to this heartbreak.

Bringing together so many tender yet powerful messages of love, support and hope through this Guinness World Records title attempt shows that we’re standing united against heart and circulatory disease.”

Final Word

Inspired to launch your own record-breaking attempt? The Guiness Book of World Records can help.

On its website it says, ‘whatever your objective, our team will work with you to find a record-breaking solution to raise awareness of your campaign or cause marketing initiative. Fill out this form to get started.’

Need an extra pair of fundraiser hands to manage your record attempt? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out more.

Three knockout football-related campaigns to inspire your 2024 fundraising strategy

Football is a cultural phenomenon that transcends borders and cultures. Boasting a fan following of 3.5 billion people, stretching from the favelas of Brazil to the bustling streets of Mumbai, it unites people in a way that no other sport does.

For this reason, the beautiful game provides charities with unique opportunities to raise awareness and boost those all-important funds.

Planning your fundraising activity for 2024? Why not capitalise on EURO2024 fever by slipping a football fundraiser into the schedule?

To inspire you, we’ve pulled together three footie-related charity campaigns that demonstrate how charities are harnessing the power of football to change lives.

1.     Homeless World Cup

The Homeless World Cup is an annual, week-long street football tournament.

Organised by the Homeless World Cup Foundation, it brings together more than 500 players from 80+ countries, all of whom have faced homelessness and social marginalisation.

Each year, the event takes place in a purpose-built stadium in an elected host city (think Amsterdam, Mexico City and Milan). The charity covers the players travel costs, and they get to experience the thrill of representing their country in front of 80,000 spectators.

The goal

The global tournament was launched in 2003 with two goals in mind.

1.     to inspire people who are homeless to change their lives.

2.     to raise awareness of the global issues surrounding homelessness

And it delivers on both counts.

The tournament gives players (who often feel socially isolated) the opportunity to become part of a community. As former player, Michael Omlin explains in this impact study: “football has given me an alternative to my troubled day to day living. I have something I really want to fight for. That improves my mental and physical condition. The best thing is you experience all this in a team. We were fighting together for one aim - that is something I have not been doing for a long time.”

As for raising awareness, by the end of the 2016 Homeless World Cup in Glasgow, 86% of attendees said they were more aware of the issues facing people who are homeless.

If you’re looking for proof that football can change lives, there it is.

2. Soccer Aid for UNICEF

Celebrity ambassadors can be a huge coup for charities.

Take popstar, Robbie Williams. In 2006, he masterminded Soccer Aid for Unicef - an annual charity football match that sees a host of celebrities and football legends battle it out on the pitch to raise money for the humanitarian organisation.

The 90-minute, all-star match, which has attracted the likes of Wayne Rooney, Luís Figo, Woody Harrelson, and Damian Lewis, is enjoyed by 75,000 spectators.

For those who aren’t lucky enough to nab a ticket, the game is also broadcast live on ITV.

Since its inception, the initiative has raised over £75 million to support projects for children around the world. In 2022 alone, it raised a record-breaking £15.6 million.

A prime example of the power of celebrity ambassadorship.

3.     Mental Health World Cup

When the first Mental Health World Cup kicked off at QPR’s Loftus Road ground in 2012, it marked an incredible milestone for founder, Giancarlo Gaglione.

The 42-year-old launched the tournament in memory of his late brother Lanfranco, who died by suicide in 2012, aged 27.

The event started a small-scale, grassroots affair, that took place at Downhills Park in Haringey. Today, it’s the UK’s biggest five-a-side, community-led charity footie tournament.

This year, 40 teams took to the pitch in a bid to be crowned Mental Health World Cup champions. Cheered on by a crowd of 18,000 they raised an impressive £110,000 for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), which supported Giancarlo through his grief.

And the event is set to grow. In 2024, there will be more teams, more sponsorship opportunities, and more money raised to support CALM in its fight against male suicide.

Community fundraising at its finest.

Final Word

Whether you love it or loathe it, there’s no denying the power of football. So why not use it to your advantage?

Looking for a footie-mad fundraiser to lead the charge? We can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 to talk tactics.

Juice Academy launches new fundraising apprenticeship

Looking for a way to kick-start your career in fundraising? The Juice Academy’s new fundraising apprenticeship programme could be just what you need.

The social enterprise apprenticeship provider has launched the apprenticeship to provide additional support to charities as they struggle to cope with the rise in demand for services.

Here’s the lowdown.

About the apprenticeship

The Fundraiser Level 3 Standard apprenticeship will be delivered by Jane Montague. Through her eponymous consultancy, she works with charities across the UK and Channel Islands, helping them formulate policy and deliver training on charity legislation, income generation, and ethics.

The apprenticeship will last 15 months. The practical element is 12 months, followed by a three-month end-point assessment (EPA).

Structure

Apprentices will spend 4 days a week working ‘on the job’ with one of Juice Academy’s charity partners.

Current partners include:

• Forever Manchester

• We are Survivors

• Rossendale Hospice

• Caritas Diocese of Salford

• Advice for Renters

Candidates can state which charity they’d like to work with on the application form.

Every other week, they’ll attend training sessions (some half days and some full days). A mix of face-to-face learning (20%) at The Juice Academy in Manchester, and online delivery (80%), the training will cover:

• How to create a case for support

• Communication and digital marketing

• Storytelling and relationship fundraising

• How to develop resilience

• Pitching and presenting techniques

• Ethical fundraising and branding

• How to align a campaign with the donor journey

• Managing data, budgeting, and analytics

What about the salary?

For the first year, apprentices will be paid a minimum salary* of £13,000. But this will be increased to the National Minimum Wage (based on the age of the apprentice) for the remainder of the programme.

*Salaries are set at the employers’ discretion, so the wage may be higher.

Entry requirements

To be eligible to apply, the minimum requirements are a Grade A-C / 9-4 at GCSE in Maths, English Language or equivalent, e.g., functional skills in Maths, English at Level 2.

Application process

The first step is to fill out an online application.

Successful candidates will then be invited to a second stage, where they’ll complete several assessments, including Maths & English.

If these are successful, applications will be sent to Juice Academy’s partner charities, who will shortlist for interviews.

There’ll be four intakes of up to 20 apprentices over the course of the year (January- April- July- October).

Candidates that don’t make it through the first time will be invited to apply again.

Final Word

Sound good? Get cracking with your application.

An apprenticeship is a great way to learn valuable skills that’ll help you stand out in the job market and make a real impact in the charity sector. And you’ll get paid to do it.

It’s a win-win.

Got any questions about the fundraising sector? Or want some advice to help with your application? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk for a chat.