Hello and a very warm welcome to my newly relaunched blog. I'm Paul a 40 year old family man from the UK. In this complex, information overload 21st century world, too often we lose sight of what's really important. Here I want to celebrate life, share inspirational stories, throw the spotlight on charities and causes close to my heart. Looking forward to sharing this journey with you all.

Tuesday 11 May 2010

Proudly announcing this months donations!

As I mentioned a couple of days back, I've tallied up the online earnings now ready for cash out this month and am very pleased to announce the latest donations I've been able to make, along with some details about the charities.

A total of £75 collected this month added to the previous £81.40 brings the grand total for the year to date

****£156.40!*****

So still well on track to the £1000 target , especially as I'm close to pay out for a number of £30-50 thresholds so hopefully plenty more to come in the next few months.

Also, really chuffed to now have 66 followers signed up already, and thanks again to all of you out there for all the amazing, positive comments I've received so far - it really does spur me on, and as a result of the community spirit I've got to know about some incredible causes that you support out there.

If anyone out there is thinking of trying this for themselves and donating on line earnings, please look out for my up coming blog entry where I'll highlight some of my own favourite and reliable "top earner" cashback, survey and review sites. Also, once again can I appeal to you all to get in touch about your special charities and I will do my utmost to highlight them here.

And so to the most important bit, the charities.


1) Makomborero Zimbabwe - £25



Back in April, one of my old University friends had got in touch to tell me about the bold and visionary project called Makombero (meaning blessings) that is now finally getting close to becoming a reality for Mark and Laura Albertyn.

They are native Zimbabweans, who have spent the last few years working in the UK, but have always with the dream to set up an A-level school back in Zimbabwe. It has taken some time to get the funds together but now finally they are heading back to Zimbabwe in a month or so's time.

Please, please, please take a look at the charity's website at  and also their blog at  http://makomborero.info/ it tells the story much better than I ever could. There you will find details of how you can get involved, support, volunteer, donate and become a part of this community adventure.

2) Epilepsy Research - £20



In my recent posts, I've written about the London Marathon, written about Serene Low's  epilepsy awareness blog http://epilepsylegacy.blogspot.com/
and on comedian Russell Howard running for the National Society for Epilepsy charity

Then I discovered a couple of weeks back that one of my UK based work colleagues Mark Pickard and his wife Fiona had just completed the London Marathon on behalf of Epilepsy Research UK.


uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Pickard


Here in their own words are their reasons for taking part on behalf their son Harry.

"We have decided to run the London marathon this year TOGETHER! and we are running for the charity Epilepsy Research UK, for a cause that mean a lot to us.

Harry is a very happy and healthy 9 year old, but in 2005 he started to collapse for no apparent reason, at first it was thought he was having "normal" childhood feberal convulsions, however as the frequency and severity of these collapses increased further tests diagnosed Epilepsy. Our worst fears were realised as Fiona has had live through her father having Epilepsy for over 30 years. However Harry's type of Epilepsy has now been diagnosed (Atonic) and he has been treated successfully for over 4 now and we have had only a few recurrences. Hopefully he will grow out of his Epilepsy, but he may well have to be on medication for some time maybe indefinitely. However both Harry and his Grandfather are very well, and we have no reason to think that Epilepsy will adversely effect their lives.

However the experience has motivated us to try and repay in some way the support we have had in diagnosing Harry's Epilepsy, and we have decided to try and lug our bodies around the streets of London on the 25th of April."

About the charity:

http://www.epilepsyresearch.org.uk/

Epilepsy Research UK was formed following the merger of the Epilepsy Research Foundation and the Fund for Epilepsy, in April 2007. It supports and promotes basic and clinical scientific research into the causes, treatments and prevention of epilepsy; and is the only national charity in the UK that funds independent research exclusively into this condition.

Epilepsy Research UK supports the work of scientists and clinicians throughout the UK, who are investigating all aspects of epilepsy in both adults and children. They are especially looking at what causes epilepsy, who gets it, what goes on in the brain during a seizure, and safer drugs and better surgical techniques to treat it.

Our annual research spending is about £800,000 - raised almost wholly through donations from the public - and we fund 4-9 new research projects each year.

3) Children on the Autistic Spectrum Parents Association CASPA - £20


Continuing on the running theme, one of my fellow online writers, Mr Ivor Reveley, recently completed a very special running challenge of his own, pounding the streets for 4 days solid, to complete the 90 Kilometres from London to Brighton over the May Bank Holiday weekend on behalf of CASPA

Ivor's 16 year old son Matthew has Autism with complex additional needs.

Ivor not only helped found the charity which started out as a small parental support group but is fully committed as the chair and trustee of the charity, organising special events and workshops for young people with autism.

You can read much more about how you can support their efforts at Ivor's blog  http://fourdaysrunning.blogspot.com/ or make a donation at http://www.justgiving.com/fourdaysrunning

4) Habitat for Humanity - £10

http://www.habitat.org/eca/

In 1976 Habitat for Humanity was founded with the sole aim of tackling poverty housing on a global scale. More than thirty years later we are working in 90 countries around the world and have built 300,000 homes in partnership with people in need of safe, decent housing.

This year, over one and a half million people around the world will wake up every morning and remember the appalling conditions they endured before building with Habitat for Humanity. Thankfully, for those people, squalid living conditions are now just a bad memory.

Volunteers and homeowners work side by sideHabitat for Humanity is now building at such a rate that we serve a low-income family somewhere around the world every 10 minutes through new house construction, major house rehabilitation projects and with house repairs. In 2007, Habitat served a record 49,000 families in need

AND FINALLY....

Just wanted to repeat this  message I posted on my previous earnings update.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!


The last thing I want is for anyone to think that this blog is some kind of "hey look at me - aren't I incredibly worthy" exercise.

I'm sharing with you what I'm donating, because I think it is vitally important that rather than just highlight and talk about these causes , I put on record my own personal commitment along the way. In addition to the purely monetary donations, I'm going to look at any ways I can directly get involved in some of these causes, whether that be through fundraising events or volunteering.

My real hope is that this blog inspires a few of you out there do something similar. Maybe you are already doing something like this, in which case I applaud you from the bottom of my heart.

Either way, I really want to hear from you. Your ideas, your thoughts , the charities that mean something personal to you - if I can help in any way however small, it all makes a difference. Please get in touch!









It's a small world after all!!

13 comments:

  1. Wonderful work, Paul. My family makes a substantial donation every year to the Children's Hospital Of Atlanta-a fabulous institution.

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  2. Thanks Marty, here in the UK Great Ormond Street Children's hospital do wonderful work - will certainly be featuring more children's charities in the coming weeks and months

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  3. great work, and all towards exceptionally worthy causes. I particularly like the fact you focus on the smaller charities, those which are often over shadowed by cancer research etc. who can afford large media campaigns!

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  4. Thanks James,
    Yes it really is so difficult for these small charities that in many cases solely rely on public donations to get the publicity they desperately need

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  5. My son and I will be volunteering at a local food pantry this summer.
    I realized I was not setting a good example for my him by not helping others. I am always focused so much on our "needs" You know, new car, games for the Wii, etc....But as far as REAL needs are concerned, we are the lucky ones. We have enough to eat. We are warm in the winter, we have clothing and shoes, and lots and lots of family all around us.
    It's time we give back.
    Thank you for the nudge in the right direction.

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  6. Every time I read your blog I think you are such a good person - I hope karma is returned to you my friend
    cheers Mr Monkey

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  7. Great work, I love what you do! I am 17 years old, living with Epilepsy. I have an array of different types of seizures, some that are extremely rare. I was misdiagnosed many, many times. I have very recently been implanted with a VNS device. Epilepsy can be frustrating because many people feel alone. Thanks to people like you, we have a reason to be thankful. I thank God everyday for this disease, no matter how much it hurts me sometimes. This disease has given me an opportunity to help others. I am blogging about my experiences at http://mandykrzywonski.blogspot.com. I am even posting blogs as I progress with my VNS Therapy. Hopefully others who are curious about trying VNS Therapy can learn about what it's like to help them make their choices. I would love if you could check it out and follow if you would like to. I am trying to get some followers so I can reach more people. Thanks for what you do, you are making such a difference in this world. God bless you and good luck!

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  8. Hi. I like to read your occasional comment on my blog. Thank you. And by meeting you my horizons have been expanded. You are involved in so many wonderful humanitarian projects. There are so many good ones to support. You're doing a great work. Be blessed.

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  9. Hi Katie, I can't tell you how great it is to hear that! Just knowing that I might have helped inspire you to take positive action is such a huge reward - now it's me who's been reminded that I need to look at ways I can volunteer in my local community - will keep you posted!!

    Thanks - Mr Monkey, feedback like this - that's really all the karma I need!

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  10. Amanda,
    Thank you so much for your encouragement - your courage and determination to help others shines through in every word you write - I absolutely will be following, and I will do whatever I can to get your blog out there to as many people as possible

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  11. Hi Ann,
    To be honest ever since I set out on this journey, my eyes have been opened to so many amazing people and causes - it's truly a pleasure to share as many of them as possible!

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  12. I support my daughter with her causes. I think it is a great thing you do.
    I sell cards that I make, my friend sells them in her shop and the money from that I donate.

    Keep up the great work!

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  13. Nice one Glynis -like the idea of making stuff to sell for charity - so many possibilities to generate those extra spare pennies that all add up!

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Hi, this blog is all about sharing ideas and feedback - would love to hear from you!