It is a known fact that the UK has seen a spike in youth violence, particularly knife crime, over the last couple of years. Sadly, the news has become all too familiar: another grinning picture of a lost kid, another grieving parent’s pleas for the violence to end, another youth worker discussing the impact of local government cuts, another politician with a soundbite playing to his or her agenda. Most of us, read these ‘by-numbers’ articles, feel a pang of sadness, anger or guilt – and then move on with our lives, much as we do when we hear about a famine or war in the global south. Sometimes however the reality of the situation is driven home a little harder. Last year a 16 year old was shot-dead one road from my house in Tulse Hill in South London. On this occasion it was impossible to ignore the deafening-silence of the neighbours and friends stood behind the police tape. Then, just a matter of days ago, my friend’s son, who is 15, was threatened at knife-point and interrogated about whether he had any gang affiliation. This happened just yards from his house - in broad day-light. My friend’s voice trembled as she told me that, what made this so hard was that this had happened in the very place that both she and her son had been brought up – the place they call home. Nowhere felt safe anymore. Like thousands of young people in London and across the UK, my friend’s son is now approaching adulthood in a state of fear and faces stark questions around how to remain safe in this environment. Of course, there is not single cause or single solution. The government, police and schools undoubtedly have huge roles to play, particularly when it comes to addressing the underling socio-economic issues at play. However, in many cases it is the people living and working in the affected communities who have the best understanding of the dynamics on the ground and therefore the best solutions for tackling these issues at the local level. At Localgiving we work with grassroots organisations across the UK who work tirelessly, to tackle youth and gang violence and its multiple causes. Many of these groups have been set up by people who have first-hand experience of these issues, some by parents of victims and some by former gang members themselves. These groups are embedded in their communities and are therefore, not only acutely aware of the specific dynamics of the situation in their area, but also find it far easier to gain access to, and the trust of those they aim to help. This is a particularly important factor, given that many of the communities most adversely affected by the uptick in youth violence have also experienced a break-down in trust with police and local authorities. The type and level of support offered by these grassroots groups varies considerably. Many services are tailored to the specific needs of the young people they work with and communities they work in. Some groups provide peer-to-peer support, some provide safe spaces for healing, some help secure safe, stable housing and provide their young people with training and education opportunities. One thing they all offer however is hope. Hope that there is a way out of the current cycle of violence and evidence of the tangible difference that people can make in their own communities – even when faced with the most painful and seemingly intractable social problems. Below are some of the amazing groups on Localgiving who work to tackle youth violence and its causes.  Jags Foundation (Croyden, London) Real Action (Kensington, London) St. Matthews Project (Lambeth, London) Aik Saath - Together As One (Slough) The New Cross Gate Trust – “carrying knives costs lives” campaign (London) Safe (Oxford) Newark Youth London (Newark London) Prospex (Islington, London) Copenhagen Youth Project (Islington, London) Lambeth Action for Youth (Lambeth, London) C2C Social Action (Northampton) Fitzrovia Youth In Action (Camden, London) Fast Project (Battersea, London) Sports4Health CIC (London) The Reasons Why Foundation (London) The Jan Trust (Haringay, London)

A big congratulations to Nicky who walked the length of the North Downs – 125 miles from Farnham to Dover – in sections over the year. As a mild sufferer of ME, she wanted to raise funds for her local support group, Richmond and Kingston ME Group, who have around 160 members, many of whom aren’t able to come to the meetings.  “Whilst I am fortunate enough to be able to work part-time and lead a fairly active life, many of my fellow sufferers are housebound or even bedbound with virtually no life beyond the four walls that surround them.” She managed to raise £965.01, almost doubling her £500 target, which will go towards reducing the isolation that some of the worst case sufferers experience. The self-help group send out a quarterly newsletter, operate a telephone helpline and host an email chat group so that housebound members can stay included and supported through the activities. What will the money go towards? “Richmond and Kingston ME Group are delighted and proud of Nicky’s achievement and we are putting part of the money raised towards an ME Question Time on October 3rd 2015 organised with the ME Association to give members a voice who are too ill to speak for themselves. We would like to put the remaining money towards an emergency fund we hope to set up to support any members who are in extreme need though this is still at the planning stage.” Linda Webb If you want to find out more about the Richmond and Kingston ME Group please visit their Localgiving page here. Go one step further and become a fantastic fundraiser like Nicky, click here to set up your page. Also visit Nicky's page 'THE NORTH DOWNS CHALLENGE'    

Melanie Jeffs knows first-hand how important Nottingham Women's Centre services are for women seeking a safe and supportive environment.  "As the Centre Manager, I see the impact that we make every day. Our strapline is 'Helping women achieve amazing things' and I truly believe that we do this - and I decided to do some amazing stuff myself to demonstrate it." Providing this support costs money but it really does change lives Nottingham’s Women Centre has been running for 41 years and offers services from child care to counselling, basic skills and person wellbeing courses to help women achieve their aims in life. However, providing this support comes at a price which is why fundraising is so important to keeping the charity running. “It’s an experience I’ll never forget” The adventure pushed Mel to her limits to support the centre’s services which she believes can change lives. In August, she trained for only 8 weeks before stepping into a boxing ring. She then faced her fear of heights by abseiling down a 80ft high bridge in October and to top it all off, in November she jumped out of a plane!  Mel raised a whopping £2,147.23 for the centre after her stunts, which exceeded her £2,000 target.  "The money has gone towards turning a store room into an additional office for our mental health project ‘Renew’ (previously we had 21 different staff and volunteers juggling two desks and computers!!!) and also a small hardship fund to enable women to access childcare and/or counselling either free of charge or at reduced rates." Click to see brave Mel's fundraising page - 'My Year of Adventure for Nottingham Women's Centre'

To introduce the campaign we've got a very special video from Lord David Puttnam, who produced world famous films such as Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express and The Killing Fields. He also produced a wonderful film called Local Hero in 1983, which matches the name of our campaign. So, we asked whether he'd be willing to say a few words about it and we're thrilled to say he accepted! Watch the short video below to hear his introduction to the contest. How does #LocalHero work? This June, we're giving away £5,000 worth of prizes to the top 20 fundraisers. Participants will be ranked according to the number of unique online donors from whom they secure sponsorship throughout the month. To help you find a #LocalHero we've put together some handy resources such as an email template, social media banners and a PR template. Find them here. If you are struggling for inspiration then check out these examples of fantastic fundraisers to get those ideas flowing:      Do you want to be a #LocalHero? Sign up here!  

Today is World Environmental Day - a day for encouraging awareness and action for the enviroment. Sadly, people are consuming more resources than the planet can provide meaning before long we would need three planet Earth's to sustain the way we live. Even small changes in your community can have a large effect in reducing the threat of climate change on the World. Last year we spoke to community group Sustainable Hayfield, whose objective is to increase awareness of climate change issues in their local area. They kindly shared some everyday tips to help communities cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% before 2050, which is the UK government’s target. The tips are easily and cheaply executed in the home and also in an office – which will help you reduce your bills and your carbon footprint at the same time. Cath Moss, the groups manager explains, “We live in a lovely part of a fascinating planet, but we use too many resources. Change is inevitable, and the sooner we act the more choice we will have to shape our own future and lower the burden of change forced upon our children. Everybody can do their bit to help make a positive impact” 30% of our emissions result from heating and lighting in our homes Poorly insulated roofs and walls can account for 60% of heat loss in houses. Most households can get their lofts properly insulated for free by their energy provider. Fix radiator reflectors behind each radiator and add thermostatic valves – unobtrusive and cheap. Draughts account for 12% of all heat loss from dwellings. Draught excluders cost very little but are effective. Considering solar panels? A good source of advice is www.energysavingtrust.org.uk 40% of our emissions are generated by food production methods Avoid air-freighted products where possible. A tonne of Middle Eastern strawberries transported by air will account for 300 times more CO2 emissions than locally grown, seasonal strawberries, which also taste much better. Consider the balance in your diet between meat and non-meat foods. Animal foods are very energy intensive to produce, fruit and vegetables much less so. Reducing the proportion of meat/fish in your diet could reduce your food carbon footprint by up to 40%. Ensure you do not waste – or let your children waste – good food. Currently, over half the uneaten food disposed of by households is perfectly edible. Save waste/money by looking at 2 week menus, recipes, portion plans and more at Love Food Hate Waste (www.lovefoodhatewaste.com). Make your own lunch for work instead of buying over packaged food. Suggest introducing a ‘Bring your own lunch day’ to help get others involved. Growing your own fruit and vegetable reduces all the energy and waste which normally goes into commercially grown food Buy a couple of point-of-lay chickens (£4-£5 each). They need very little space, very low maintenance, and will happily feed on the food waste of an average family, supplemented by a bit of scatter corn. Do you have a garden shed which is not used very often? Cover up the window(s) and grow mushrooms where they won’t interfere with storage.   Want to learn more about what you can do to lower your carbon footprint? Visit Sustainable Hayfield’s Localgiving page.

We all know that individual fundraisers raise lots of money for charities, but it's important to remember that they are also fantastic at spreading goodwill and encouraging support for worthy causes. Fundraisers can be of particular benefit to local charities by raising awareness amongst the community and inspiring more local people to get involved with the group's work. Each fundraising page set up through Localgiving typically attracts 10 new donors and raises an average of over £400, so following these 6 easy steps to inspire someone in your community to fundraise on your behalf is certainly worth the effort! 1. Build your story The first step towards successfully inspiring any new type of supporter is to build a strong, clear and cohesive story around your organisation. One easy trick to help you structure your story is to use the 5 W's and 1 H technique: Who, What, Why, When, Where and How.   Who: Who does your organisation help?  What: What are your objectives? What initiatives do you currently have in place? Why: Why was your organisation founded? What are the key issues that it addresses? When: When was your organisation founded? When do you deliver specific activities? Where: Where do you operate? Be specific within the local area. How: How do you meet your goals and objectives? How do you run your initiatives? Try to use the above questions to paint a compelling picture about how your group makes a difference within your community. Make it clear how things would be different if your group did not exist and try to include your passion for the work you do to inspire support from others. 2. Evidence your impact Evidencing impact is vital to show would-be fundraisers how the money they raise on your behalf will be put to good use. If someone is to put themselves through a gruelling marathon to support your work, it is critical that they understand the impact that their actions can have! One way to do this is to use real-life examples of how previous funding has been used to demonstrate the "return on investment". The key to evidencing impact effectively is to follow the story through to it's conclusion. Try to answer the following questions: How much funding did you raise? Include the total amount and how your raised it – if it was through public donations, say so, this shows that you already have people supporting you, which in turn is likely to inspire trust and support from others. What did you do with the funding? This could be a clear-cut, like buying a new tool or resource, or it could be more abstract, like going towards energy bills or rent. Either way, make sure to be clear about how the money was spent. What was the result of this for the people you help? If you were able to buy a new resource, evidence how this affected your service users – were you able to help more people? Provide better help for those that you already support? Deliver a specific event or service? If your funding went towards your core costs, evidence how the money enabled you to continue to help the people you already support. The most effective examples will use numbers and statistics to clearly show your impact.  For example, a community transport group might say the following:  In 2014 we were able to raise a total of £2,500 through individual donations and fundraisers. The money enabled us to upgrade our minibus with features to enable wheelchair users to easily access the bus. This has resulted in a 20% increase in the number of people we are able to help, meaning that an additional 30 people have been assisted to get from A to B over the past 6 months. 3. Use case studies Now that you've given clear examples of how the money you've raised in the past has been spent, using numbers and statistics to show your return on investment, it's time to connect with your supporters on a more emotional level. Case studies are an ideal way to do this. Think of a case study as a story – you can try using the 5 W's and 1 H technique described above to help you build a compelling picture of how your organisation has helped an individual or group of people in your community. Quotes and testimonials from service users can help to bring your story to life and will engage potential supporters on a human level, helping them to become invested in your work.  4. Create a connection Once you've fully explained your organisation and given real-life examples of the impact it has, it's time to tell your own story. Nothing will speak to someone as much as your own passion for the work you do. Explain your personal motivation for being involved and what your "a-ha moment" was that provided the catalyst for where you are today. This will help you to explain the real meaning of the work you do and inspire the same passion in someone else.  5. Make the ask Hopefully, by following the above steps you will have won over a whole host of new supporters! Now it's time to convert them into fundraisers to spread your message even further. People will often be invested in something but not know how to best get involved. The key is to simply make the ask! Get in touch with supporters through as many channels as possible. You can download and edit this fundraising poster to include your Localgiving URL, then print it out and stick it around your community.  Use email and social media to quickly spread the word - don't be shy! Let people know that you are looking for fundraisers and ask them to share your message with their friends and families as well. You could even approach local businesses and ask for their support – they will often be looking for team-building exercises and fundraising can be a great option! 6. Have a clear call to action Make it as easy as possible for people to get involved. Make sure you include the link to your Localgiving page in all of your communications and make it clear that you are asking people to fundraise for you. You could even go one step further and book some spaces at a local sporting event or host your own challenge and ask people to take part.  If you're unable to organise something yourself, try to provide ideas and examples of challenges that people can get involved in to raise money on your behalf. Some ideas could include setting up a birthday giving page, having a fancy dress day at the local school or even a potato eating competition at the local pub! The only limit is your imagination! Need more help or advice? We hope these 6 steps will help you to inspire more fundraisers to get involved with your organisation and raise money on your behalf. To help you remember the key steps, you can download and print out this poster. Remember, if you need any help with your fundraising through Localgiving, you can contact us for free from 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday - Friday on 0300 111 2340 or via help@localgiving.com and one of our team of qualified fundraisers will be happy to provide advice and support!