Steph Heyden 's Entries

• 30 Dec 2015
  Support homes devastated by Boxing Day Floods in Calderdale

  Heavy rain and gale-force winds are expected again today to hit parts of North and West Yorkshire, including the Calder Valley, which experienced severe flooding on Boxing Day. While the community gather to begin the clean up, others are bracing for more damage from Storm Frank.  In West Yorkshire, thousands of homes were affected after the Calder river banks burst, with more than 550 homes still without power. Many bussinesses have also been affected having to throw away spoiled stock and expensive equipment.  Residents, unable to return to their homes need emergency accommodation. To help fund the flood relief, Community Foundation for Calderdale have set up an appeal. Over £180,000 has already been generously donated to help with the costs of cleaning up after the flood water falls. The money raised will also be given out as small grants to help people in West Yorkshire rebuild their homes and businesses.  Steve Duncan, Chief Executive of Community Foundation for Calderdale today said, “The Community response to the flooding has been phenomenal, we have had volunteers from across the UK helping us to clean up and prepare for Storm Frank. People have lost so much, at least 2000 homes have been flooded in Calderdale many of whom could not get flood insurance. We started our Localgiving appeal page on the afternoon of the flooding to enable us to help people with immediate effect. It is this flexibility that allows Community Foundation to respond so quickly and make a substantial impact when it is most needed. We have been overwhelmed by the response and have already raised £181,000, however we know we need a lot more to be able to help those who have been affected.” Please give generously to the Calderdale Flood Relief Appeal ---- More appeals: Tadcaster Albion Amateur Football Club are appealing for donations to help them repair damage made to the pitch and clubhouse. Click here to listen to the owner James Gore talk about the impact of the floods. Wales Community Foundation have also set up a Flood Recovery Fund for those affected to help local people with recovery, rebuilding, and community initiatives. A warehouse used by Bike Rescue Project in York was flooded, damaging many essential tools for recycling bikes. This has also affected their training and outreach programmes.  If your charity has also been affected, please get in touch via our help desk.        

  5954 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Support homes devastated by Boxing Day Floods in Calderdale

  Heavy rain and gale-force winds are expected again today to hit parts of North and West Yorkshire, including the Calder Valley, which experienced severe flooding on Boxing Day. While the community gather to begin the clean up, others are bracing for more damage from Storm Frank.  In West Yorkshire, thousands of homes were affected after the Calder river banks burst, with more than 550 homes still without power. Many bussinesses have also been affected having to throw away spoiled stock and expensive equipment.  Residents, unable to return to their homes need emergency accommodation. To help fund the flood relief, Community Foundation for Calderdale have set up an appeal. Over £180,000 has already been generously donated to help with the costs of cleaning up after the flood water falls. The money raised will also be given out as small grants to help people in West Yorkshire rebuild their homes and businesses.  Steve Duncan, Chief Executive of Community Foundation for Calderdale today said, “The Community response to the flooding has been phenomenal, we have had volunteers from across the UK helping us to clean up and prepare for Storm Frank. People have lost so much, at least 2000 homes have been flooded in Calderdale many of whom could not get flood insurance. We started our Localgiving appeal page on the afternoon of the flooding to enable us to help people with immediate effect. It is this flexibility that allows Community Foundation to respond so quickly and make a substantial impact when it is most needed. We have been overwhelmed by the response and have already raised £181,000, however we know we need a lot more to be able to help those who have been affected.” Please give generously to the Calderdale Flood Relief Appeal ---- More appeals: Tadcaster Albion Amateur Football Club are appealing for donations to help them repair damage made to the pitch and clubhouse. Click here to listen to the owner James Gore talk about the impact of the floods. Wales Community Foundation have also set up a Flood Recovery Fund for those affected to help local people with recovery, rebuilding, and community initiatives. A warehouse used by Bike Rescue Project in York was flooded, damaging many essential tools for recycling bikes. This has also affected their training and outreach programmes.  If your charity has also been affected, please get in touch via our help desk.        

  Dec 30, 2015 5954
• 07 Oct 2015
  It’s nearly time to start growing those tenners!

  The winter may be coming, but there’s still something growing – your tenners! Grow Your Tenner, our annual match fund campaign, starts next week and we’re excited to help double donations to local charities and community groups across the UK. How does it work Single donations are matched pound-for-pound up to £10, and monthly donations up to £10 per month for 3 months. All charities with active Localgiving memberships are eligible to receive up to a maximum of £10,000 of match funding.  The campaign will run across the whole of the UK. With Gift Aid, a one-time donation of £10 made through Localgiving.com during Grow Your Tenner will generate £21.67. This means that when someone sets up a monthly donation for your cause this  would result in £65.31 (including Gift Aid) after the three months of matching, and will continue to bring in £11.77 a month until it is stopped. Just think about what 5 Direct Debits set up could bring in for your charity after 12 months! £856.20 to be exact. Read our FAQs and terms and conditions for more information. It starts with £10 Part of the mission of Grow Your Tenner is to help local voluntary organisations engage new supporters for their cause. £10 is a great starting point for many people who haven’t donated to a charity or community group before. During the campaign, a charity receives over double from a donation that is eligible for Gift Aid made by a new supporter. But that’s not all, for any supporter that opts-in to communications, a charity can collect their contact information and keep these new supporters engaged with their work. 81% of donors say it is important that they receive some form of communication from a charity after making a donation. While a personal thank you is great, donors also care about the impact their donations have made - why not update them about the difference their money has made after the campaign, too? Keeping supporters engaged with the projects your charity is working on increases the likelihood that they will donate to a cause again (and again, and again) and less likely that they will cancel a monthly donation they’ve set up. How we can help make it a success We’ve been busy at Localgiving HQ making resources to help give you the best chance of a successful campaign. Check out our resources for Grow Your Tenner. These includes tips for social media, story-telling and encouraging monthly donations, as well as templates to help you get started with emails and contacting the press. For some inspiration - see the award winners and runners up of last year’s campaign and see how they fundraised here. Still time to join in Not yet a member of Localgiving? Don't worry, there is no time limit for inclusion. If you're a local voluntary organisation then sign up and be included in the campaign straight away! Click here to join us. Happy fundraising!

  4731 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  It’s nearly time to start growing those tenners!

  The winter may be coming, but there’s still something growing – your tenners! Grow Your Tenner, our annual match fund campaign, starts next week and we’re excited to help double donations to local charities and community groups across the UK. How does it work Single donations are matched pound-for-pound up to £10, and monthly donations up to £10 per month for 3 months. All charities with active Localgiving memberships are eligible to receive up to a maximum of £10,000 of match funding.  The campaign will run across the whole of the UK. With Gift Aid, a one-time donation of £10 made through Localgiving.com during Grow Your Tenner will generate £21.67. This means that when someone sets up a monthly donation for your cause this  would result in £65.31 (including Gift Aid) after the three months of matching, and will continue to bring in £11.77 a month until it is stopped. Just think about what 5 Direct Debits set up could bring in for your charity after 12 months! £856.20 to be exact. Read our FAQs and terms and conditions for more information. It starts with £10 Part of the mission of Grow Your Tenner is to help local voluntary organisations engage new supporters for their cause. £10 is a great starting point for many people who haven’t donated to a charity or community group before. During the campaign, a charity receives over double from a donation that is eligible for Gift Aid made by a new supporter. But that’s not all, for any supporter that opts-in to communications, a charity can collect their contact information and keep these new supporters engaged with their work. 81% of donors say it is important that they receive some form of communication from a charity after making a donation. While a personal thank you is great, donors also care about the impact their donations have made - why not update them about the difference their money has made after the campaign, too? Keeping supporters engaged with the projects your charity is working on increases the likelihood that they will donate to a cause again (and again, and again) and less likely that they will cancel a monthly donation they’ve set up. How we can help make it a success We’ve been busy at Localgiving HQ making resources to help give you the best chance of a successful campaign. Check out our resources for Grow Your Tenner. These includes tips for social media, story-telling and encouraging monthly donations, as well as templates to help you get started with emails and contacting the press. For some inspiration - see the award winners and runners up of last year’s campaign and see how they fundraised here. Still time to join in Not yet a member of Localgiving? Don't worry, there is no time limit for inclusion. If you're a local voluntary organisation then sign up and be included in the campaign straight away! Click here to join us. Happy fundraising!

  Oct 07, 2015 4731
• 17 Oct 2013
  Localgiving embarks on first TV campaign with Sky AdSmart

  Online charity fundraising platform Localgiving is about to embark on its first ever TV advertising campaign after partnering with Sky to trial new tailored advertising service Sky AdSmart. Sky AdSmart Sky AdSmart is a brand new service that improves TV ad breaks by tailoring the line-up of adverts according to a household’s profile. The technology works by sending a library of adverts via satellite to the Sky+HD set-top box and then selects the adverts which are inserted into the live ad break. The choice of adverts is based on information provided by Sky households, such as postcode, and the range of Sky products they take. This information is supplemented by additional insight from third-party providers including the data services company Experian. Localgiving is an online fundraising website which provides a platform to small local charities and community groups to raise money and awareness. Since Sky AdSmart can serve different adverts to different Sky households, Localgiving is able to use the service to run a campaign which focuses only on the areas in which their charity partners operate, enabling the not-for-profit website to advertise on TV for the first time. This effectively eliminates the waste that had previously made TV advertising prohibitive, when local charities would have needed to invest in advertising inventory nationwide. Our first TV campaign Localgiving’s first Sky AdSmart campaign will be broadcast to homes in and around Brighton and Hove. The campaign will encourage people in the Brighton and Hove area to find out about and support charities and voluntary groups in their local area. Localgiving will also use Sky AdSmart to roll out further campaigns to Bristol, Birmingham and Newcastle. Jamie West, Director, Sky AdSmart, comments: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Localgiving on this exciting trial. Sky AdSmart’s tailored advertising approach provides Localgiving with a unique opportunity to support charities within the Brighton and Hove area. As this trial demonstrates, Sky AdSmart can help those brands who’ve previously thought TV too broad a medium as well as local advertisers that have been priced out of TV until now. We’re looking forward to seeing the results and to rolling out the trial to other major cities across the UK.” Marcelle Speller OBE, Founder and Executive Chairman, Localgiving, adds: “This is a marvellous opportunity for Localgiving.com to connect local charities and community groups in a targeted area with the people who want to support them. In an environment where 85% of charitable income goes to just 5% of charities, Localgiving has a unique role to play in supporting the small groups and unsung heroes that work at the grass roots and we are delighted to be working with Sky Media as we look to use TV advertising to build stronger local communities.” --- Marcelle Speller will announce the partnership at the launch of Localgiving’s Grow Your Tenner 2013 campaign turning £500,000 from the Cabinet Office into over £1 million for grass roots charities across England. The Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP, will attend a launch event for Grow Your Tenner 2013 on Thursday, October 17th at The Westminster Hub, New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4TE. Media wishing to attend are requested to email team@localgiving.com.

  4191 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Localgiving embarks on first TV campaign with Sky AdSmart

  Online charity fundraising platform Localgiving is about to embark on its first ever TV advertising campaign after partnering with Sky to trial new tailored advertising service Sky AdSmart. Sky AdSmart Sky AdSmart is a brand new service that improves TV ad breaks by tailoring the line-up of adverts according to a household’s profile. The technology works by sending a library of adverts via satellite to the Sky+HD set-top box and then selects the adverts which are inserted into the live ad break. The choice of adverts is based on information provided by Sky households, such as postcode, and the range of Sky products they take. This information is supplemented by additional insight from third-party providers including the data services company Experian. Localgiving is an online fundraising website which provides a platform to small local charities and community groups to raise money and awareness. Since Sky AdSmart can serve different adverts to different Sky households, Localgiving is able to use the service to run a campaign which focuses only on the areas in which their charity partners operate, enabling the not-for-profit website to advertise on TV for the first time. This effectively eliminates the waste that had previously made TV advertising prohibitive, when local charities would have needed to invest in advertising inventory nationwide. Our first TV campaign Localgiving’s first Sky AdSmart campaign will be broadcast to homes in and around Brighton and Hove. The campaign will encourage people in the Brighton and Hove area to find out about and support charities and voluntary groups in their local area. Localgiving will also use Sky AdSmart to roll out further campaigns to Bristol, Birmingham and Newcastle. Jamie West, Director, Sky AdSmart, comments: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Localgiving on this exciting trial. Sky AdSmart’s tailored advertising approach provides Localgiving with a unique opportunity to support charities within the Brighton and Hove area. As this trial demonstrates, Sky AdSmart can help those brands who’ve previously thought TV too broad a medium as well as local advertisers that have been priced out of TV until now. We’re looking forward to seeing the results and to rolling out the trial to other major cities across the UK.” Marcelle Speller OBE, Founder and Executive Chairman, Localgiving, adds: “This is a marvellous opportunity for Localgiving.com to connect local charities and community groups in a targeted area with the people who want to support them. In an environment where 85% of charitable income goes to just 5% of charities, Localgiving has a unique role to play in supporting the small groups and unsung heroes that work at the grass roots and we are delighted to be working with Sky Media as we look to use TV advertising to build stronger local communities.” --- Marcelle Speller will announce the partnership at the launch of Localgiving’s Grow Your Tenner 2013 campaign turning £500,000 from the Cabinet Office into over £1 million for grass roots charities across England. The Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd MP, will attend a launch event for Grow Your Tenner 2013 on Thursday, October 17th at The Westminster Hub, New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4TE. Media wishing to attend are requested to email team@localgiving.com.

  Oct 17, 2013 4191
• 10 Jan 2014
  The Grow Your Tenner countdown's begun

  Over £900,000 has been raised through Grow Your Tenner so far (with matched funding and Gift Aid) – Thank you! We hope that the extra funds will help local communities across England to continue with their great work through 2014. The Grow Your Tenner campaign will complete once the entire £500,000 fund has been allocated or on 28th February 2014 at 10pm, regardless of any monies remaining in the fund. So be sure to Grow Your Tenner and make the most of the campaign before it all goes! There’s just over £100,000 available so support your favourite local cause and the first £10 of your gift will be doubled. Sign up to a monthly donation, and your gift will be doubled up to £10 a month for six months!

  3747 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  The Grow Your Tenner countdown's begun

  Over £900,000 has been raised through Grow Your Tenner so far (with matched funding and Gift Aid) – Thank you! We hope that the extra funds will help local communities across England to continue with their great work through 2014. The Grow Your Tenner campaign will complete once the entire £500,000 fund has been allocated or on 28th February 2014 at 10pm, regardless of any monies remaining in the fund. So be sure to Grow Your Tenner and make the most of the campaign before it all goes! There’s just over £100,000 available so support your favourite local cause and the first £10 of your gift will be doubled. Sign up to a monthly donation, and your gift will be doubled up to £10 a month for six months!

  Jan 10, 2014 3747
• 29 Jan 2014
  Get ready for the North Yorkshire Match Fund

  With funding from the Peter Sowerby Foundation, we’re matching donations to charities and community groups in North Yorkshire pound-for-pound from 10am on March 4, 2014. Once complete, the £20,000 match fund will raise £40,000 + Gift Aid for local charities in North Yorkshire. Both single donations and monthly donations will be doubled up to £500 per charity. Monthly donations will be matched pound-for-pound for up to six months. In addition to this, North Yorkshire charities can also benefit from 50 free annual Localgiving.com memberships (worth £72 each), to be given on a first come first served basis. For more information, get in touch with Nick Dodd, North Yorkshire Coordinator on 07852 122329 or email nick.dodd@localgiving.com. Be sure to follow Nick on Twitter for all of the latest campaign updates.

  3886 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Get ready for the North Yorkshire Match Fund

  With funding from the Peter Sowerby Foundation, we’re matching donations to charities and community groups in North Yorkshire pound-for-pound from 10am on March 4, 2014. Once complete, the £20,000 match fund will raise £40,000 + Gift Aid for local charities in North Yorkshire. Both single donations and monthly donations will be doubled up to £500 per charity. Monthly donations will be matched pound-for-pound for up to six months. In addition to this, North Yorkshire charities can also benefit from 50 free annual Localgiving.com memberships (worth £72 each), to be given on a first come first served basis. For more information, get in touch with Nick Dodd, North Yorkshire Coordinator on 07852 122329 or email nick.dodd@localgiving.com. Be sure to follow Nick on Twitter for all of the latest campaign updates.

  Jan 29, 2014 3886
• 02 Apr 2014
  We listened to you and improved Localgiving

  We listened to you and added new features to Localgiving.com’s charity accounts to improve your experience on our site and to help you increase awareness and funds for your great work. Here is an overview of all the exciting new features that are now available to you: Dashboard This is a new landing page that will give you a quick status update, including information about overall activity and activity that has happened since you last logged in. To make sure that you are getting the right advice and support we also added lots of helpful tips. My Webpage To connect with you on social media platforms and better support you we’re now collecting your social media information. We’ve updated the volunteering section, so that you can tell us what skills you need and how many hours are needed each month from your volunteers. We’ve added the ability for you to provide details for a financial contact at your organisation; this means that we can also send them important financial information, such as donation payment emails. We’ve updated the cause and beneficiary categories to make them more inclusive and to ensure donors can search by causes that are important to them. My Donations You can now filter the donation information by date, type (one-time, regular or via a fundraising page) and whether you’ve sent a thank you. We have added thank you buttons to the list of Direct Debit Agreements so you can thank your ongoing supporters as soon as they set-up their donation. The updated reports now provide better information for you and the people that do your marketing and finances. My Fundraisers You now have a new section about supporters who created fundraising pages for you; this includes an overview of all fundraising pages and the ability to look at more information about each specific page. All changes we made are based on feedback we received from you. And as always we are keen to hear what you think about the new features we introduced, so log into your account today and please send us your feedback by emailing feedback@localgiving.com. Watch out for our video showing you how to get the most out of your new charity account that we will be sending to you soon. In the meantime, happy fundraising, The Localgiving Team

  4424 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  We listened to you and improved Localgiving

  We listened to you and added new features to Localgiving.com’s charity accounts to improve your experience on our site and to help you increase awareness and funds for your great work. Here is an overview of all the exciting new features that are now available to you: Dashboard This is a new landing page that will give you a quick status update, including information about overall activity and activity that has happened since you last logged in. To make sure that you are getting the right advice and support we also added lots of helpful tips. My Webpage To connect with you on social media platforms and better support you we’re now collecting your social media information. We’ve updated the volunteering section, so that you can tell us what skills you need and how many hours are needed each month from your volunteers. We’ve added the ability for you to provide details for a financial contact at your organisation; this means that we can also send them important financial information, such as donation payment emails. We’ve updated the cause and beneficiary categories to make them more inclusive and to ensure donors can search by causes that are important to them. My Donations You can now filter the donation information by date, type (one-time, regular or via a fundraising page) and whether you’ve sent a thank you. We have added thank you buttons to the list of Direct Debit Agreements so you can thank your ongoing supporters as soon as they set-up their donation. The updated reports now provide better information for you and the people that do your marketing and finances. My Fundraisers You now have a new section about supporters who created fundraising pages for you; this includes an overview of all fundraising pages and the ability to look at more information about each specific page. All changes we made are based on feedback we received from you. And as always we are keen to hear what you think about the new features we introduced, so log into your account today and please send us your feedback by emailing feedback@localgiving.com. Watch out for our video showing you how to get the most out of your new charity account that we will be sending to you soon. In the meantime, happy fundraising, The Localgiving Team

  Apr 02, 2014 4424
• 16 May 2014
  Fundraising Camp

  The one-day ‘unconference’ On Tuesday 13th May, the sixth one-day Fundraising Camp took place at Shine in Peterborough. Now for most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word camp is tents. But I can assure you that there were none in sight! Instead a room filled with people excited to share their fundraising know-how and learn from others. Some had years of experience and a bank of knowledge and others new to fundraising were also able to share their challenges and ask questions. Howard Lake, of UK Fundraising, came up with the idea of Fundraising Camp. He felt that often at conferences, valuable things are learnt from others attending, but only during the tea or lunch break. He sought to turn regular conferences on their head and instead gets the audience to become the speaker at the event. Order of the day The day started with a blank timetable. We were asked to note a few topics we wish to discuss and before we knew it, the day’s agenda lay there before us. Fundraising Camp allowed us to decide what we wanted to discuss and lead the sessions. Topics of the day ranged from ‘How to use social media to fundraise’, ‘Fundraising for unpopular causes’ and ‘Community Foundations’ to name a few. The day ended with a session on ‘What I wish I’d known when I started fundraising’. As someone new to fundraising, it was comforting to hear that those with a wealth of experience had once faced the same challenges we had addressed during the event. Key themes and questions addressed Unpopular causes What is your cause fulfilling? Think about what would happen if you didn’t provide your service? Community Foundations They are there to help connect people invest and support their local communities. Practical use of social media There are different tools available to help better manage social media such as Hootsuite and Buffer. (Log in to your charity account to check out our Hootsuite guide) Capital projects/ appeals Do they distract from continuous giving? Think them through thoroughly What I wish I’d known when I started fundraising Look at fundraising from the donor’s perspective: you are not your donor! Start-up Fundraising Seek sponsorship from local businesses who may be interested in supporting your cause long-term Funders and grant makers Think of using a talking- head. Get people you’ve worked with to do a 1 minute video. It provides your cause with credibility and can be used time and time again! Last words… The great thing about Fundraising Camp was learning from each other. We all went away feeling that not only had we learnt something new, but helped another with something that came easier to us. I’d definitely recommend it to other charities. Read more about the day here

  3347 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Fundraising Camp

  The one-day ‘unconference’ On Tuesday 13th May, the sixth one-day Fundraising Camp took place at Shine in Peterborough. Now for most of us, the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word camp is tents. But I can assure you that there were none in sight! Instead a room filled with people excited to share their fundraising know-how and learn from others. Some had years of experience and a bank of knowledge and others new to fundraising were also able to share their challenges and ask questions. Howard Lake, of UK Fundraising, came up with the idea of Fundraising Camp. He felt that often at conferences, valuable things are learnt from others attending, but only during the tea or lunch break. He sought to turn regular conferences on their head and instead gets the audience to become the speaker at the event. Order of the day The day started with a blank timetable. We were asked to note a few topics we wish to discuss and before we knew it, the day’s agenda lay there before us. Fundraising Camp allowed us to decide what we wanted to discuss and lead the sessions. Topics of the day ranged from ‘How to use social media to fundraise’, ‘Fundraising for unpopular causes’ and ‘Community Foundations’ to name a few. The day ended with a session on ‘What I wish I’d known when I started fundraising’. As someone new to fundraising, it was comforting to hear that those with a wealth of experience had once faced the same challenges we had addressed during the event. Key themes and questions addressed Unpopular causes What is your cause fulfilling? Think about what would happen if you didn’t provide your service? Community Foundations They are there to help connect people invest and support their local communities. Practical use of social media There are different tools available to help better manage social media such as Hootsuite and Buffer. (Log in to your charity account to check out our Hootsuite guide) Capital projects/ appeals Do they distract from continuous giving? Think them through thoroughly What I wish I’d known when I started fundraising Look at fundraising from the donor’s perspective: you are not your donor! Start-up Fundraising Seek sponsorship from local businesses who may be interested in supporting your cause long-term Funders and grant makers Think of using a talking- head. Get people you’ve worked with to do a 1 minute video. It provides your cause with credibility and can be used time and time again! Last words… The great thing about Fundraising Camp was learning from each other. We all went away feeling that not only had we learnt something new, but helped another with something that came easier to us. I’d definitely recommend it to other charities. Read more about the day here

  May 16, 2014 3347
• 30 Jul 2014
  Honorary Degree for Marcelle Speller

  Marcelle Speller, Chairman and founder of Localgiving, returned to the University of East Anglia last week to receive an honorary PhD in Civil Law. Marcelle was one of the first BSc graduates from the now prestigious School of Environmental Sciences and has continued to take a keen interest in its progress over the years. During her speech she imparted her wisdom to the new graduates, 43 years after her first graduation. She happily shared her top three important things to do in life; to use your talents, to have fun and to “put a brick in the wall” - make a difference. When asked what the honorary PhD meant to her, Marcelle responded, “It was a great joy and honour to be welcomed back by the University of East Anglia to receive this doctorate. It is amazing to see how the University has grown, and how the School of Environmental Sciences has developed into a global leader on climate change. I am so proud to have been involved with the school from the very beginning and look forward to continuing to follow its fantastic work.”  

  3922 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Honorary Degree for Marcelle Speller

  Marcelle Speller, Chairman and founder of Localgiving, returned to the University of East Anglia last week to receive an honorary PhD in Civil Law. Marcelle was one of the first BSc graduates from the now prestigious School of Environmental Sciences and has continued to take a keen interest in its progress over the years. During her speech she imparted her wisdom to the new graduates, 43 years after her first graduation. She happily shared her top three important things to do in life; to use your talents, to have fun and to “put a brick in the wall” - make a difference. When asked what the honorary PhD meant to her, Marcelle responded, “It was a great joy and honour to be welcomed back by the University of East Anglia to receive this doctorate. It is amazing to see how the University has grown, and how the School of Environmental Sciences has developed into a global leader on climate change. I am so proud to have been involved with the school from the very beginning and look forward to continuing to follow its fantastic work.”  

  Jul 30, 2014 3922
• 04 Dec 2014
  Big Lunch Extras offer FREE support for Community Projects

  Big Lunch Extras is a free programme to help people run projects that will bring about positive change in their communities –  anything from befriending schemes and festivals to community kitchens and making better use of local derelict land. Following on from the success of The Big Lunch - the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours which invites communities to come together for lunch - Big Lunch Extras is about taking your community spirit that little bit further. So if you need some help with an existing project, or have a great idea for a new one then Big Lunch Extras could be exactly what you’re looking for. It starts with a free three-day residential training event at the Eden Project, which is packed full of inspiration, workshops, practical support, and opportunities to share and develop ideas with like-minded people from across the UK. There are just a handful of camps left, so now is the time to sign up and apply for your place. So how does it work? First off, you’ll come to Eden, in Cornwall, for an immersive weekend to get inspiration, practical skills and the confidence to make real, positive changes within your community. You’ll also get the opportunity to attend regional events near you, where you’ll be introduced to others in your area. The Big Lunch Extras team will stay in touch to offer support and to hear how you’re getting on throughout the programme. What’s more, you’ll be part of a fantastic network of some 900 people on the programme who are all in the same boat as you – sharing ideas, contacts and support.   When are the Camps in 2015? February 27th February – 2nd March  April 17th – 20th May 15th – 18th  July 17th – 20th More dates to be confirmed soon – keep checking www.biglunchextras.com for updates. Camp places are funded and include accommodation and travel, so there really is no reason not to take up this fantastic opportunity. Sound good? Apply for your free place on Big Lunch Extras now! www.biglunchextras.com

  3820 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Big Lunch Extras offer FREE support for Community Projects

  Big Lunch Extras is a free programme to help people run projects that will bring about positive change in their communities –  anything from befriending schemes and festivals to community kitchens and making better use of local derelict land. Following on from the success of The Big Lunch - the UK’s annual get-together for neighbours which invites communities to come together for lunch - Big Lunch Extras is about taking your community spirit that little bit further. So if you need some help with an existing project, or have a great idea for a new one then Big Lunch Extras could be exactly what you’re looking for. It starts with a free three-day residential training event at the Eden Project, which is packed full of inspiration, workshops, practical support, and opportunities to share and develop ideas with like-minded people from across the UK. There are just a handful of camps left, so now is the time to sign up and apply for your place. So how does it work? First off, you’ll come to Eden, in Cornwall, for an immersive weekend to get inspiration, practical skills and the confidence to make real, positive changes within your community. You’ll also get the opportunity to attend regional events near you, where you’ll be introduced to others in your area. The Big Lunch Extras team will stay in touch to offer support and to hear how you’re getting on throughout the programme. What’s more, you’ll be part of a fantastic network of some 900 people on the programme who are all in the same boat as you – sharing ideas, contacts and support.   When are the Camps in 2015? February 27th February – 2nd March  April 17th – 20th May 15th – 18th  July 17th – 20th More dates to be confirmed soon – keep checking www.biglunchextras.com for updates. Camp places are funded and include accommodation and travel, so there really is no reason not to take up this fantastic opportunity. Sound good? Apply for your free place on Big Lunch Extras now! www.biglunchextras.com

  Dec 04, 2014 3820
• 02 May 2014
  Cause of the Month: Fitness

  This month we’re celebrating being active because it’s May and it’s time to enjoy the outdoors. After the long, cold, wet winter we can finally be outside; walking, jogging, playing and using up the energy we’ve built up in the last 6 months. That’s why our cause this month is Fitness. We’ll be highlighting the many benefits of exercise, especially walking. May is National Walking Month which includes Walk to Work Week (12th – 16th) and Walk to School Week (19th – 23rd). Walking is an underrated form of exercise but it’s ideal for people of all ages and all levels of fitness. What’s more, it’s easy and it’s free. The benefits of being active are not only physical but mental and emotional as well. Daily or weekly exercise will give you more energy in the day and help you sleep better at night, which will improve your mood. Regular psychical activity also greatly decreases health risks such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and depression. On Localgiving, there are many organisations trying to get their communities off their sofas and on to their feet. This month, why don’t you try and find a sports club or activity based group near you and see the benefits for yourself?

  3346 Posted by Steph Heyden
• By Steph Heyden

  Cause of the Month: Fitness

  This month we’re celebrating being active because it’s May and it’s time to enjoy the outdoors. After the long, cold, wet winter we can finally be outside; walking, jogging, playing and using up the energy we’ve built up in the last 6 months. That’s why our cause this month is Fitness. We’ll be highlighting the many benefits of exercise, especially walking. May is National Walking Month which includes Walk to Work Week (12th – 16th) and Walk to School Week (19th – 23rd). Walking is an underrated form of exercise but it’s ideal for people of all ages and all levels of fitness. What’s more, it’s easy and it’s free. The benefits of being active are not only physical but mental and emotional as well. Daily or weekly exercise will give you more energy in the day and help you sleep better at night, which will improve your mood. Regular psychical activity also greatly decreases health risks such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and depression. On Localgiving, there are many organisations trying to get their communities off their sofas and on to their feet. This month, why don’t you try and find a sports club or activity based group near you and see the benefits for yourself?

  May 02, 2014 3346