Over the course of the pandemic, access to green spaces has become increasingly important. People are recognising the benefits of connecting with nature, growing their own food and the positive impact being in the great outdoors has on your mental well-being. Sadly, according to data from The Office of National Statistics, 1 in 8 households in the UK did not have access to a garden during the pandemic; with people from ethnic minorities being even more adversely affected and black people in particular are four times less likely to have access to a garden. This growing disparity has prompted a rise in the number of community gardens being created across the UK and they are looking fantastic just like Erw Dewi/Dewi’s acre in St. Davids, Pembrokeshire. EcoDewi, a community environmental group focused on the St Davids Peninsula, joined the Crowdfund Wales Programme back in March to raise some much needed cash for their new community garden – Erw Dewi. Jeremy Wadia (Co-founder) approached Localgiving as he had little previous experience of online fundraising but had a clear vision for a disused plot of land by St Davids Cathedral which they had started to cultivate. Working in collaboration with the Cathedral, the group had 3 clear aims to raise money for: building a potting shed, producing a wildlife pond to increase biodiversity and transforming some land with a large laurel bush into a jungle play area for children. All in all some fantastic ideas, but they couldn’t do it without more money in the pot and the time and commitment of local volunteers. The target that EcoDewi set was £2000 hoping that they would raise £1750 independently and then unlock their matchfunding grant of £250 along the way. After joining the programme, the first thing they did was talk through how it would all work and make sure that there was time and resource in place to promote the appeal. The page had to stand out from the competition and really connect with the community. Jeremy decided to produce a short video to add to the appeal page, describing the work that needed to be done and specifically what the money raised would go towards. The next thing we discussed was how to make the best use of both personal and professional networks to promote the campaign and to reach out to donors. Jeremy decided that a longer running time would work better to allow for some events that were taking place where he could actively promote the project and where there was already buy-in. They smashed their target and the appeal is now closed but it has moved across to a project page so that they can continue to keep their generous donors up to date with news about the garden and they can also upload new photos to show how things are progressing. Along the way, EcoDewi was awarded a Magic Little Grant, distributed by Localgiving and funded by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery but it was decided early on that this money would not specifically go towards the garden but would encourage people to take part in additional activities to further enhance biodiversity in the area. The cause chosen was their Mini Meadows project which aims to encourage local residents and organisations to reduce grass mowing regimes and allow areas to grow and develop into small wildflower meadows. As part of this project, EcoDewi gives participants a recycled wooden blue heart, inspired by the Blue Campaign’s effort to re-wild Britain’s gardens. The Magic Little Grant covered the marketing and materials needed to get this off the ground across the St. Davids Peninsula. So far so good for EcoDewi, having raised a total of £3,438 and now promoting regular donations to ensure their work is funded into the future. To find out more about the Crowdfund Wales Programme, click here.          

One of the Crowdfund Wales Programme’s newest members, Cardiff and Vale Scouts, has used a blended approach to their fundraising to raise much needed cash. Area Commissioner Julian Jordan approached Localgiving as he was keen to start to raise money online but realised that for the first appeal, the sum would be high as it was focussed on a refurbishment of the toilets on the Jubilee Camp Site. The grand total that the group is hoping to raise is £20,000 which they thought would be difficult through online fundraising alone. What was important from the outset however was that all the money raised was in one place and that the ask was specific and set across a limited period of time not only to create a sense of urgency but also so that the fundraiser did not become too onerous a task to monitor and manage. By using a blended approach and adding off-line donations, it is easy to monitor the progress of a campaign and to make it completely transparent for the public. The text on appeals can be changed throughout so you can update on the appeal page how close you are to your target and change images if you wish. The toilets on the Jubilee campsite are not adequate for today’s hygiene standards and with the introduction of additional Covid-19 safety measures; they would not have been fit for purpose for the number of scouts that will use the site. Julian and his colleagues decided to create a short video make this appeal eye-catching and to demonstrate the need. Recognising the importance of starting an appeal with cash in the pot, Julian quickly decided that this was going to have to be a mixture of on and off-line donations. The Scouts had already received a grant which would go some way towards the refurbishment, so they were able to launch the appeal with a £10,000 donated offline. Psychologically, when potential donors click on the link to an appeal, they are far more likely to give to a cause where they can see other donations have been made. Also, £10,000 does not seem so daunting for anyone who sees a high total wonders what impact their small donation would have. Julian also applied for a Magic Little Grant from Localgiving for CCTV for the site which he was successful in obtaining. On the Crowdfund Wales Programme, once a group has reached £1750, they can unlock their match funding grant of £250 and the Scouts were able to do this quickly due to dedicated time set aside at the start of the appeal for promotion. In fact, Julian not only did Julian post his progress on social media frequently but he also sent the link via a newsletter and ensured there was coverage in the local press – this all helped to give the appeal the boost it needed. The Scouts are making excellent progress and only need to raise a further £2,283 in the next 44 days to reach their £20,000 target. To read more about appeal and to donate, click here.  

In the beautiful Welsh coastal town of Goodwick in Pembrokeshire, porpoises have become the hot topic in the community and with Localgiving’s support; one project has been making waves with its online fundraising efforts…   Sea Trust Wales which was the first organisation to join the new Crowdfund Wales Programme, has cause to celebrate this week as in the first five days since setting up their Porpoise Project Appeal with Localgiving, they have raised over £2000 and have unlocked their match funding of £250! Sea Trust Wales is a marine conservation charity based in Pembrokeshire, which focusses on redressing imbalances in ecosystems in the sea and more generally, conserving marine life. Due to the current restrictions, the Catch and Release Aquarium has been closed to the public and some of the vital work of the Trust cannot be undertaken, having a significant effect on the Trust’s fundraising. However, Holly Dunn, a Project Officer for Sea Trust, didn’t let this dampen her spirits and decided to turn to the community and online fundraising to generate some much needed funds.   “As a team, we didn’t have much experience of online fundraising before, we had a donate button but didn’t realise how generous people would be and how much we could increase the profile of the work that we do…we have been overwhelmed by the support of the local community!”   A group of extremely committed volunteers, led by Holly, work on the Porpoise ID Project.  The project is vital for monitoring the health of the marine environment as porpoises are one of the UK’s top marine predators so studying them tells the team a lot about the state of the sea. If porpoise populations decline in UK waters, there would be a huge impact on the food chain, therefore monitoring  is vital to ensure the entire marine eco system in Wales does not become imbalanced. Holly added: “It’s not just the porpoises that benefit from what we are doing; it has a huge impact on the local area offering opportunities for volunteers to help with the data gathering and to understand more about our local marine life. We could not run this project without the backing of our community and we have heard that giving back and being involved in something so rewarding is having a positive impact on people’s mental health during this difficult time”.  If you know of a charity or community group in Wales that might benefit from our Crowdfund Wales Programme or who would like support with their online fundraising generally, please contact our Wales Development Manager: amy@localgiving.org   For Sea Trust Wales, this is very much the start of their online fundraising journey and it is hoped that once their appeal target is reached, people will continue to make regular donations so Holly and the team can continue to protect the health of the seas. To donate to the Porpoise Project Appeal, click here and you can also follow the success of the appeal on Twitter and Facebook.

The Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park are doing an appeal with a target of £5000 to get the Burdick family monument repaired. The FoTHCP is the charity looking after the beautiful, atmospheric cemetery park, which opened in 1841 and closed for burials in 1966. It has been a public park ever since, a quiet escape for humans and nature, conservation volunteering, dog walking, and a children's nature club.   In February 2019 a storm blew over one of the first trees planted about 175 years ago, the only silver lime we had.. It hit the Burdick family monument, an Egyptian-style obelisk. The monument broke into seven big, heavy pieces, and it’s going to cost £5,000 to put it together again permanently and safely.   Our biggest challenge is to repair the monument as soon as possible, because if it gets below freezing this winter, frost can break cracks in the stone and make the repair even more expensive.       The monument is the family vault of James & Amy Burdick. They aren't buried here, but two of their sons are. James and Amy had 6 children. James Henry, William, Charles all died before their parents, but Alfred, Lydie and Ethel survived.   The Burdicks were part of the Burdick & Cook merchant shipping company in Poplar. Sadly the company was as lucky with their ships as James and Amy were with their sons. There was a ship with Lydie's name, but it was torpedoed in 1918 by a German submarine. The SS Buresk and SS Burbridge were also sank during WWI.   James Henry drowned aged 21 and was buried in Sebastopol in the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea, likely on company business. William died when he was 20 years old, and Charles was only 7. We're not sure yet what happened to Alfred and Ethel, but Lydie married a baronet and became Lady Greenaway.   If you'd like to see the Burdick monument for yourself, the cemetery park is open every day.

Our Appeal pages are a proven way to raise funds and awareness for a new project or an urgent need. Appeal pages can help you focus your supporters’ attention on a particular issue - whether it be the need for extra funding for specialist equipment to make your activities accessible, funding for unforeseen costs such as break-ins, or urgent support for individual beneficiaries. From a pure fundraising perspective -  Appeal pages are an incredibly effective way of bringing in donations quickly. On average Localgiving groups raise 70% more through appeal pages than through fundraising pages. Over the last 12 months our groups raised an average of  £696 through appeals compared to £405 through fundraising pages. Moreover, Appeals provide an excellent opportunity to build awareness of your cause and grow your supporter community. Most effective Appeals make good use of beneficiary stories - enabling you to  highlight the issues you address and the difference you make in a relatable way. Furthermore, Time sensitive appeals are far more likely to be considered ‘newsworthy’ than a general call for support.  We have hosted and helped promote some truly inspirational, life-changing appeals over the years, ranging from saving community services to flood relief. Here are just a couple of our favourites! The Dahlia Project - Leyla Hussein, a leading anti-FGM activist and psychotherapist, set up the Dahlia Project to provide a safe space and therapeutic support for victims of Female Genital Mutilation. When the Dahlia Project came into financial difficulties in 2017, Manor Gardens Welfare Trust set up an appeal on Localgiving. Through harnessing the power of the traditional press, blogs and support from podcasts such as the Guilty Feminist, the appeal successfully raised over £100,000.       Calderdale Flood Relief Appeal - In December 2015, the Community Foundation for Calderdale launched an appeal in response to the Boxing Day flooding after the River Calder burst its banks overnight. Their campaign raised over £2.5m in total, £250,000 of which was generated through their Localgiving appeals page. The fundraising campaign went on to win several awards. Borderlands - Borderlands, a Bristol based refugee charity, have successfully used Localgiving appeal pages to raise funds for individual beneficiaries and their families. Their appeals have ranged from helping beneficiaries pay for family reunion to supporting them to access legal support to help fight deportations. Through focussing on the needs and narratives of their beneficiaries, Borderlands have consistently given an emotional pull and sense of urgency to their appeals. Since joining Localgiving Borderlands have raised nearly £12,000 through their appeals. So, have you been inspired to set up an Appeal?   As a Localgiving member, all you need to do is log in to your Localgiving charity account and go to the "My Pages" tab and click on the button that says "Create an Appeal Page". You can download our 13 tips for running a successful Appeal here, and remember, we are always happy to help promote your fundraising activities through our social media channels or blog. Not an Localgiving Member Yet? Find Our More

In April 2019 hundreds of fundraisers took part in our annual Local Hero fundraiser competition. After a tightly fought race, Nathan Swain took bronze position in the competition, having run the London Marathon in support of Safe Families for Children Wales. Thanks to Nathan’s third place finish, Safe Families for Children Wales were awarded a prize of £500, adding to the phenomenal £2,300 he had already accrued through online donations. Once his calves had recovered, Nathan kindly took the time to talk to us about his challenge and his charity of choice. How did you get involved with Safe Families for Children? “Through my line of work I am aware of the adverse impact children placed in foster care can experience, and the residual effect it can have for years to come. Through a notice on my local church notice board I became aware of the work of Safe Families for Children, a charity working hand-in-hand with local children’s services to link families in need with a network of local volunteers who can offer them support, intervening before formal involvement of the care system." How did you decide upon you challenge and what preparation did you need to do? "Having been a runner for around three years, and becoming comfortable at the Half Marathon distance, I felt it was time to challenge myself with a marathon and managed to secure a ballot place at the London Marathon. What should’ve been prime running time over the winter was ridden with injuries which prevented me running, but I managed to keep fit through cycling. In early spring I was able to get running again and got out two or three times a week to get race ready.” What did you most enjoy most about your challenge and taking part in the Local Hero competition? “I really enjoyed pushing myself, and knowing that my efforts were not only for my personal gain, but had helped secure important finances for a small volunteer led charity I found it enjoyable getting on the leaderboard early which spurred me on to encourage more people to donate and help secure additional prize money funding for the charity.” Why do you think your campaign was such a success? “It was a combination of a marathon being a big challenge and choosing a charity that people could relate to and see tangible benefits through their donations. I feel more people were willing to donate to support me because I wasn’t running for a large national charity, I wouldn’t be part of 100 runners fundraising for the same cause – instead I would be the only runner wearing Safe Families colours, and would be the only person fundraising to support their work.” What channels did you use to promote your challenge and why? “I predominantly promoted my fundraising to friends and family through my social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. My posts were also shared through Safe Families for Children’s accounts, which raised awareness to a wider audience of individuals who were already aware of and supportive of their work.” Do you know if Safe families have any specific plans or projects for this funding /what will be the impact of this funding. “I am due to meet with the Chairman of Trustees soon, to gain an understanding of the impact my fundraising will have for this charity and the work it will support.” What advice would you give to someone interested in fundraising for a local charity? “People tend to be unaware of the great work undertaken by small charities in their area. Fundraising for them will not only help fund their activities, but raise their profile in the community. Having fundraised for both national and small charities such as Safe Families, I found it more rewarding to be promoting the work of a small charity, and more encouraging to know that the money I raise will be going directly to helping their cause rather than covering overheads.” Set up a fundraising page for a local charity today.

Charitable causes across Wales have now raised over £500,000 in funding through Localgiving. Localgiving’s Wales Development Programme has been running since July 2016. In this time over 350 charities and community groups have received a year of free fundraising support. Through the programme groups can access face-to-face training wherever they are based, Gift Aid and access to Localgiving’s incentivised giving campaigns. Each group is given £200 match funding, making it as easy as possible for them to launch their fundraising, as online donations are doubled until this is used up. The Wales members cover all 22 counties and range from tiny local groups run by volunteers to charities with staff operating across a larger area or county. Lauren Swain, Localgiving’s Wales Development Manager, runs the programme. There are 7 free places left on the programme, as it is now almost fully subscribed 8 months ahead of target. After 34 months of the programme, Localgiving has already helped groups to raise over £500,000 and provided 255 1:1 training sessions. In a recent funder report, 87% of members have seen a positive impact on their fundraising and 89% are more confident with online fundraising. The programme has vitally filled a gap in Wales, as 94% of groups previously had no access to online fundraising training and support locally. Localgiving has worked closely with the WCVA and the 19 CVCs to reach groups across every area. The CVCs have been brilliant in promoting the opportunity and hosting the 75 workshops that Localgiving has run for 485 across every county in Wales. The programme is funded by National Lottery Community Fund and Garfield Weston Foundation – we are very excited at how much amazing impact their support has had!   These are some of our Wales members and how they feel about the programme: Paul Popham Fund have been members of Localgiving since October 2016 and have raised over £14,500 from 445 donations, including £425 of match funding. The Bridge Mentoring Plus Scheme have been members of Localgiving since August 2016 and have raised over £6100, including £720 of match funding. Colwyn Victoria Pier Trust have been members of Localgiving since June 2017 and have raised over £2100 from 74 donations, including £610 of match funding.    

An African family with two little girls under the age of 4 and a third child on the way need your help. They are fighting the threat of deportation to their home country which would put both of their little girls in danger of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is a ritual that takes place in some countries that involves the cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. If the family is forced to return home, there is a high risk that the local community would force the family to have FGM inflicted on the little girls. This would violate their human rights and put their physical and mental health at serious risk. If they are deported and refuse to have FGM carried out on their children, they will be ostracised from their communities and the girls will face stigma and difficulties to marry and integrate later in life.  The family applied for asylum in the UK in the search for a safer future but their case has been refused, and their situation has been unresolved since 2014. Since then, the family have remained in limbo, living in destitution and the threat of deportation has resulted in anxiety and poor mental health for the family. We need to raise a total of £1,500 to cover the solicitor and barrister fees involved with the appeal. These fees have been lowered at the discretion of the solicitor, as he has been working with the family for some time now and he sympathises with their case. The family have lived in the UK for 17 years now and have made it their home. Their little girls were born in England and also see it as their home - they do not know any other country or culture. The family has integrated into British culture, become a part of the local parish and are valued members of the Borderlands community. The parents volunteer in their spare time, including at the local farm which benefits local agriculture and food production in Bristol. This young family needs your support to ensure they can continue their lives here and to keep their children safe from this highly dangerous, damaging and traumatic procedure. April Humble is Director of Borderlands, a charity working with refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol, and has been working in the field internationally for 10 years. Donate Now

At Localgiving we like to highlight the amazing work fundraisers do for our charities and community groups. Every month I (Byron, Localgiving’s Membership Coordinator and helpline guy) pick out some some of the very best in fundraising events. Here are some of the most inspiring causes and fundraising appeals we have seen this month The 2020 TransAm Bike Race Many people say that everything is bigger in America: the cars, the food the buildings - and now apparently the bike rides. Mike is riding 4,300 miles across America. The Bradley Wiggins of Nottingham is taking on this fantastic feat in aid of Harmless. Mike is  aiming to raise a total of £5000 in aid of the charity Harmless. Harmless is an organisation that combines personal and professional experience to support people who self harm, their friends and families, and professionals. Harmless believe in recovery, and through their work they want to promote health and well being. So many people who self harm feel overwhelmed by their emotions, and this is something they want to work hard to change.Harmless was set up by people who understand self harm and at the heart of our service is a real sense of hope. All the very best from all of us here at Localgiving.   The Retirement fight This is Martin’s last fight before he hangs up his gloves. Martin is a keen boxer and says that it will be thrilling to do what he enjoys best and get to raise money for a worthwhile cause at the same time. Martin is aim to the raise £500 for the Riff Raff Society.The Riff Raff Society is an association of like minded well-doers. Riff Raff’s aim is to accept funding applications in the Greater Manchester area from people who are facing challenging situations in relation to ill health/disability or any other relevant misfortune.The Society aims to provide assistance by funding requests for life enhancing equipment, respite breaks, home improvements, or other beneficial services to those that we support.             3 Marathons in 3 Months for Cancer April is not running just one marathon but three! This fantastic feat of endurance is in aid a local cancer charity that was set up in memory of her friend Faye-Knowles Chapman. April is not only hoping to hit her target of £1000 but to raise awareness around cancer. The Faye Knowles Chapman Foundation was set up in March 2013, Faye Knowles-Chapman sadly lost her battle against Cervical Cancer at the young age of 27.  In memory of Faye they are trying to raise awareness amongst young women and people in general. They are campaigning to get the minimum age for screening reduced or even removed altogether.        

As an organisation who work on abortion rights, which is still considered controversial in Northern Ireland, we were delighted when Isobel Anderson approached us to collaborate on a music video project. Isobel wrote a song in 2015, “4284_ / I'm A Life” using the words of one woman’s journey to England to access an abortion she should have been able to get here. We felt that suddenly this gave us an opportunity to speak to people who may not normally engage with political posts on social media or may not be aware of what the situation is still in Northern Ireland. Isobel has worked closely with Alliance for Choice since September last year and has high hopes for the music video, she explains, “I had wanted to write about the abuse of reproductive rights in Northern Ireland since I had moved to Belfast in 2009, but I found it difficult to know exactly how without misrepresenting people’s lived experience of the issue. Then, more and more people started sharing their stories online, and when I read Janet’s incredibly moving account, the song came together” Having had a number of successful appeals on Localgiving already, we knew it would be a great place to host our music video appeal. If we can raise our £5K target by 2nd March, we will launch the video live at a Queer Feminist Activist-run space in Belfast, with live music from local acts. We saw the power of stories with the referendum campaign in the Republic of Ireland, so we know how much more people can empathise when they can picture themselves in someone else’s shoes. Alliance for Choice have worked on a variety of education projects over the years and witnessed the incredible power of creating a space where people feel comfortable talking about their experiences of abortion, sex education, pregnancy and all of those stigmas. Reaching our target means we can make many more of these workshops and events happen. We are so proud of the video and so delighted that the song is so beautiful. Janet, whose incredible words are used for the song told us when she watched the video; “I cried. The opening line had me catch my breath, and the next thing I knew I was crying. They were complex tears, of surprise, tinged with sadness & then of joy. When I shared my story 4 years ago, I had no idea of the impact it would have, I am deeply honoured to hear some of my words in Isobel's song and I hope it had a profound effect on people as it did me. All of the people in the video have been involved one way or another, some people have travelled for abortion care, some people have helped others access it in Northern Ireland, others have been campaigning on the issue since the 1970s, there’s a whole range of activists and abortion seekers present in the video. To watch the teaser please go here: https://youtu.be/VFgHLjxWhiI To donate to the campaign please visit: https://localgiving.org/imalife For further information about Alliance for Choice please visit http://www.alliance4choice.com/ For further information about Isobel Anderson please visit http://www.isobelanderson.com/about     Emma Campbell is Co-Chair of Alliance for Choice, mother of Luca (nearly 2!) and a practising photographic artist. Alliance for Choice won the Liberty Long Walk to Freedom award with London Irish Abortion Rights Campaign and the FPA in 2017 and the Political Studies Association Campaign of the Year Award of 2018 for our work aiding the Repeal referendum in Ireland and the continuing work in NI