Healthcare

The National Brain Appeal

The National Brain Appeal is the only charity dedicated to raising funds for The National Hospital and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology (IoN).

Queen Square is regarded as the ‘cradle of British neurology’. It is one of the world’s leading neuroscience centres providing translational research, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with neurological and neuromuscular conditions including multiple sclerosis (MS), dementia, brain cancer, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, brain injury and many more.

One in six people in the UK are affected by a neurological condition. That’s more than the number of people living with cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes combined. In spite of this there has been a continuing lack of national prioritisation to deliver better outcomes for those affected.

Our aim is to improve the outcome and quality of life for everyone with a neurological disorder by funding pioneering research, providing access to the latest technology for expert diagnosis and training tomorrow’s leading clinicians.

Your help can make this possible.

For further information on donating to this charity tel 020 3448 4724 or visit www.nationalbrainappeal.org.

Nerve Tumours UK

Nerve Tumours UK provides support and information, as well as campaigns and raises awareness on behalf of over 26,500 people in the UK affected by NF, the group name for Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), NF2-related-Schwannomatosis (NF2) and Schwannomatosis (SWN). We’re here to improve lives for people with nerve tumours, by making sure those affected have access to the help they require.

Nerve Tumours UK provides crucial support and empowerment for those affected by nerve tumours in the UK.

Nerve tumours are not limited to one group of people. Regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, disability or wealth – if not catered for appropriately, can cause intense grief and isolation.

Nerve tumours can be uncompromising, painful and punishing without the right support network. As long as the condition is around, we will strive to provide better and more targeted support. Our Nerve Tumours UK Helpline and support network is available to every region of the United Kingdom, and we endeavor to support those outside of the UK wherever possible.

For further information on donating to this charity tel 0208 439 1234 or visit their website www.nervetumours.org.uk.

Dementia Forward

Dementia Forward is the leading dementia charity for York and North Yorkshire. We provide support, advice and information to anybody affected by dementia across the county, and have developed a comprehensive range of services; all with people living with dementia at their heart.

Dementia Forward was formed in April 2012 by an experienced team with a profound understanding of dementia, in response to a growing need for support services within local communities.

Dementia Forward is recognised as a vital source of information, advice and support as well as being a strong advocate for people living with dementia. We actively seek out the voices of those affected when designing our services, and adopt a ‘local for local’ approach, using the resource of local community and partnership-working to its full. One of the charity’s aims is to ‘knit’ dementia support into the everyday lives of the local community. We aim to increase awareness and understanding, so that people can continue to live well in their own communities.

Our staff team is supported and strengthened by a highly-skilled and motivated board of trustees and committed volunteers, in partnership with the statutory and voluntary sector.

In addition to information and advice, we provide a range of wellbeing and respite services and a specialist provision for people with young onset dementia.

For further information about this charity including how to donate tel 03300 578592 or visit their website at www.dementiaforward.org.uk

The Respite Association

The Respite Association was born on May 16th 2001. A group of people, all with first-hand experience of the stress put on carers, had come to realise that there was very little support available for those caring for loved ones. That small but committed group of people decided that the best way forward was to create an organisation whose sole aim was to care for the carers by providing respite. When you are caring for someone the task can be overwhelming. You can be on ‘duty’ for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no breaks or holidays. This is too much to ask of anyone.

So what do we actually do?

We are a small Charity that makes a big impact. We provide short term assistance by funding appropriately qualified respite care for people with disabilities, long term physical or mental health conditions, and those who are terminally ill in order that their regular unpaid carer can be allowed to take a much needed break. Breaks can take the form of anything from enabling attendance at an evening class to a weekend break or longer. We also provide free week long seaside holidays to enable carers to recharge their batteries. In 2021, we purchased our first bricks and mortar respite facility – a purpose built holiday bungalow in Cornwall. We also have a caravan in North Wales.

Who will we help?

Many of the people who are at home caring for loved ones are forced to live on very limited incomes. It is these people that we are working to help.

What does it cost?

Whilst providing suitably qualified carers in the home or funding a temporary place in a residential care centre can be expensive, the benefits to the carer are beyond measure. The cost and level of support varies dramatically from a few pounds to several hundred. Our average grant is around £450.

For further information about this charity including how to donate tel 01566 783383 or visit our website at www.respiteassociation.org

Mustard Seed Project

MSP is a small charity working in deprived urban Mombasa. It was set up in 2009 following a holiday visit to the area by a retired teacher and a Civil Engineer who now spend two months of each year working in the community. We support the community through training and education for women and youths and giving financial support to a football club and two boxing clubs. The main, and most successful project is the school.

We set up the school with just 17 children in September 2009. The school grew by one class a year and now we have 300 children aged 3 – 14 years, with a feeding programme and a clinic, in classes of around 25. Initially the children were in a rented building but by the end of 2020 our own school building will be completed and will house all the children in the same place.

But this is just the building. What goes on inside is what makes the difference. The aim is to provide quality education and varied experiences so that all children reach their full potential regardless of ability. All but our special needs children are meeting or exceeding government expectations. This is partly due to our feeding programme and clinic which keep our children healthy and happy and able to take advantage of the excellent teaching they receive. Education does not of course just exist in the classroom. In 2017, a group of our children came second in a large national music competition having come first in all the regional heats for their choral speaking. A wonderful achievement and experience for children living in such poverty.

In 2018 our first group of 14-year olds took their Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education. The government considers a ‘C’ grade to be good but the mean score for our children in both 2018 and 2019 was ‘B- ‘. In 2019 one of our children achieved an ‘A- ‘, putting him in the top 1% in the country, earning him a place in a prestigious National school. We were equally proud of a student who had been receiving extra help because we considered she had special needs. She achieved a ‘C’. The children did brilliantly of course, but we must not forget the committed, hard-working staff who helped the children to achieve this.

Our big aim now is to be able to continue supporting our children and to enable them to complete secondary school. Unfortunately, although this is now ‘free’ the children still must pay for books and the feeding programme which sadly makes it difficult for many to access even this. And of course, when they complete their 4 years of Secondary Education it would be wonderful to be able to support some of them at University or other higher education.

A gift in your will would help ensure future sustainability of the project, including the feeding programme and would contribute towards secondary education and hopefully higher education for those who are successful in their Kenyan school exams.

For further information about this charity including how to donate tel 01778 341855 or visit our website at www.mustardseedproject.co.uk

Register Charity No. 212808

Surgeons, save, extend and enhance lives every day, with patient care and wellbeing at the heart and drive of what they do. The Royal College of Surgeons of England shares this aim and as a charity, independent of the NHS, we have safeguarded the standards of clinical practice for over 200 years.

Surgery is special, and there are few people whose lives have not been touched by it. Our work is not limited to specific illnesses or areas of disease but supports better care for all ages, from minor day surgery, to life-saving procedures and emergency trauma care.

In every case, the patient places their trust in the hands of the surgeon. Whilst this trust is well founded, we need to invest continually in education, research and training to ensure that surgeons and the care they provide is the best in the world.

A donation or legacy in your will can make a real difference to the lives of new generations of surgical students and patients. All gifts are an enduring way to support the College benefiting the care of surgical patients, both in the UK and around the world.

For further information on donating to this charity tel 020 7869 6086 or visit their website www.rcseng.ac.uk/support-our-work.

Hospice Aid UK

Hospice Aid is a unique UK based charity delivering much needed grants to UK hospices.

Hospice AID UK is committed to support all hospices who apply to us with every penny spent staying in the UK. We give support where and when it's needed. 

We provide support in many ways, in particular, we are the leading charity for Hospice Emergency Funding in the UK. We also help fund specialist equipment, core costs and in all areas Hospices struggle to receive funding for.

There is no charge for Hospice care and they rely heavily on public funding.

We are driven by our determination to increase awareness of how reliant hospices are for funding, but we couldn't do this without public support.

A donation, however large or small, would mean we could help a larger number of hospices and reach more of the people that need it. Hospice Aid UK delivers the money where it is needed, when it is needed.

For further information on donating to this charity tel 0845 606 0510 or visit www.hospiceaid.org.uk.