Our chosen charities

2007 marks the 50th birthday of NOP and we’ll be celebrating with an energetic programme of events, mostly focussed around fund-raising for a number of charities.

We would like to share the details of the charities that we have selected to be the focus of our celebratory fund-raising. Through out 2007, our staff are planning a huge range of personal activities and drives to raise money.

GfK NOP has undertaken to match the sum raised, and our target is to make a total of £100,000 by the end of the year. This sum will be allotted between the seven charities that have been selected as ‘our’ charities this year: two global charities, and five UK ones.

GLOBAL:

SURF Survivors Fund

Survivors Fund is a charitable organisation dedicated to aiding and assisting the survivors of the Rwandan genocide.

SURF exists to promote the needs of survivors and to support their own efforts at rebuilding their lives.

SURF focuses its efforts and attention on the followings primary areas of concentration:

• HIV/AIDS
• Psychosocial Support Projects
• Education/Vocational Training
• Income Generating Activities
• Shelter
• Legal Assistance/Advocacy 

Find out more about SURF at http://www.survivors-fund.org.uk  

One Child

OneChild is an international development organisation set up by Jamie and Darren Belnikoff. Jamie spent several months working as a volunteer at Baworo ICCES, Ghana in 2002. Since then he has maintained regular contact with both students and teachers in Ghana.

OneChild believes only the best educated have a chance to break out of the cycle of poverty and is determined to make quality education available to all in the developing world one child at a time.

Working directly with the local population, OneChild raises money to fulfil its goals:

• To enable children to go to school
• To improve the quality of education in developing countries
• To help students acquire essential skills to develop their own communities
• To empower local schools enabling them to help themselves
• To first develop Baworo ICCES before rolling out to other ICCES centres in Ghana

Find out more about One Child at http://www.onechild.org.uk

LOCAL/NATIONAL

Eco-Schools

The Eco-Schools programme provides a simple framework to enable UK schools to become more sustainable.

By following the programme, the schools become a more stimulating place in which to learn, whilst reducing the environmental impact of the whole school on the community.

The scheme is rooted in a genuine desire to help children become more effective citizens by encouraging them to take responsibility for the future of their own environment. It is not about environmental excellence, it is about helping individual schools look at how it is impacting upon the environment, the factors involved and how this can be managed.

Pupil involvement is a key part of the Eco-Schools programme. Having pupils engaged in the whole process, including monitoring, action planning and decision-making, leads to genuine ownership of the programme and an increase in their sense of responsibility for the school environment and local area.

Find out more about Eco-Schools at http://www.eco-schools.org.uk  

Starlight Children’s Foundation

Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting their wishes and providing hospital entertainment to help take their minds off the pain, fear and isolation of their illness.

When Starlight began in 1987, they helped just 4 children; this year, they will help over 500,000 children all over the UK. Where possible, mums, dads, brothers and sisters are involved as active participants in the child’s wish, to strengthen family bonds at what is often a time of great stress and to give everyone happy memories to share, no matter what the future may hold. Starlight receives neither Government nor Lottery support.

If Starlight had just one wish itself, it would be that cures could be found for all the terrible illnesses that can afflict children. Until then, they will continue to provide important medicines of another sort: excitement, fun and laughter.

Find out more about Starlight at http://www.starlight.org.uk  

Macmillan Cancer Support

There are three times as many people in Britain living with cancer than there were 30 years ago. In fact over a million people have had a cancer diagnosis, and one in three of us will be diagnosed at some point in our lives.

With improvements in screening, diagnosis and treatment, more and more people are being diagnosed earlier, and are therefore living with cancer for longer. They’re often spending less time in hospital and more time at home. Cancer is becoming a part of more and more people’s daily lives.

Macmillan care for the whole person, not just the disease, and also offer support for their families too, leading the way with innovative cancer care services, and working with partners to replicate these services across the country.

Find out more about Macmillan Cancer Support at http://www.macmillan.org.uk

Phab

"To promote and encourage people with and without physical disabilities to come together on equal terms, to achieve complete integration within the wider community and to make more of life together”.

Phab is a national charity that works in a very practical and active way to promote and encourage people with and without physical disability to come together on equal terms, to achieve complete integration within the wider community.

Phab supports a network of over 200 clubs in all age ranges offering activities which all members, whatever their disability, can share and enjoy together.

Rewards innovation and good design in products for people with special needs in partnership with the British Healthcare Trades Association.

Promotes self reliance and enhances the living skills and abilities of young people through a diverse range of projects embracing the Phab aim of "making more of life together.”

Funds and organises the PhabKids "Integrated Living Experiences” for disabled and non disabled youngsters at fully accessible activity centres.

Phab is also celebrating its 50th year in 2007.

Find out more about Phab at http://www.phabengland.org.uk

Help the Hospices

Help the Hospices is the national charity for the hospice movement, founded in 1984 by Anne, Duchess of Norfolk.

They see their role as two-fold. First, they support hospices in their vital work on the frontline of caring for people who face the end of life and caring for those who love them. The support they give takes many forms - training, education, information, grantaid, advice and national fundraising events and activities.

Secondly, they give voice to the interests, views and concerns of over 200 local charities who provide the majority of hospice care across the UK. They investigate issues, publish reports and briefings and advocate the cause of independent voluntary hospice care in Westminster, Whitehall and in the media.

Find out more about Help the Hospices at http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk