Categories
Culture

The director empowering small charities

One of the biggest barriers to positive, sustainable change – as with most things – is money. Particularly for small, local charities and community initiatives that are trying to help the people they know, and care about, the problem comes down to access to resources.

The main ‘solution’ that the global north has employed over the last couple of centuries, since the concept of ‘charity’ really took off, involves sending people from rich countries to poorer countries, and having them enact their charitable efforts. 

There are a lot of problems with this – not least that people who are coming in from a very different situation often don’t know the nuances, the ins and outs of the communities that they are trying to help. They have the best intentions, but the truth is, the people best suited to solving these problems are those that are living them.

To this end – the Global Fund for Children was created 30 years ago. They are dedicated to helping children and young people, and do so by sending funds directly to the charities and community groups that are already established locally.

“I’ve worked in the charitable sector since I left university,” explains Hayley Roffey, who is the Global Managing Director of Global Fund for Children. “The previous organisation I worked for was founded by my dad and was working with disadvantaged children, young people across the south of the UK, London and the Southeast, and global climate children. And said they wanted to fund us. “

“It’s been a really interesting journey because it means I’ve had the perspective of what it’s like to receive GFC funding – and the grants officer who supported [us] right from the start is still here! So it’s been a really, really lovely full-circle journey.”

Having once worked for small charities herself, Hayley knows how difficult it can be for local groups to get the resources that they need to take care of their own children and young people – and knows what they need when it comes to a partnership.

“We are like the opposite of how international aid works,” explains Hayley. “We work with local people in their local community [to] try and mobilise and move resources to them so they can do the work to meet those most vulnerable [people] – rather than people from the global north, going to countries and providing that support directly themselves.”

“It’s all about locally rooted people who already know how to meet needs. It’s not rocket science. It’s just something that I think we’ve forgotten as a society over the years.”

The goal, for Hayley and GFC as a whole, is to make it easier for charities to help people. They aim to take away the pressure and stress that comes with having to jump through hoops and fill out long, difficult forms – and instead focus on doing what they do best.

Hayley and her incredible teams are helping to revolutionise the charity sector, making it more efficient, and less stressful for those who are just trying to make a difference in this world.

“I heard [someone] say ‘this sector is the only sector where non-experts tell experts what to do’,” comments Hayley. “[But] I think local people are the experts – why should we tell them what to do? They know what they’re doing. They just need resources. They don’t have the time, the means, the access – so they need organisations like GFC, who’ve been around for 30 years [and] who’ve got thousands of people in our networks. “

“That’s what we can open up for them. That’s what they need. They don’t need people telling them how to work with children and people – [but] they might need help with creating budgets, they might need help with opening bank accounts because we often will also fund unregistered groups, groups led by young people.”

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

Create. Create is the UK’s leading charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts. Support them here.

Save The Children UK. Save the Children is a UK charity for children that works in over 100 countries to make sure children are fed, learning and treated fairly. Learn more here.

Barnardo’s. This is a children’s charity that protects and supports children and young people in the UK who need them. Find out more here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Partnership for the Goals.

Categories
Equality

The 10 year old who awoke the world to a vital cause

She was only ten years old when she changed the world – and today, aged 20, Nada Alahdal shows no signs of slowing.

“Child marriage in my village is very common, especially in my family,” explains Nada. “My grandma, she got married when she was nine. My mom, she got married at the age of 14. So for them, these kinds of things [are] normal. This crime is normal for them because it happens in [their] small society.”

Nada was 10 years and three months old when she was first engaged. Growing up in a small village in Yemen, child marriage was common in her family – which is why her parents engaged her to be married off to a wealthy expatriate, 16 years Nada’s senior.

Luckily for Nada, her uncle Abdel Salam al-Ahdal stepped in. Abdel believed that what was happening to Nada was wrong, and was able to dissuade the suitor, dissolving the engagement.

“He’s well educated,” explains Nada. “He’s the only person in the family who finished uni. He’s really into media and reading a lot, so he’s the only person who’s educated in the whole family. He really believes in educating girls, and girls’ rights. In summer breaks he used to take one of the girls [in the family] to the capital of Yemen, educate them, join them to singing classes, drawing classes, English classes, and I got really close to my uncle. He used to take care of my education.”

Unfortunately for Nada, her parents found another man to marry her. This is when she ran away from home, to her uncle who took her in – and when she filmed a video speaking out against her situation, and the situation of many other girls who are forced into child marriage.

The video went viral, and you can watch it here, with English subtitles.

Though Nada went to live with her uncle, the danger was by no means over. Nada and Abdel were kidnapped by ISIS, in an attempt to silence her. There has been a lot of backlash from those who still support child marriage – though Nada has received support around the world, there were many that wished to prevent her from speaking out.

“I [received] a royal invitation from Saudi Arabia, saying that Arabia will take care of everything, like, [my] education, etcetera, will be under their support. Obviously, I accepted that – I needed to be protected, I didn’t have another choice,” explains Nada. “[That is] where I started my activity – I’m talking about child marriage, I’m [a] feminist, on social media and TV, talking about my story and trying to spread awareness about the consequences of child marriage, and the importance of girls lives.”

Since then, Nada has been fighting to end child marriages across the globe and to protect the young girls that are being subjected to this injustice. She has even gone on to create her own charity – the Nada Foundation. The foundation’s project ‘Our Dreams Thrive’ is helping Yemeni girls that have been displaced by child marriage, violence or conflict.

The Nada Foundation is using profits from Nada’s book; The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up Against Child Marriage, which she co-wrote alongside Yemeni director Khadija al-Salam. The money is currently funding the educational journey of 10,000 girls, teaching them the English language, and helping them to instil them with confidence, dignity and passion – as well as giving them the opportunity to continue their education remotely.

“We really believe that English can save so many girls’ lives,” says Nada. “One video of mine saved my life – I didn’t mean to post it for people to see, but it happened. Imagine [if] I was speaking in English, my message would be worldwide. So that’s why we start courses for these girls for free to learn English. We opened in six cities in Yemen classes.”

The biggest result of Nada’s incredible work has been the young girls that she has been able to save. Her story is a long, dangerous and stressful one – but it has inspired so many other girls around the world that are enduring, or in danger of, child marriages. Thanks to her work, these girls are finding freedom.

“There are so many girls [that] actually social media contacted me and asked me for help,” explains Nada, speaking of the incredible work her foundation is continuing to perform. “So the programme is to take these girls, put them in a safe places and try to solve their problems with the police legally. It was a safe haven. We [have] saved more than 63 girls.”

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

ActionAid UK. This is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty, and helping to end child marriage. Support them here.

Girls Not Brides. Girls Not Brides is a global partnership working collectively to end child marriage. Learn more here.

World Vision UK. For 70 years, World Vision UK has been working to end child marriages across the globe. Find out more.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Gender Equality.

Categories
Equality

Brits have become more liberal, study shows

Britain has become more socially liberal, according to a new study.

Tell me more!

The latest NATCEN British social attitudes survey shows that since the surveys first began 40 years ago, Brits have become much more liberal-minded. 

As of the most recent survey:

81% think it is all right for a couple to live together without being married, up from 64% in 1994.

67% think a sexual relationship between two people of the same sex is never wrong, compared with 17% in 1983.

Attitudes have improved towards women’s right to choose when it comes to abortion, single-parenthood, and having children outside of marriage.

It’s great to see that attitudes are shifting to become more accepting as time goes on!

However, the study also notes that attitudes have worsened towards transgender people.

The proportion of British people who describe themselves as “not prejudiced” towards trans people, fell from 82% to 64% over the period of the study.

So while progress has been made in some areas, others require increased attention from campaigners.

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

MindOut. An award winning LGBTQ community mental health service based in Brighton; run by LGBTQ people, for LGBTQ people. Learn more here.

Switchboard. They provide an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men and bisexual and trans people – and anyone considering issues around their sexuality and/or gender identity. Support them here.

LGBT Hero. LGBT HERO is the national health and wellbeing charity for LGBTQ+ people supporting over 100,000 people a month.  Find out more here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Reduced Inequalities.

Categories
Planet

Is this new palm oil alternative ‘the holy grail’?

It’s finally here – the eco-friendly palm oil alternative.

What’s the story?

Palm oil has been a hot topic in recent years. A natural preservative that is smooth, odourless, and tasteless, it is used in myriad cosmetic and food products. Its use is so prolific that it accounts for 40% of vegetable oil use in the world.

Unfortunately, it has also led to huge deforestation near the equator. Trees that produce this palm oil are decimated for mass production, leading to ecological decline and biodiversity loss.

So, tell me about the alternative.

A Scottish research team believe they may have produced what they are calling “the holy grail to replace palm oil”. PALM-ALT is created from a byproduct of the linseed industry, and contains 25% less fat and 88% less saturated fat – so is better for us, as well as the planet.

Plus, as it’s a byproduct of an already existing industry, it isn’t contributing to deforestation – all while helping produce the same delicious foods we’re used to.

PALM-ALT was developed by Dr Julien Lonchamp, Reader in Food Science, and Catriona Liddle, Head of the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation (SCFDI) at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

The Climate Coalition. This is the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action against climate change. Find out more and support them here.

Climate Reframe.  Climate Reframe is committed to supporting the climate and environment movement in its transformation towards greater justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). Find out more.

The Woodland Trust. This is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, concerned with the creation, protection, and restoration of native woodland heritage. Support them here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Climate Action.

Categories
Culture

Famous comedian to host Disability Sports Awards

Image: CC-BY-SA Heath Campanaro.

A children’s charity has announced this year’s Disability Sports Awards will be hosted by the comedian, Adam Hills MBE.

Tell me more!

Variety, the Children’s Charity, has announced that they will be hosting their Variety Club Disability Sports Awards on 30th October 2023.

These are the UK’s only annual disability sports awards, designed to celebrate the achievements of disabled UK athletes of all ages.

What are the categories?

There are nine categories, including a Champion for Change Award, an Unsung Hero Award, and the Sports Icon Award.

As a bonus, Britain’s best-known paralympian, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, will be presenting a tenth Special Achievement Award on the night.

Adam Hills MBE who also hosts The Last Leg on Channel 4, said: ​​”I am passionate about making the sporting world an inclusive place for everyone, and these awards are very important for recognising the achievements of people with disabilities. It’s fantastic to see such a step forward towards inclusivity.”

If you’re interested in buying tickets for the event, follow this link to the Variety website.

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

Sense. Sense helps thousands of people who have complex disabilities to communicate, experience the world and fulfil their potential. Learn more here.

Scope. Scope is the disability equality charity in England and Wales, providing practical information and emotional support when it’s most needed, campaigning to create a fairer society. Support them here.

Disability Rights UK. Disability Rights UK is the UK’s leading organisation led by, run by, and working for disabled people. Find out more.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Partnership for the Goals.

Categories
Culture

102-year-old abseils for charity

A 102-year-old WWII veteran has abseiled 280 feet for charity.

That’s incredible! What’s the story?

Former Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell was a Mosquito bomb pilot in the RAF during WWII. Now aged 102, on 14th September 2023, Colin took on the 280-foot abseil down the Royal London Hospital to raise money for charity.

In this daring challenge, Colin raised money for three separate charities; the Royal College of Nursing Foundation, the RAF Benevolent Fund and the London Air Ambulance.

He is also taking on a sponsored walk, visiting places significant to his wartime journey, in aid of the three charities.

What are the stats?

So far, Colin has raised over £7,000 for the London Air Ambulance, over £7,300 for the RAF Benevolent Fund, and more than £5,000 for the RCN Foundation. This brings his total up to an incredible £19,527.

If you would like to support Colin on his fundraising journey, you can donate to his RCN Foundation page here, his RAF Benevolent Fund page here, and his London Air Ambulance page here.

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

London’s Air Ambulance. This charity delivers medics to the scene of accidents all around London to provide life-saving surgery and transportation. Learn more here.

Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. For more than 100 years, the RAF Benevolent Fund has supported RAF family members, providing practical, emotional, and financial support. Support them here.

Royal College of Nursing Foundation. The RCN Foundation provides grants for hardship, education and research, to support and strengthen nursing and midwifery and to improve the health and wellbeing of the public. Find out more.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Partnership for the Goals.

Categories
Planet

This island is parcelling off its ocean – for its own protection

A small, Pacific Island nation has a new way to tackle ocean conservation.

Great! Tell me more.

The nation of Niue is a small one, surrounded by a vast, beautiful ocean – one they are determined to protect. The new idea is this: to protect their oceans, they will be selling it off.

Selling it off?!

In a sense, at least – sponsors will be able to pay $148 to protect one square kilometre of ocean from issues like illegal fishing and plastic waste. 

The protection lasts for 20 years, thanks to the funding provided by each ‘purchase’ – and they are hoping to raise $18 million this way, protecting the ocean around them.

Niue will get the ball rolling by buying 1,700 units – one for each of its citizens. 

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

Blue Marine Foundation. A charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health by addressing overfishing, one of the world’s biggest environmental problems. Support them here.

The Ocean Conservation Trust. A charity of Ocean optimists taking action to protect and restore nature for a thriving Ocean. Find out more here.

Marine Conservation Society. This charity is fighting for a cleaner, better protected, healthier ocean: one we can all enjoy. Learn more here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Climate Action.

Categories
Planet

JLS star invites children and teachers to online pet protection event

JLS star JB Gill is standing up for animal welfare.

Amazing! What’s the story?

JB Gill, a singer in boyband JLS, and now the vice-president of the RSPCA, is a huge supporter of animal welfare. With his support, eight animal welfare charities are coming together for a huge event this World Animal Day (October 4th) to help educate young people on animal welfare.

What’s the event about?

The event, called World Animal Day & Me, is organised by the Pet Education Partnership (PEP), which includes the RSPCA, USPCA, SSPCA, Dogs Trust, PDSA, Blue Cross, Cats Protection and Woodgreen charities.

The event is for Key Stage 2 children, aged between seven and 11, and is completely free to join online on October 4th. On behalf of the PEP, JB is calling on teachers, parents and guardians to join the event with their children, to help teach them about animal welfare.

For more information about World Animal Day & Me, or to sign up for the event visit this EventBrite link. 

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

RSPCA. This is the leading animal welfare charity in the UK, and they specialise in animal rescue & furthering the welfare cause for all animals. Find out more here.

Four Paws UK. This charity is an animal welfare organisation, working globally to help animals in need. Learn more here.

Wildlife Justice Commission. This international foundation works to end animal trafficking around the globe. Find out more here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Life on Land.

Categories
Planet

Meet the lawyers representing Mother Nature

Mother Nature has been taking a beating lately – it’s no secret. Luckily, there is a huge number of incredible people who are coming to bat for her, including those in the legal sector – which is where Lawyers for Nature comes in.

Rather than a law firm, Lawyers for Nature is a collection of lawyers with a common desire; to represent the needs of the planet.

“We set out from the word ‘go’ to buck all the trends and just be a law firm that works for and on behalf of the planet, Mother Earth, nature,” explains Brontie. Brontie Ansell is the Head of Research at Lawyers for Nature and helped to set it up, alongside Paul Powlesland. “We obviously get instructed by humans, but they’re people [whose] entire raison d’etre is to protect [the] planet, to mitigate climate change. It’s basically been our entire mission – to represent the natural world since day one. So that’s what we did.”

The origins of Lawyers for Nature lie in Head of Legal Paul Powlesland’s work advising and assisting campaigners who fought to protect street trees in Sheffield. Paul’s work helped to save 17.5 thousand street trees in Sheffield, one of his biggest cases on behalf of the planet.

Today, Lawyers for Nature is a group of barristers, solicitors, academics and law students from incredibly diverse backgrounds who all have one thing in common – a desire to protect the planet, using our legal system. They are a CIC, and much of their work is pro-bono as they work to make legal assistance easily available for those who put the planet first.

Though you might feel the term ‘environmental law’ applies here (anyone else love a procedural show?), as it turns out, a lot of environmental law seems help people hurt the planet, rather than protect it.

“[None of us] would call ourselves environmental lawyers,” explains Brontie who, along with her colleagues at Lawyers for Nature, calls herself a ‘Nature Lawyer’. “Because the law that we have, particularly in this country, that’s called Environmental Law is largely a permissive structure that allows polluters to either get away with things entirely or to get away with it with a small fine or a slap on the wrist. 

“Even if it started out being made with the best of intentions, it’s largely used by the companies that we need to stop. It’s a very permissive structure.”

So if it’s not environmental law, what is Lawyers for Nature about? 

Brontie was the legal brain behind the incredible milestone reached by Faith In Nature, a natural beauty brand that recently became the first business to officially appoint Nature to its Board of Directors – something that beautifully encompasses the mission of Lawyers for Nature.

“Nature on the Board is harnessing the power of the space that corporations occupy, to try and get corporations to recognise the rights of nature, and to start behaving as if nature has rights,” explains Brontie. “As opposed to using nature as an extractive resource, which is ridiculous and we can’t keep doing that. It’s about sort of changing mindsets at board level and thinking, ‘Well, if you need to take parts of nature, how do you regenerate nature? How do you regenerate biodiversity? How do you respect nature as a peer, as a citizen with litigation rights?

“It’s about introducing risk to the board and to the company in terms of nature as a stakeholder. It’s a very theoretical thing … and what I’m trying to do with my work is make it a reality for the corporate space because the corporate space has a lot of power – even sometimes more so than governments.”

Lawyers for Nature and the work that they do is about thinking outside the box, coming up with ways to protect nature and those who fight to protect it. Their entire focus represents a very real, and very necessary shift in thinking, asking the all-important question – why do humans come first?

“It’s about changing this mindset of humans first,” explains Brontie, giving the example of her work helping to give nature a stake in the game – literally. “Nature on the Board is about – what would it look like to be different? What would it look like to award constitutional rights to nature? What about if we just did it and started behaving as if nature has a seat on the board?”

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

Every Can Counts. This is a not-for-profit recycling programme, encouraging people to recycle more often, to protect our planet. Support them here.

Trees For Cities. They are working to plant more trees within large metropolitan areas, for the betterment of people and planet. Support them here.

Climate Reframe.  Climate Reframe is committed to supporting the climate and environment movement in its transformation towards greater justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). Find out more.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Climate Action.

Categories
Planet

Ocean advocate swims 315-mile river for clean water

Lewis Pugh, endurance swimmer and UN ocean advocate, just swam the length of the Hudson River.

Tell me more!

It took 30 days for Lewis, aged 53, to swim the 315 miles (that’s 507 kilometres) of the Hudson River, which stretches down from the Adirondack Mountains towards New York City.

For readers who aren’t fans of extreme sport, you might be wondering why someone would put themselves through such a challenge. But, for Lewis, it was all about highlighting the Hudson rather than his own journey – and showing how important it is to take care of our rivers.

What else?

The Hudson River is notorious for being polluted – though huge effort has been made in recent years to improve it, and it is much cleaner now. Still, there is much work to be done – which Lewis, who swam the river wearing just a Speedo, was determined to highlight.

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

The Canal & Rivers Trust. The Rivers Trust are conservation experts who work to create wild, healthy, natural rivers. Support them here.

The Ocean Conservation Trust. A charity of Ocean optimists taking action to protect and restore nature for a thriving Ocean. Find out more here.

Marine Conservation Society. This charity is fighting for a cleaner, better protected, healthier ocean: one we can all enjoy. Learn more here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Clean Water and Sanitation.