Charitable Causes
Both as an author and in my own personal life, I support a number of charities whose causes I feel very passionately about. In case you're ever wondering about some of the charities I've mentioned in my interviews, I've created a comprehensive list here, along with links to more information and ways you can help them with their wonderful work.
Enjoy!
SOS Children's Villages
I have been an active supporter of SOS Children's Villages since 2010, when I started sponsoring a child with this wonderful charity. Click the link below to find out more about their amazing work and how they help to save children all over the world.​
"Violence, poverty and crime threaten the well-being of vulnerable Mexican families and children. SOS Children’s Villages supports these families so that they can stay together and also provides care for children and young people who have lost parental care. Most recently, in September 2017 two earthquakes caused further suffering as thousands of homes and livelihoods were destroyed, SOS Children’s Villages provided immediate assistance."
...about how you could change a child's life today.
SOS Children's Villages - Ukraine
Who hasn't been moved by the heartbreaking stories coming out of Ukraine? I strongly and wholeheartedly support the people of Ukraine at this terrible time, and there's no better way of showing your love for them than supporting charities such as the SOS Children's Village in Ukraine. This wonderful charity provides a loving home, support and specialized assistance for children who have lost their parents- and I have a very unpleasant feeling that this charity will be seeing a whole lot more of those children the longer this terrible conflict continues to rage. There are two SOS Children's Villages in Ukraine- one in Kyiv, and one in Luhansk. God bless them both for the incredible work they are doing.​
"Since the conflict started in eastern Ukraine in 2014, over 14,000 lives have been lost and over one million people have been internally displaced. The lives of hundreds of thousands of children and families throughout the country have already been severely disrupted. The most recent military action threatens the entire country, and our activities are already changing to provide specialised assistance in this emergency situation. We anticipate that more families and more children will need our support. SOS Children`s Villages is carefully monitoring the situation, has emergency plans in place and is committed to continue to provide support."
Find out more about the SOS Children's Village in...
Find out more about the SOS Children's Village in...
Children International - Mexico
Children International are committed to helping Mexican street children to escape poverty. I have friends who have worked for this wonderful charity, and the difference they make for these kids is truly amazing.
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"Our community centers act as safe havens in dangerous neighborhoods where children will find books, computers and toys to keep them learning, entertained and off the streets. The centers also serve as hubs for our programs and activities like Sport for Development, Social and Financial Education, and more. With your help, we can end generational poverty for good in Mexico."
...about this wonderful charity and how you can support them.
Paws for Support
Paws for Support are a charity based in The Bailiwick of Guernsey, where I live. They are particularly close to my heart because they trained my lovely assistance dog Zorro and are now training my new girl, Lily. Paws for Support don't only train assistance dogs- they also train therapy dogs to visit schools, nursing homes, libraries and more. These dogs bring so much joy to people, and allow disabled people like me to get our independence back.
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"These dogs will be used in a wide variety of situations from schools and young people to visiting the elderly in care homes. The dogs help bring happiness to people’s lives, and assist in teaching respect, kindness, love, responsibility, friendship and trust. This is achieved by using our Paws for Support dogs as educational and therapeutic aids and assistance."
...about this wonderful charity and how you can support them.
...and what an awesome assistance dog he was during his short life.
Ehlers-Danlos Support UK
I have a rare genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a disorder affecting the collagen in my body. Collagen is the body's connective tissue between bones, joints, organs and other tissues which keeps everything in place- think of it like the mortar holding the bricks together in a house. People with EDS have faulty collagen, which leads to a whole range of symptoms which often present differently for each patient.
Mine mainly affects my heart, joints and mobility. I also have very fragile, translucent skin which breaks and bruises easily and takes a long time to heal. EDS is incurable, but with the help of charities such as Ehlers-Danlos Support UK, we are finding more and more ways to learn to live with it.
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"The Ehlers-Danlos Support UK (EDS UK) was set up in 1987 to support, advise and inform those living with the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. Over 30 years later, we are the largest UK charity that exclusively represents and supports people with all types of EDS. We work to minimise the impact of EDS by making its diagnosis, treatment and management accessible to everyone when they need it. We provide support through local physical and virtual support groups led by trained volunteers and via our freephone helpline. We maintain a website, issue regular newsletters, and publish materials to inform the EDS community, those with a specialist interest in the condition, and the wider public. We engage with members of local and national public policy communities to enhance their knowledge of EDS and stimulate actions beneficial to the EDS community. Guided by our specialist Medical Advisory Panel, we work to fund appropriate, targeted and timely research projects. We are a charity and rely on fundraising and donations to continue our work. Your support is greatly appreciated and is essential to ensure we can continue to make our invisible, visible."
...about this wonderful charity and how you can support them.