Charity

If you’re already finding your New Year’s resolutions a bit of struggle, Northampton-based charity the MND Association could provide you with all the inspiration you need. The MND Association, which is based on Moulton Park, is the biggest charity funder of MND research in the UK and relies on donations, as well as the efforts of its incredible fundraisers, to create a wave of support for people living with motor neurone disease (MND) and their families. This January, the Association is encouraging people to get involved in way they can – whether it’s by taking part in a run, testing their nerve with a skydive or by organising a quiz night with colleagues, family or friends. Every penny raised will allow the Association to reach many more people affected by MND – a neurological condition which affects up to 5,000 people in the UK at any one time. The MND..

Over 1,300 presents have been donated to the NLive Radio Christmas Present appeal 2024, demonstrating the kindness, love, and support their listeners and the public of Northampton have for those in need this Christmas. This is the third year Northampton’s local radio station NLive Radio has run the appeal, and the amount received has increased this year by over 20% and the presents worth an estimated £6,500 pounds have been distributed to the four partner local charities to go to those in need. Station Manager Martin Steers said, “I’m blown away by the generosity of Northampton, and am thankful to all those who have donated to this year’s appeal, I also want to thank all our donation locations, and our sponsor The Duston School without which our appeal wouldn’t be possible”. The four charities to receive the presents are Baby Basics Northampton, the Doddridge Centre, the Spring Charity, and the..

Runners with links to an award-winning Northampton optometrists will raise money for two sight charities when they take part in the London Marathon. Amar Dave, a dispensing optician at TK&S Optometrists in Kingsley Road, Northampton, will be attempting his first full marathon while raising funds for VICTA - a national charity that provides support to children and young adults up to the age of 29 who are blind or partially sighted and their families. Teenager Josh Funnell, whose father Richard is TK&S’s accountant, will also be running his first non-stop marathon in aid of Guide Dogs. His family look after Dennis, a three-year-old guide dog stud who has already sired two litters of pups who will go on to be working dogs. Both runners need to raise a minimum of £2,000 each to secure their place in the race and are appealing for donations to help reach their targets. Amar..

An award-winning Northampton restaurant will ensure nobody goes hungry on Christmas Day by offering complimentary takeaways to the homeless community. Saffron, In Castilian Street, will be handing out a hot meal and a soft drink to those living on the streets between 2pm and 3pm on Christmas Day. Saffron owner Naz Islam said: “Supporting the most vulnerable members of our society is a key priority for all of us over the festive period and providing a hot meal for those who find themselves without a roof over their heads on Christmas Day is the least we could do. “Christmas is a time where we enjoy spending time with our loved ones but not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to do that. We want to ensure those people don’t get forgotten about and that they are looked after.” Earlier this year, Naz was awarded the Freedom of the City..

People in need of help with their gift wrapping this festive season are invited to come along to The Lewis Foundation Outlet Store in the Grosvenor, Northampton in December. For a donation of £2 for small/medium and £4 for large/extra-large items, customers can have their gifts expertly wrapped while they shop, with all proceeds going straight back to The Lewis Foundation, a charity that hand-delivers 2,000 gift packs every month to adult cancer patients.  The Grosvenor is also undertaking a gift drive on behalf of The Lewis Foundation, where shopping centre customers will be able to donate items from the charity’s wish list, all of which will make their way into gift packs for cancer patients in hospital. Lorraine Lewis, co-founder and CEO of The Lewis Foundation, said: “We’re so thankful to the Grosvenor for including us in their charitable festive activities. Hosting the gift-wrapping station will allow us to offer..

A look at how the Animals in Need charity marks Christmas - and how you can help them to celebrate... Depending when you are reading this, advent is either fast approaching, or upon us, writes Sammy Jones... You can't visit a store without being screamed at about December 25, and how you need to be ready for it, but it's also a source of anxiety for many. With the cost of everything rising (but not being mirrored by salaries), times are tough. And if you are feeling it in your pockets, you are less likely to be donating elsewhere, right? Charities like Animals in Need, Little Irchester's haven for unwanted animals, bear the brunt. As regular readers will already know, every day is a struggle to feed the 100s of mouths in their care – from hogs who have had close shaves with vehicles, to dogs who have only ever..

Donations to The Core at Corby Cube’s annual Make a Memory campaign can be doubled for one week only, thanks to the Big Give. The Corby theatre are taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise £5000 between Tue 3 – Tue 10 December; the funds will enable children and their families to attend this year’s family pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk who wouldn’t otherwise be able to and make memories that will last a lifetime. Donations to Make A Memory via the Big Give website during Giving Week will be generously matched by Northamptonshire Community Foundation and The Reed Foundation during the campaign, meaning your money can support twice as many children this Christmas and throughout 2025. Since 2018, Make a Memory has spread festive cheer to over 400 children and their families, making it possible for them to attend a Christmas event at The Core at..

The matron at Cynthia Spencer Hospice has marked a year at the helm by thanking her dedicated team for their passion and commitment. Laura Marlton was ward sister at Cynthia Spencer Hospice before she was promoted to matron in 2023. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to lead the committed clinical team at the hospice, who all have the same devotion for delivering a first-class service for palliative patients and their families. Laura said: “The dedication the hospice staff have for our patients and for each other is something you just don’t see anywhere else. “People say they are listened to and understood here. We make it our priority to give people time to talk freely, to scream and shout or do whatever they need to do at this difficult time.” “All the staff here are here because they love their job. They have a passion for what they do...

An IT consultancy based in Wellingborough is calling on local children’s charities to put themselves forward to be considered as its charity of the year for 2025. 3RS IT Solutions is keen to continue its fundraising efforts for a second consecutive year to help provide support to a charity in need. With three young children of their own, company directors at 3RS Leila and Steve Souch, are committed to finding a children’s charity as its new charity of the year: “Our son Reuben is living with autism and he is the inspiration behind all the fundraising that we do,” said Leila Souch, marketing director. “That’s why we are keen to continue our fundraising efforts by supporting a charity in Northamptonshire throughout 2025 – in particular, one that helps children who are dealing with life-limiting illnesses. “We are well aware that there are charities working in the community who are currently struggling..

The Lewis Foundation’s second annual Gala Ball has been a resounding success, raising £13,490 for the charity. Held on the 9th November at the beautiful Fawsley Hall Hotel and Spa, the event brought together over 100 guests, including supporters, local dignitaries and community leaders, all united in their support for The Lewis Foundation. Money raised will fund 3,737 gift bags for cancer patients. The record-breaking sum raised by sponsors and supporters on the night, will fund the charity’s ongoing mission to provide free gift packs to cancer patients in over 17 hospitals across the region. These thoughtfully curated packs, which include comfort items, entertainment and essential care products, offer patients a reminder that they are not alone in their journey. Guests were treated to a spectacular evening, featuring a gourmet dinner, live entertainment from VV Brown, a raffle and an auction with prizes generously donated by local businesses and supporters...

Thousands of people are expected to attend a Christmas Craft and Gift Market organised to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and The Air Ambulance Service. The event, at Wicksteed Park, this Saturday and Sunday, is the brainchild of Miranda Hetzel, her family and the team at Ivy Cottage Events. Her husband Andy Simms suffered a heart attack whilst taking part in a parkrun at the park in 2018 and died seven weeks later. Miranda and her family have used the annual event to raise £22,000 for the British Heart Foundation and The Air Ambulance Service in Andy’s memory. Miranda also invites up to eight other local charities to set up tables for free at the event, so they can raise money for their good causes too. More than 75 stalls selling Christmas crafts, gifts and artisan food will be on offer in the park’s Pavilion from 10:30am -..

Since May 2024 Amy Crawfurd JP, High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, has raised £4,151.70 to support local grant-making charity Northamptonshire Community Foundation in its work to improve the lives of the county’s most vulnerable residents.   In May, Amy undertook five 10km treks across Northamptonshire alongside Northamptonshire Community Foundation Chief Executive Rachel McGrath and raised £2,750 for the High Sheriff’s Initiative Fund. The fund is managed by the foundation and awards grants to local charities and community organisations working to reduce levels of crime and anti-social behaviour across the county. This month, the High Sheriff hosted the Northamptonshire Courts Service at All Saints Church, Northampton, at which donations made by attendees raised £1,401.70 for the same fund, bringing the total raised this year to £4,151.70. Rachel McGrath, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: “We are incredibly thankful to the High Sheriff. The funds that Amy has raised will make a huge..

The daughter of a lifelong cyclist who spent his final two days at Cynthia Spencer Hospice has praised the “absolutely fantastic” care he received as part of the hospice’s Two Sides to Every Story campaign. The campaign, which ran earlier in October to mark Hospice Care Week, highlights the importance of palliative care and the dedication of hospice staff by telling stories from both families who have experienced the hospice and the incredible staff who work there. Holly Shannon’s father Simon Bown was diagnosed with cancer in January and died just a few weeks later on 23rd March 2024. The hospice not only found him a bed at short notice when needed but cared for the whole family’s needs at a difficult time. Holly, 50, her sister and her mother were all housed overnight in her father’s final hours so they could be close by when Simon passed. She said: “We lost Dad in a..

A collection of images taken by a local photographer have been used to highlight the impact of a Northamptonshire hospice. Nick Freeman, of Nick Freeman Photography, was originally commissioned by Cransley Hospice Trust to take photographs of the team for a new website earlier this year. However, when the Cransley Hospice team were thinking of ways to mark Hospice Care Week in October, they realised they could use the striking images to highlight the different emotions felt by staff who worked at or for the hospice. Speaking at the official opening of the ‘Because Every Moment Matters’ photography exhibition, Jenine Rees, marketing manager at Cransley Hospice Trust, said: “Events like this are so important for raising awareness of the hospice and what it does. There are so many good causes all doing great things and we needed to do something different to break through the noise. “We used Nick’s images in colour on..

Next month, Northamptonshire Community Foundation will celebrate more than 40 Northamptonshire-based charities, community organisations, volunteer-led groups and individuals at their Annual Awards event, taking place at the Royal Theatre. Each year, the foundation hosts their Annual Awards to recognise the vital work carried out by the local organisations they fund. In 2024, the award categories include: Building Better Communities, Celebrating Culture and Heritage, Excellence in Education, Happy and Healthy Communities, Tackling Inequalities and the High Sherrif’s Initiative Fund. Awards for individuals who have made real, positive changes in their communities will also be presented, these include: The Avon Inspirational Woman Award, The Lady Juliet Townsend Award for Volunteering and the recently launched David Laing CBE Young People Poetry Award. Rachel McGrath, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: “Our Annual Awards event is a keynote event in our calendar and an opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the vital..