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Joanna Lumley speaks out in support of anolivebranch
 Joanna Lumley, UK heart throb and one of the nations favourite personalities has leant her support to anolivebranch this week. As the nation braces itself for Christmas in a difficult year Joanna said "anolivebranch.co.uk is a fantastic way to give something back to charity when you shop online without it costing you a penny more. At a time when people are being forced to tighten the purse strings and it’s becoming harder to find spare money to donate to charity"
The star of Absolutley Fabulous and The Avengers, who does an amazing amount of good work for UK Charities went on to say "Here is an exciting shopping website that allows you to choose from over 4 million products, at over 500 of the UK's leading stores, supporting brilliant causes like the RSPB and Compassion in World Farming without paying a penny more than you would on the high street. Join today"
Sir Ian Botham puts feet up after 140 mile walk raises £1m
After 140 miles on the knight shift, Sir Ian Botham put his feet up and toasted another £1 million on his crusade against childhood leukaemia. Sir Beefy’s 12th yomp for Leukaemia Research ended at Durham’s Riverside ground in Chester-le-Street, where he brought the curtain down on his sporting career 15 years ago.
Since then, he has been knighted for raising £12 million by walking 6,700 miles for his adopted charity and Botham, 53 next month, expects this year’s project to be the most lucrative yet. Sipping champagne after a tickertape welcome at the finish, he immediately announced plans for another walk in 2010 to mark the 25th anniversary of his first one from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 1985.
Sir Ian said: “There has been so much doom and gloom, and everyone has had a gutful of the credit crunch and City cowboys playing Russian roulette with our money, that you could feel the country rallying behind a positive cause. We had a pensioner in Milngavie who literally tipped the contents of her purse into one of our collection buckets, and another one came out of his front door to hand over a fistful of £20 notes”
“Instead of showing solidarity with grieving parents who have lost their children to leukaemia, we are meeting people whose kids have been saved by medical advances in the last 30 years. Where the odds were stacked against kids surviving the ordeal when we did the first walk 23 years ago, they are now weighed heavily in favour of the patient, not the illness. People can now see the results for themselves.”
Runners go ape in Great Gorilla Run for charity
 Hundreds of people donned gorilla outfits for a charity race to raise money for endangered animals. Bill Oddie, the conservationist and television presenter, fired the starting pistol for the sixth annual 7km Great Gorilla Run at Tower Bridge in London.
About 750 runners took part, setting a world record for the largest-ever gathering of people wearing gorilla costumes. The event was staged by The Gorilla Organisation, a charity which protects the endangered apes in central African rainforests.
Jillian Miller, the charity director, said: "The event has got better every year and the atmosphere among the runners and spectators is incredible. We hope to raise £200,000." Mr Oddie, presenter of the BBC's Springwatch, said: "It is great that people are prepared to put so much effort into something so worthy, while maintaining such good humour."
Race winner James Burton, 25, an account manager from Balham, south London, said: "I run regularly but it was much harder wearing the hot and heavy gorilla costume."
Animal charity launches social network for pet lovers
 The Blue Cross has launched a social networking site for pet lovers, called All About Pets, which aims to challenge generic sites like MySpace when it officially launches today.
Billed as the "Facebook for pet lovers", Allaboutpets.org.uk has been developed by the charity to give pet lovers around the world a new way to communicate and share experiences or advice about their pets. All About Pets is being promoted on and offline by digital PR agency Hot Cherry. The campaign includes a viral that allows users to send personalised talking pets to their friends via the site.
Built by digital agency DVA, the site hopes to fill a gap in the market created by sites like Facebook and has already proved popular since its beta launch in March, having wracked up 450,000 unique visits from 142 countries and more than 6,869 members signed to date.
Laura Dobson, spokesperson for All About Pets, said: "With millions of members, sites like Facebook seem set on becoming all things to all people. What sets All About Pets apart is its dedication to pet lovers. The site offers a huge amount of information on all aspects of pet care and every function is easy to access and highly relevant. We know pet owners love talking about their pets so we've created a fun place for them to come together online and share their own experiences and advice."
Dobson said: "As one of the UK's oldest animal charities, The Blue Cross has a wealth of experience in pet care. But we also recognise that there are many pet owners out there with their own unique experiences to share."
Thief steals Prince Harry's phone during charity trip
 When a thief saw the opportunity to steal a mobile phone in a dark nightclub in a small African town, little could he have known whose pocket it was that he was picking. For his unwitting victim turned out to be none other than Prince Harry on a charity trip to the tiny African kingdom of Lesotho. The Prince’s mobile phone was stolen while he was out clubbing a couple of hours' drive north from the country's capital Maseru.
‘Harry was at a nightclub in a town called Butha Buthe when the thug stole his phone and ran away with it,’ a source from the Lesotho Defence Force said.
'When we eventually found the culprit it took quite some time to explain to him that he had stolen from the prince. To him Prince Harry was just one of those white guys.' The prince decided not to press charges and was said to be relieved that his contacts list had not gone astray. ‘The prince was quite happy to have his phone recovered but he requested that the matter not be reported to the police,’ said the source.
Along with 26 comrades from the Household Cavalry, he is in the southern African country for the next three weeks. One third of the 1.8million population is infected with HIV or Aids, and 40 per cent of children are orphans. The prince has been a frequent visitor to Lesotho, spending two months working here during his gap year between school and university, and made a television documentary about the plight of the country's children in 2004.
Samanda to release charity single
 Big Brother 8 runners-up Sam and Amanda Marchant are to release a charity single. The twins have joined forces with Sugar Puffs mascot The Honey Monster to record a song called 'Honey Love' for the Variety Club Children’s Charity, reports Heat.
The 19-year-olds released their cover of Aqua hit 'Barbie Girl' last October, entering the UK chart at number 26. Series winner Brian Belo was recently reported to be releasing a track called 'Essex Boy', while fellow housemate Chanelle Hayes reached number 63 with her debut single 'I Want It' earlier this year.
Silverstone 60 year celebration raises £5,500 for charity
 To mark the 60th anniversary of Silverstone at this year's British Grand Prix, the circuit teamed up with global apparel manufacturer Alpinestars to design a celebratory T-shirt and to help raise funds for Make-A-Wish Foundation UK. The T-shirt was modelled by Make-A-Wish patron and Honda Racing F1 team driver, Jenson Button, and Sky Sports Italia co-host and presenter, Tamara Ecclestone.
The exclusive T-shirt was then whisked away to be signed by all the current Formula 1 drivers and a number of F1 personalities at the 2008 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX. The signed t-shirt was then presented to Make-A-Wish for auction at the charity's annual Summer Ball which took place at Blenheim Palace and raised an amazing £5,500.
Neil Jones, CEO of Make-A-Wish, said, "We are extremely grateful to Silverstone and the Honda Racing F1 Team for choosing Make-A-Wish to benefit from this unique opportunity. The money raised from the auction of the t-shirt will help grant a magical wish for a very deserving child living with a life-threatening illness."
Application to demolish St Paul's Cathedral
 An aid agency has lodged an application to demolish St Paul's Cathedral in protest at plans by a British firm to mine a mountain in India. ActionAid put in the application to the City of London requesting the "total demolition" of the London landmark.
The move aims to raise awareness of plans by Vedanta Resources PLC to mine bauxite from the Niyamgiri mountain. The mountain in eastern India is sacred to the Kondh tribe, who believe it is home to the god Niyam Raja. ActionAid believes open-cast mining at the site in the state of Orissa will destroy local eco-systems, cause deforestation and adversely affect water sources.
Campaigner Brendan O'Donnell said: "Just as Londoners wouldn't tolerate the demolition of their Cathedral to make a quick buck, so the Kondh people won't allow their treasured mountain and forests to be destroyed.Vedanta's investors should be appalled that their money is backing the desecration of a sacred Indian site and the destruction of forests on which people rely for food, clean water and a living."
Coronation Street star adds Fiz to mental health charity
 A CORONATION Street star has accepted a grand donation for a charity close to her heart. Jennie McAlpine, who plays whacky Weatherfield factory girl Fiz, proudly accepted £1000 towards a mental health charity, Mood Swings. The Manchester-based charity was set up ten years ago to support people whose lives are affected by a mood disorder.
Cash was presented from the duchy of Lancaster Fund in recognition of the thousands of people the charity has helped over the years. Fresh from filming a DVD special down in South Africa, the-24-year old, wearing a polka dot dress, was proud to accept the cheque from the Lord Lieutenant of Manchester. She won the role of Fiz, the rebellious foster daughter of Roy and Haley Cropper, in 2001. Before then she appeared in Emmerdale and also won a stand-up comedy competition on Channel Four television programme, The Big Breakfast.
The Mood Swings Network operates a helpline for people suffering from mood disorders from Monday to Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm. Calls are answered by trained volunteers who will provide advice, information and support to people in a friendly and professional way. All calls to 0845 123 60 50 are charged at the local rate.
Cycle Morocco
Fancy a truly unforgettable Moroccan adventure? Spinal Research are offering a unique chance to cycle from the Tichka Pass, through the stunning Atlas Mountains to the desert city of Zagora and help transform the lives of paralysed people.  Taking place from 12th-17th May 2009, on day one you'll fly into Marrakech, then transfer to the Tichka Pass the next morning for a briefing before beginning your challenge. There will be three days of cycling in total, covering approximately 260k, but it's not all hard work! After your arrival in Zagora, you'll celebrate with a gala dinner and the next day transfer back to Marrakech where you'll be free to explore this amazing city with its souks and stunning snow-capped peaks, or simply take some time to relax. This is a fantastic opportunity to experience the varying beauty of this country, from mountains to desert, and to experience some traditional Moroccan cuisine while helping Spinal Research to continue developing treatments to help paralysed people. REGISTER TODAY! Registration for this exceptional challenge is just £199 and you will need to raise a minimum sponsorship for the charity. For your FREE information pack (including a detailed itinerary) about this incredible challenge, contact Spinal Research on 01483 891 975 or email them at events@spinal-research.org
To Kilimanjaro and back The final planning stages for an amazing trek to Kilimanjaro in February are now well underway. A 35 strong VSO team will aim to complete an amazing expedition to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.At 5,895m, Mt. Kilimanjaro is one of the largest volcanoes ever to break through the Earth's crust. The trek starts in the rainforests of Lemosho Glades and heads upwards as the team acclimatise on Shira Plateau. From here they will catch a glimpse of their goal Kibo, Kilimanjaro's main ice-capped peak. With 1,000m of ascent and over 2,000m of descent, it provides a tough challenge for even the most ardent climber!Fundraiser Andy Sumpter, who is hoping to raise over £5500 for the Lea Toto programme in Nairobi said "I am very excited about the Kilimanjaro challenge and am thrilled to be able to support the work done by volunteers in The Gambia, and help to fund the great work that they do to. As well as sending money, food and clothes I am looking forward to making a difference in person to one of the poorest regions of the world."The Lea Toto programme in Nairobi was founded in 1992 to provide a home for HIV positive abandoned orphans. Unable to cope with the increasing number of referrals to the Orphanage, the Lea Toto (meaning to 'raise a child' in Swahili) programme started initially as a mobile outreach to HIV positive children within slum communities in Nairobi. Eight years on and the programme is now in touch with over 3000 HIV positive children and families, providing support, care and treatment. Please help Andy hit his fundraising target for this fantastic cause today http://www.justgiving.com/andysumpter |
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