Get together, lift lives

Oxfam newsletter • 2014 New Year Edition
Photo: Adam Hinton
IN THIS ISSUE:
>Mother Appeal
e
>Live Below the Lin hilippines
eP
>Fundraising for th es
liv
>Ask your MP to lift
Get
together,
lift lives
Hold an event and help mothers
worldwide to lift lives for good
from the editor
Welcome to the New Year Edition
of SCOOP! SCOOP will now be
quarterly, featuring all the
news from across the UK.
contents
At the end of last year Typhoon Haiyan hit
the Philippines, affecting nearly 15 million.
You acted fast to help Oxfam provide lifesaving aid, raising £30,000 in 30 days! This
issue celebrates your stories which have
enabled Oxfam to reach over 500,000.
04 LIFT LIVES FOR GOOD There has also been success in the ‘Behind
the Brands’ Campaign. This issue launches
the Live below the Line challenge for 2014
and there’s exciting news about Oxfam’s
partnership with Cirque du Soleil.
09 LIVE BELOW THE LINE
The Oxfam Mother Appeal has now
launched: To help mothers to lift lives
for good. Now is great time to ‘Get crafty’,
Get Sporty’…’Get started’
with your
fundraising.
Happy New Year to you all.
06 GET TOGETHER
08 CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
10 OXFAM RUNNING
11 SYRIA CRISIS APPEAL
12 CAMPAIGNING
13 LOCAL NEWS - MIDLANDS
16 LOCAL NEWS - NORTH
20 LOCAL NEWS - SOUTH WEST
24 LOCAL NEWS - SOUTH EAST
Hannah Davies
Scoop editor
26 DIARY
syria crisis appeal
stop this tragedy
More than 2.4 million refugees have now
fled violence in Syria and are in desperate
need of shelter, food and water. Over half
of them are children.
Donate the appeal:
www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/content/syria-appeal
Please Take Action.
Oxfam’s Farah Al-basha updates
us on the situation in Za’atari
refugee camp, Jordan.
2
Interested in fundraising for the appeal –
Get in touch
Click
to play
video
Oxfam’s Pink Phones project
in Cambodia involves the
distribution of mobile phones to
women in rural communities.
Photo: Adam Hinton
Oxfam’s Pink Phones
Project
The phones enable them to gain access
to vital farming information such as
market prices for their crops and weather
information that helps them plan when to
harvest. This information is then shared by
the women who own the phones with the
rest of their community, thus benefitting
many more families. The phones are also
enabling women to call doctors for medical
treatment, and report emergencies and
cases of abuse and violence.
Som Phalla is one of 3 beneficiaries
to receive a Pink mobile phone in her
community. Oxfam sends vital information
about weather patterns and market prices to
Som Phalla on her phone which help her sell
her crops for more competitive prices and
harvest before her produce is destroyed.
She has gained lots of benefits from the
project, saving lots of money and time.
After several years of having to walk miles
to the doctor, she can now call him when
her child is not well.
“Since my child was small he has always
been sick. My son has trouble with his
lungs and gets flu very easily. I frequently
use the phone to call the doctor when my
son is sick. During the daytime I can call the
doctor and he quickly comes to my house.”
Som Phalla is responsible for sharing
information with the rest of her
community so that more families can
benefit from the project.
“If other people’s children are sick they come
to me and ask if I can call the doctor so that
he can bring medicine. I feel very happy
because I am able to help my neighbors.”
The pink colour of the mobile phones,
chosen by the women themselves, stands
out clearly to communities as phones given
to women leaders and therefore deters men
from using them.
Oxfam’s Digital Vision: At Oxfam, we believe
that digital technologies provide us with a
huge opportunity to amplify and improve
the effectiveness of our work - with our
supporters, with our partners and directly
with poor communities. Our vision is to use
digital technologies to amplify the voices
of the poor, to create change and to enable
our supporters to play a role in that change.
Check out this blog on the Pink Phone
project: http://oxf.am/o6y
3
LIFT LIVES FOR GOOD
Tackling inequality and
climate change
But right now, two major injustices –
inequality and climate change – are
threatening to stop this chain reaction and
undermine the efforts of millions of people
trying to escape poverty and hunger.
A world where people feel empowered to
improve their own lives, so they can in turn
help others in their communities, setting
in motion a chain reaction of change. A
world where this change spreads and lasts,
through political solutions that tackle
the root causes of poverty and create
societies where empowered individuals
can thrive.
How can your MP help tackle these two
challenges?
Oxfam’s vision is of a just
world without poverty.
We call this lifting lives for good.
4
We need you to talk to your MP about
something big. The gap between rich and
poor is growing. To make matters worse,
climate change is hitting the world’s
poorest communities hardest. The next
government needs to show how it’s going
to rise to these big challenges and lift lives
for good.
The richest 1% of people hold more than
46% of the world’s wealth. The poorest
90% of people have just 14%. It’s a huge
injustice. And, with our climate becoming
increasingly unpredictable, inequality will
only get worse. More and more families will
lose their homes and livelihoods.
Over the past few decades, we’ve seen
people like you make brilliant change
happen every day. But the combined
impact of climate change and inequality is
threatening all that amazing progress.
Our MPs have the power to tackle these
challenges and lift lives for good. It’s time
they stepped up.
Please email your MP and find out how
they’re planning to tackle inequality and
climate change. www.oxfam.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign-with-us/find-anaction/lift-lives-for-good
5
Get together,
lift twice as
many lives
Hold an event and help
mothers worldwide to
lift lives for good
Mothers are some of the world’s
most powerful people. They feed
us, teach us and protect us. Most
of all, they love us, unconditionally.
We know that mothers everywhere want
the best for their children. But when every
day is a struggle to feed their families, it
takes almost superhuman strength to
succeed. And yet, the world’s poorest
mothers never give up.
Sandra Grafton raised a fantastic £485 by
holding a bring and buy cake sale at her
home. She said “It was wonderful to catch
up while supporting women in other parts
of the world. Everyone was so generous...
it made it all worthwhile”.
Help mothers lift lives for good
This year, you could do something
incredible, something that will be able to
lift the lives of women forever. We know
that when we lift a mother, she will not only
lift herself, she will lift her family and her
community. Generation after generation,
for good.
By getting together with friends, family and
work colleagues for Oxfam’s Mother Appeal,
you will help give mothers worldwide the
lift they need to change the future, forever.
Last year, thousands of Oxfam supporters
got together to hold fundraising events
your aising
fundr ed*
l g place
doueb
in
n t s t ak
F or e v 1s t M ar c h
3
be f or e
Oxfam’s Birmingham Fundraising Group
- Oxfam’s Birmingham Fundraising Group
held a fun packed family friendly climbing
wall takeover raising a poverty busting
£450 through climbing cake sales and
face painting.
6
Photo: Rachel Corner
Your get together
raises loads of money
is doubled by the government
lifts twice as many lives
Effinesi Bilita
Malawi. Determined mother and farmer extraordinaire.
Effinesi escaped an abusive husband
and is now the sole carer for her children.
When Oxfam supporters gave her seeds,
tools and training, she found an escape
route out of poverty, too.
THE DIFFERENCE YOU’RE MAKING
£17 could run a group to help 25 mothers
learn more about their rights in Nepal.
£31 could provide seeds and tools to
help a mother change her family’s future
in Malawi.
£57 could give six mothers a mobile
phone so they can get a fair price for their
crop in Cambodia.
From extreme tea-partying to a world food
get together at work, you can do whatever
you love to do with your friends, family or
colleagues.
Whether you’re crafty or sporty, want to
get fit or have a slice of cake and a cuppa
with friends, there are hundreds of ways
you can get involved and help mothers
around the world to change their future.
Keep it simple or think really big – whatever
you do, make sure it’s something you love.
for Oxfam’s Mother Appeal will be doubled
– if you pay your fundraising in by 31 May
2014, the UK Government will match it.
This means you can have an even bigger
impact and lift twice as many lives, forever.
Get together and help mothers lift lives for
good. For more information, visit
www.oxfam.org.uk/gettogether
Lift Twice as Many Lives
And the best bit? The UK Government
have agreed to match the money we raise,
pound for pound*. Every penny you raise
7
*The UK government will match the value of everything you donate for the Mother Appeal, doubling the difference you’re making. Matched funding is up to
a maximum total value raised of £5 million. It covers fundraising events taking place between 31 December and 31 March 2014 and money paid in by 31 May 2014.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil Book
now for a night to
remember
Oxfam is delighted to have been
chosen as a benefit partner
for selected Cirque du Soleil
performances of ‘Quidam’
at the Royal Albert Hall this
January and February.
Quidam is a dazzling show of astonishing
acrobatics, awe-inspiring aerial acts,
unique lighting and an elaborate set
design. Discover an acrobatic show where
hope and beauty come to life!
Click on your preferred date below and
choose the Oxfam option when booking,
then proceeds from your ticket sales will
help people around the world overcome
poverty and suffering.
04/02/2014
20:00
Tickets start from just £31.50 and all of
your ticket price less booking fee and
commission will go to Oxfam.
or
Book now f
a night to
remember
8
Live below the Line
Live below the Line for
just 5 days ... and Lift
Lives for Good
In 2013, together with over 500 of you
across the UK you signed up for the
Live below the Line challenge and
raised over £60,000 for Oxfam’s work!
This money is vital to ending extreme
poverty and to making people healthier,
more educated and more equal.
Your action and your commitment has
made this possible for people like Susana –
Thank You.
However 1.2 billion people still live on the
UK equivalent of £1 a day for all their needs
– food, clean water, shelter, education,
health – everything. So we’re asking you to
join the Oxfam team in living on £1 of food
and drink a day, for 5 days to help lift more
people like Susana.
Oxfam will support you every step of the
way - you’ll be given all the tips, recipes and
shopping advice to complete the challenge.
With the right planning – it is possible!
Registering for the Live below the Line
challenge is simple. Contact us today at
[email protected]
or
0300 200 1300.
9
oxfam running
Fight Poverty with
every Mile!
This spring the Oxfam running team
will be supporting more than 250
wonderful runners as they take
part in the Virgin Money London
Marathon, Brighton Marathon and
Reading and Bath Half marathons
to name a few of the races taking
place around the country.
Together these determined and hard
working Oxfam supporters aim to raise
a whopping £253,000. This money will
be used to lift lives of people in poverty
around the world. All the runners
appreciate the cheering and support they
receive as they race to the finish, as Vicky
who ran the London Marathon in 2013 said
“your support was amazing, my husband
10
and sister planted themselves in all your
cheering points and your cheering was
amazing to really pull me through ” Being
a volunteer at a race day has a greater
impact than you think, not only do you
boost the morale of the Oxfam runners
but that means they have an even better
experience on the day and go on to raise
more to support the work that we do. Your
time really can change lives!
If you have some time to give consider
being a race day volunteer at Reading
or Bath Marathon on Sunday 2 March,
Brighton Marathon on Sunday 6 April or
help us at one of the biggest events
of the sporting calendar, the Virgin
Money London Marathon on Sunday 13
April. Contact the events team for more
information [email protected]
or
call Sarah Taylor on 0300 200 1244.
syria crisis appeal
Postcards for a
Peaceful Future
In March, we will witness the three
year anniversary of the unresolved
Syrian conflict. In January there
are two important meetings
that will impact significantly
on the lives of Syria people.
The first is a donor conference in Kuwait,
where world leaders will pledge financial
support to help Syrians. The second is a
peace conference in Geneva where parties
to the conflict will begin to negotiate ways
to end the conflict. The UK has a role to
play in both.
Updated figures from the UN are due to be
released. Although currently meeting our
‘fair share’ of funds, the UK must continue
to do so when these new figures come out.
We must also do all in our power to call
for a cease-fire and to advocate for nonmilitary voices, including women, to be
represented in peace talks.
We would like to ask you to help us send
a message to MPs reminding them of the
conflict affecting millions of Syrians. In
January, we will be sending out postcards
to our Syria campaigners. The postcards
feature pictures of Syrian refugee children
sharing their story and hopes for a
peaceful future. We would like to get as
many people as possible to fill out a post
card with a message to their MP to ask
them to show their support for helping
Syrians affected by the conflict.
We will be asking MP’s to keep the
postcards, and use them to raise
awareness about the ongoing conflict in
parliament. By working with our campaign
groups and with schools around the UK we
hope to generate thousands of postcards
and leave no room for doubt that this issue
is important to the UK.
To order your post cards and action
guide to get involved email
[email protected]
11
campaigning
Changes to
the Community
Campaigns Team
By using your voice to campaign
on Oxfam issues you have helped
to change the lives of people
all over the world. You are the
people who make it happen!
We would like to give you an update you on
the Community Campaigns Team. Sadly, we
will be saying goodbye to our campaigns
staff in the South West and the Midlands
in 2014, due to increased pressure on
resources. Here is how it will affect you
and your group
• Oxfam campaigners, groups and university
societies- Will be supported by Oxfam’s new
“supporter mobilisation” team. This team
will provide communications, information
and resources to all Oxfam groups.
12
• Constituency Campaigner Programme
– Will remain and be supported centrally
rather than regionally, which it is at present.
• Activists and Constituency Campaigners
- Will have a dedicated contact who will
manage communications with you and will
ensure that you can be involved in Oxfam’s
up and coming campaigns.
There will be a significant change in
the way in which activists, groups and
societies are supported in the future.
Over the next few months, we will be
working out the detail of how we deliver
a new system to support Community
Campaigners.
We hope that these changes will improve
our communications with activists and
provide opportunities for Oxfam supporters
to connect with each other. Thank you for
all of your hard work.
Please contact your local Community
campaigning manager
with any
questions or concerns.
Local Community
Stories from the midlands
The Amazing
Bucketathon - Over
700 virtual Oxfam
water buckets SOLD!
The lovely ladies of Midland Chase
Soroptimists have done it again and
have raised even more money to
support Oxfam’s projects working
with women across the world.
Over the last year, every club in the Midland
Chase Region has been using the Oxfam
Water Bucket as a tool for fundraising – and
altogether, they’ve raised a huge £2,135.
The idea for the virtual ‘buckethon’ came
from regional president Dishi Attwood,
who challenged all the clubs in her region
to raise as much money as possible
through fundraising and ‘selling’ these
virtual water buckets. To make the appeal
visual, she built her own version of a
fundraising thermometer - a plastic tube
which was filled with a ping pong ball every
time seven virtual buckets were sold.
Throughout the year we saw the ping pong
balls rise up the tube, and as you can see
from the photo, it is now virtually full!
All the money raised through the Midland
Chase Bucketathon will go towards
Oxfam’s water project in Cambodia, working
with women to set up enterprises where
they can filter and sell clean water. As a
result of this project, over 13,500 people
enjoy low cost safe water from nine water
plants. The 27 women who run their own
businesses improved their incomes and
have higher status in their communities.
We are extremely grateful to Dishi and all
clubs involved for their ongoing support.
Here at Oxfam, we love working with The
Soroptimists – a wonderful bunch of ladies
who are passionate about empowering,
educating and enabling women to reach
their full potential across the world. We look
forward to working with the Soroptomists,
and many other community groups, on our
upcoming Motherhood appeal!
ise
Inspired to organ
your own event?
Here’s how
Love Syria Campaigners at Camp Bestival
13
Local Community
Stories from the midlands
How to build a strong
Oxfam presence in your
Community?
The Harborough Friends of Oxfam
are going from strength to strength
with a string of fundraising events,
harnessing the local community
in the town supporting Oxfam.
They have raised just under £3,000 in 8
months! What is their secret?
The group have put on an extraordinary
variety of events from quiz nights to cake
sales, poetry recitals to barn dances.
The core group of Judith Rout, Steve
Althorp, Brian Davis and John and Jane
White meet bi monthly scheduling their
events three to six months in advance.
In this way many events have become
synonymous with the local Market
Harborough community calendar.
Top Tip! Advanced planning and a
community calendar of events can be the
key to success!
This is certainly true of the groups Barn
Dance held in October and late night
shopping for Christmas in December. The
group begin organising these events
including hire of premises, organising
licensing and agreement with artists
months in advance. They are very
successful at budgeting to ensure that as
much income comes back to the charity
as possible. In many cases they obtain
venues and staff at no cost! This year’s
Barn Dance was a real success netting
over £280.
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Top Tip 2! Great budgeting
can
maximise the profits of your event and
proceeds for Oxfam
It is the regularity of their events which
makes them successful. The group have
secured fundraising activities every month
since May and donations received have
allowed them to strengthen their identity
in the community with a string of great
articles in the local newspaper promoting
their activity.
Top Tip 3! Use Local Media Channels
to promote your events. Newspaper?
Radio?
The Community know the group well, this
really helps when a crisis like the Philippines
occurs. The group were extremely swift
to move into action when Typhoon Haiyan
tragically hit the Philippines in November.
Not only were they able to organise a street
collection netting £183 but because of
their persistence, credibility and wealth of
contacts they were able to persuade the
local Academy school to donate every last
penny of proceeds from its non-uniform day
to the appeal, raising an incredible £1217 on
just one occasion!
For a Fundraising Group to be successful
a variety of larger and smaller events is
important. The larger events can generate
higher income, but regular modest ones
increase Oxfam’s profile and generate
long term enthusiasm in the community.
We thank Harborough Friends of Oxfam
wholeheartedly and look forward to working
with them in 2014.
Wolverhampton
springs into
action for the
Philippines
Special thanks to
Eileen, Faye and
everyone from the
Wolverhampton
Fundraising Group, for
organising two street
collections and fundraising at work,
including collections, a cake sale and a soup
kitchen – all in a few days! Our thanks also goes to
everyone in the Midlands involved with the appeal.
A festive start
for the Newark
Fundraising Group
The area’s newest fundraising
group got off to a musically
festive start in December.
The Newark Fundraising
Group began their journey
with Oxfam putting on their
first event across venues in
collaboration with a local
band performing festive
tunes for free. A collection and
raffle was held at each venue and the group
collected over £150.
Behind the Brands in the Midlands
Campaigners across the Midlands have been showing
their support for the Behind the Brands campaign.
Groups have been organising stalls in their
community, Universities have been organising
stunts on campus and speaking to Coke and ABF
representatives at their University Graduate fairs.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in
this campaign!
An amazing start for Oxfam on Avon
Our congratulations go to Oxfam on Avon, for
breaking fundraising group records and raising
over £2,000 from their first event!
The brand new group organised a SIX supermarket
collections for the weekend after the Philippines
Typhoon, raising £2076 and the profile of Oxfam.
The Group received lots of encouragement and
support for Oxfam’s work while collecting. Go Avon!
Nick Clegg writes to Constituency
Campaigner
Fantastic
Constituency
Campaigner Damon
Boughen travelled
to London on
10th December
to meet with his
local MP Andrea Leadsom (South
Northamptonshire) about the Lobbying Bill.
She passed on his comments to Nick Clegg. He has
written back inviting Damon to a meeting in the
New Year.
Constituency Campaigner training
coming soon
The next Constituency Campaigner training
sessions will be on 22nd February in Manchester
and 1st March in London. If you are based in the
Midlands and would like to attend, your travel
costs will be reimbursed. For more details email
Diane [email protected]
Bakewell Group get help
from...buskers!
The Bakewell Group got a nice surprise when they
collected in the town in support of the Philippines
crisis in December. They collected next to a
group of buskers playing
nearby who were so
moved by the plight of the
victims that they donated
the whole of their days
collection to the Group!
15
Local Community
Stories from the north
March for Mothers
This year, Oxfam is Charity of
Choice for ‘BOGLE’,an annual
fundraising event run by Manchester
University. Now in its 53rd year,
the event will take place on Friday
28th and Saturday 1st March.
You can Bogle ‘Stroll’, ‘Ramble’ or ‘Roll’
your way around Great Manchester,
completing the 26 mile or more challenges
- The event is a rite of passage for local
Mancunians and has seen thousands
overcome the challenging course to raise
millions for charity.
We are offering 20 FREE places (costing
(£40 +) for those who would like to take
big steps to help fight poverty! The money
you raise will be going to Oxfam’s Mother
Appeal, which aims to raise £10 million for
mothers living in poverty. And you’ve not
even heard the best bit yet…This appeal
will receive matched funding from the UK
Government; pound for pound!
Choose your favourite option today…
• Bogle Ramble - A 26 mile walk, with an
early morning start
• Bogle Stroll - A 55 mile walk taking
between 14 and 25 hours to complete.
• Bogle Roll - For those more suited to two
wheels, a 78 mile cycle taking about 5-8
hours to complete.
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Bogle 2014 is set to be bigger than ever!
In Oxfam’s first year, we will get the party
started for everyone supporting us to lift
lives for good; including doughnuts, a
celebratory drink, live music and more.
Do you fancy hitting the ground running in
2014?
For more information or to sign up go to
www.manchesterrag.com/bogle/
and
tick the Oxfam box to join Team Oxfam!
Get in touch with Nancy Gartside, Oxfam
Regional Fundraising Manager for
Manchester on [email protected]
or 0161 234 2923.
A Liverpool launch to 12
days of Christmas Syria
Fundraising Appeal
Liverpool University Oxfam Society
launched the 12 days of Christmas
fundraising appeal at Mello Mello
in Liverpool, with an evening of
inspirational storytelling, music
and lots of homemade cakes!
The appeal has raised £500,000 so far for
the emergency response to the Syria Crisis,
with the UK government agreeing to match
donations pound-for-pound as part of the
Aid Match scheme.
The evening began with Helen Tirebuck,
(an aid worker for Oxfam who has recently
been working in Lebanon); raising
awareness of the appalling conditions
Syrian refugees are living in. Refugees are
desperately in need of shelter, blankets,
food and water to cope, especially during
the cold and winter months. Helen showed
the audience photo’s of her experience
working with refugees in the Zaatari Camp
and highlighted what money already raised
is doing to help refugees in Lebanon.
The night turned into an evening of live
music from local Liverpool bands with
a range of raffles to enter (prizes kindly
donated by lots of local businesses)
and cakes to buy made by the society
members. In total, the Liverpool University
Oxfam Society raised £400 for the Syria
appeal.
There is still time to donate to the appeal
at the Oxfam website:
www.oxfam.org.uk/12days
17
Local Community
Stories from the north
How to Fundraise for
an Emergency?
Currently, Oxfam is responding to
25 Emergencies around the world.
When a humanitarian disaster strikes, Oxfam
are always poised and ready to respond as
soon as possible. Oxfam are only able to
deliver their lifesaving work through the
generous donations of local people. We
thought we’d share some ideas on how to
fundraise during an emergency. Here’s our top
list of quick and easy activities to coordinate:
Create your own online giving page - Get
creative and set up your own page. Why not
create your own virtual coffee shop. Ask
friends and family to buy ‘virtual coffees’
where all profits go to the appeal. Check out
this example that raised over £300
Dress down days - suggest a simple dress
down day at work or school, simply ask people
to make a donation to dress in their casual
clothes, e.g. ‘wear jeans for the Philippines’.
Sponsored events - Get sponsored to give up
something you love for a month, drinking, TV,
cakes!
Buckets of cash! - Collections are the ‘bread
and butter’ of fundraising. They are quick, easy
and low cost and there are plenty of places you
can host them. Here’s some examples :
Pub Quiz - Ask your local pub if they’d donate
funds from their weekly quiz or karaoke night
to the emergency appeal or have a collection
tin on the bar
• Town Centres - Contact your local council
to ask for a bucket collection permit in your
town centre
Local groups and clubs - If you’re a member
of a local club or faith group, do a collection at
your weekly meeting or bake a few cakes and
ask for donations!
• Train Stations - Speak to the station
manager to collect at the station and catch
those morning and evening commuters.
• Supermarkets - Ask your Regional Fundraising
Manager for advice on Collections and Permits.
• Bag Pack? – You could speak to your local
supermarket store manager and ask if they
could offer you a date to bag pack.
18
What ever you choose to do, remember to
contact your local fundraising team who can
offer plenty of advice as well as all of the
fundraising materials you’ll need to make your
emergency fundraising a success. Good luck!
Leeds Town Group – Making it
Happen!
The (near) legendary Morpeth
Zipwire!
Jaynee and Pauline
from the Leeds Town
group held their own
‘Make it Happen’
evening which
included 3 interesting
and inspirational
workshops about Oxfam’s work,
with the aim to increase group membership. The
evening was a great success and the group
recruited 15 new members!
Saturday 9th March: The (near) legendary Morpeth
Zipwire! Enjoy an exhilarating adventure whilst
helping reach a fundraising goal of £12,000!
Contact Emma Scott [email protected]
or look on Facebook for Oxfam’s International
Women’s Day, Morpeth.
Holme Valley Hit £1,000
The amazing Holme Valley Oxfam Group teamed
up with the staff at the Morrisons in Meltham, and
raised over £1,000 in just two weeks! Combined
with a successful Quiz Night in late November,
the marvellous people of Holme Valley raised
an incredible £1,435.54 for Oxfam’s Philippines
Typhoon Appeal.
A Yorkshire Christmas
In November, Boston Spa and Poppleton Oxfam
groups held their annual Christmas Coffee
Mornings, Established now for several years, both
have grown into incredibly successful Christmas
Fairs, together raising over £4,000 from crafts,
sale of Oxfam shop gifts, bric-a-brac, coffee, a
host of tombolas, raffles and other games!
Land Grab – Get out!
Students at UClan University in Preston ‘land
grabbed’ their student union to demonstrate the
unfair acquisition of land to grow sugar. Students
were asked to support the Behind the Brands
campaign and tell
PepsiCo to stop land
grabs happening
within their supply
chain by adding their
names to a petition.
Philippines Fundraising in the
North
A big thank you to all who gave their time and
reacted so quickly when the victims of Typhoon
Haiyan were in urgent need of aid. Here are just a
few examples of amazing emergency fundraising
activities in the North!!
• Blackburn ice arena
‘Skate and Donate’
raised - £120
• Vicky Shearn (Chester
Emergency Fundraiser)
- £790
• Braithwaite CE Primary
School -£100
• Riverside Nursery,
Sponsored Welly Walk - £3600
• Blackpool College - £80
• The Yard In Alderley Edge (Open Mic night) over £300
• Rotherham Fundraising Group raised £1,625
with 3 collections
• The Co-operative’s IT Department raised £2,048
in 3 days
19
Local Community Stories
from the south west
‘Poole’ together for
the Philippines
When the Philippines Typhoon
Appeal launched in mid-November
the response to the appeal across
the UK was phenomenal.... so
many of you gave up evenings and
weekends to help raise vital funds.
In Dorset, 15 British and Filipino volunteers
helped to raise funds by staging various
street collections in and around Poole to
support the appeal.
A Key Volunteer Organiser, Dr Zenaida AlonzoMagsino (former Mrs Philippines International
UK 2004 & 2007) said that she “encouraged
her friends and relatives to get involved and
be united as British-Filipino citizens”. Zenaida
said she was supporting Oxfam because” they
help people around the world to overcome
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poverty and suffering. Through their constant
support, it will make a lot of difference in their
lives especially the less fortunate.”
Zenaida and her team of volunteers in Poole
have already raised over £800 to date and
in doing so have attracted support from the
local Newspapexr and a local Radio Station .
Additional fundraising events are planned for
January 2014 to further support Oxfam’s work
in the Philippines.
It is 3 months since Typhoon Haiyan hit the
Philippines. Oxfam has now reached over
500,000 with life saving aid. It is volunteers
like Zenaida and her team that make this
possible. If you are interested in funding the
Philippines Typhoon Appeal, there is still time…
Check out our Emergency Resources here
or contact your Regional Fundraiser for further
advice: www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/
fundraising/regional-fundraising-managers
behind the Brands:
Campaigners keep the
pressure on ABF at
their AGM
On Friday 6th December, Oxfam
supporters from all over the UK
assembled at the Annual General
Meeting (AGM) of Associated British
Foods (ABF) in London’s West End.
Beind the Brands is calling on three major
companies, to bring an end to unethical
practices in their supply chains. Too often,
the sugar in popular food and drink products
is sourced by companies kicking farmers
off their land to make way for large scale
production of commodities like sugar, palm oil
and soy.
Campaigners flanked the street from both
ends, meaning that almost every AGM
attendee received a copy of our leaflet on
land rights - The hand out highlighted the
need for ABF to introduce publically available
policies which make sure it’s not involved
in land grabs. Campaigners also spoke
to shareholders as they arrived; sharing
information about the Oxfam ‘Behind the
Brands’ campaign. Oxfam supporters Roger
James and Lee Cookson ensured that ‘Behind
the Brands’ issued were raised during the
meeting, in the presence of stakeholders and
the board of directors. Question included
“What is the company doing to ensure poor
communities are protected from unfair land
deals? What policies are in place to make
sure this approach can be found throughout
their supply chain?
December’s ABF AGM campaign activity was
the latest action of the Behind the Brands
campaign. Since October, we’ve been calling
on ABF - the biggest sugar producer in Africa
- to implement zero tolerance policies for
land grabs in their supply chain.
Global soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has
already agreed to change their policies for
the better, so now’s the time for Pepsi co and
ABF to build land justice into the fabric of
their business, too.
Sign the petition today
http://www.behindthebrands.org/
21
Local Community Stories
from the south west
Art just got affordable
down in Devon!
Our amazing Totnes Oxfam
Fundraising Group recently held an
Affordable Art Sale called ‘10 Artists
and a Goat’ and successfully raised
over £1,000 during the 2 day event.
Due to meticulous planning and fantastic
organization during the months leading up to
the event it ran smoothly and proved a great
hit with locals. As well as a fine selection of
local artwork and crafts on display during
the two day exhibition mulled wine and mince
pies were available throughout – the perfect
browsing accompaniment!
The event benefited from a good level of
support from the local community and the
draw of the locally based Poet Matt Harvey
helped attract people through the doors
during the opening evening.
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The Raffle also proved popular and helped
raise extra funds – all of which raised was
split between the Love Syria and Philippines
Typhoon emergency appeals.
The Totnes Group are already considering how
the event can be further developed for 2014.
Why not organise your own ‘Affordable art
sale’? Contact [email protected]
for
more advice.
Bristol goes to ABF’s AGM in
London: Friday 6th December
A hand full of Bristol supporters jumped on early
morning trains to help campaign on Behind the
Brands at ABF’s AGM in London. One of those
people was campaigner Helena Brown. Part of a
national group of turn up campaigners, Helena
helped bring it home to ABF the need to introduce
zero tolerance land grab policies across their
supply chains. Read more here
Oxjam Gig for Love Syria
The Oxjam
Christmas Party in
Bath in aid for the
Syria Crisis Appeal
was a huge
success – not
only were people
really generous,
it was great fun!
So many bands and
performers gave their time for free, and JT, our
fabulous compere, was brilliant at getting home
the message as to why we were all donating and
£450 was raised. We couldn’t have done it without
the support of Charlie and the whole team at the
Pig & Fiddle – who’ve already said they’ll have us
back for more festivals in 2014!
RAG’s to Riches
Students from Plymouth University RAG helped
coordinate an emergency collection in November at
Plymouth’s Drake Circus Shopping Mall which raised
over £200 for the Philippines Typhoon Appeal.
Angel Carers UK Cake Sale in aid
of the Philippines Typhoon Appeal
Thank you to Angel Carers UK based in Bridport,
Dorset, who sprang into action following Typhoon
Haiyan. Angel Carer UK staff raised £350 for the
emergency appeal by organising a very successful
cake sale which was held in a busy shopping area
in Bridport.
Mid Somerset raise £1,000 for the
Philippines
The Mid Somerset Group braved the cold one
Sunday to raise £170 for the Philippine Typhoon
Appeal, bringing their total to £1,000 for this
emergency. Over the past few months they have
organised a pub quiz and a street collection!
Exeter University Group –
Bringing ‘Behind the Brands’ to
the Campus
On 9th December,
Campaigners from
Exeter University
group organised a
stall in the university
foyer, raising
awareness about the
Behind the Brands
campaign. Collecting over 100 petition signatures,
they spent the day talking to fellow students and
staff about Behind the Brands and the need for a
zero tolerance land grab policy across major food
and drink companies. Sign up today:
www.behindthebrands.org/
Devon and Dorset Oxfam
Fundraising Groups go the
extra mile for the Philippines
Typhoon Appeal
Exmouth, Dorchester and North Dorset Fundraising
Groups all arranged special events and street
collections at very short notice in the weeks
following Typhoon Haiyan to support the
Philippines Typhoon Appeal. This rapid response
to the emergency was greatly appreciated and
demonstrates the ongoing commitment and
dedication shown by all group members.
23
Local Community Stories
from the south east
Farmyard Fundraising
1st and 2nd of November was
Oxfam’s Mega Raid Weekend 2013.
Over 100 university student’s descended
on London from all over the UK to help raise
money for in a city wide street collection. Our
theme was farmyard so we had chickens, cows
and pigs running around all over London on
behalf of Oxfam.
Our most successful collector put on an
alligator costume -an unusual farmyard
animal-singing and dancing her way through
London to raise an amazing £183, on her own!
The crowd from Durham RAG were our winning
team raising a total of £1014.60 all together.
Through rain and cloud or cold, our volunteers
were magnificent and helped us raise over
£3,500 for Oxfam!
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The volunteers showed great motivation and
energy especially those who had travelling
through the night, the students even had
enough energy left over to celebrate their
success with some games in the evening!
We are delighted with the money raised
and that everyone involved had a fun-filled
weekend whilst raising essential funds for
Oxfam’s life changing work. Both the RAGs and
Oxfam are looking forward to next year and we
hope even more can join us!
Email us at [email protected]
ise
Inspired to organ
your own event?
Here’s how
Shall I write about my Syria?
In November 2013, The Oxford Students’ Oxfam
group launched the “Shall I write about my House”
poetry anthology - to highlight the humanitarian
crisis in Syria. The anthology brought together
the work of Oxford based poets, professionals,
students and
school children,
with that of
Syrian writers,
classical and
contemporary.
Singing for a good cause
Watford Oxfam group organised its annual
Christmas Carol singing at the Intu shopping
centre and fundraised an amazing£ 728 for
Oxfam’s Philippines appeal. With two new choirs
involved and enthusiastic group members
collecting donations. Thank you to long-standing
Oxfam supporter Roger and everyone involved for
making sure the event was more successful than
ever before.
Light up Hope for Syria
In December as part of
Oxfam’s ‘12 days of Giving’
Syria appeal, local Oxfam
supporters from Norwich
teamed up with staff to
organise a very special
street fundraiser. Norwich
citizens lit candles to
remind people of the
ongoing crisis humanitarian
crisis in Syria.
Tell your MP today that the
#gagginglaw is flawed
Local Oxfam supporters Malcolm from Brentwood
and Michael from Central London joined
campaigners from a wide range of civil society
groups and faith leaders at a mass lobby event in
Westminster to tell MPs that the #gagginglaw is
flawed and ask them to protect civil societies right
to campaign during election times.
Oxjam Faversham – Syria Calling
Oxfam Faversham fundraising group held their first
Oxjam gig in November. A large audience came and
were treated to talented local musicians followed
by a workshop of African songs and performance
by Canterbury Ladies Choir. The evening finished
with an atmospheric performance by Henri-Pierre
Koubaka. The evening raised a fantastic £516.80
for Syria.
Latin Night Extravaganza
The Latin Night at the Colosseum for the
Philippines Typhoon on the 5th January had
everyone stretching their Salsa muscles
all to raise a total of £98.92. It really was an
Extravaganza!
Busking for the Philippines
On Sunday 8th December, the young cellists and
violinists of North Surrey Suzuki Group spent 2
hours busking in Guildford High Street to raise
money for the Philippines Typhoon appeal. Children
aged 4-16 years raised a brilliant total of £286.63.
Central London Oxfam Group –
Festive Support
Central London Oxfam group has been very busy over
the Christmas period: next to helping to fundraise
thousands of pounds for our Philippines emergency
appeal they also kept themselves busy by signing
more and more people on to support Oxfam’s Behind
the Brands campaign. Well done everyone.
25
diary
north EVENTS
January
Recruitment of Oxjam Takeover Managers
2014 begins!! Contact the fundraising team
if you’d like to find out more.
11th February
Southport Fundraising group ‘Shwopping’
and information evening (contact Heather
[email protected]
for
more details)
21st FebRUARY
Oxfam Information Afternoon at Disley
Golf Club. Starts 1.30pm. Hear about
Oxfam’s recent work and enjoy a delicious
Afternoon Tea.
Contact [email protected]
for
more information.
22nd February
Constituency Campaigner Skill Share
Training Day – Manchester. Contact Diane
Porter – [email protected]
or
0161 234 2792.
9th March
The (near) legendary Morpeth Zipwire!
Contact Emma Scott [email protected]
or check
out ‘Oxfam’s International Women’s Day,
Morpeth’ on Facebook.
6th March
Join Linda McAvan MEP for her bi-annual
fundraising dinner at Cedar Court Hotel
Wakefield, this year in aid of Oxfam’s
Education Project in Niger. Tickets £30
each. Contact [email protected]
for more information.
7 th March
Join Julie Kenny CBE for a business lunch
to celebrate International Women’s Day
at 12.30pm – 2.30pm on 7th March at
Rotherham United Football Club Stadium.
Special guest Rosemary Conley. Contact
[email protected]
for more
information.
9th March
Delamere Park Asian foods event. Contact
Bob Schiller at 07971 541903 for more details.
Get together.
Lift lives
hold an event and help mothers
worldwide to lift lives for good.
26
www.oxfam.org.uk/gettogether
your aising
fundr ed*
doublrch 2014
Un til 3
1 Ma
midl ands EVENTS
south east EVENTS
24th February
Stourbridge Oxfam Group Greek Restaurant
Evening. Contact [email protected]
for more details.
22 February & 1 March
nd
st
Constituency Campaigner training coming
soon! The next sessions will be 22nd
February in Manchester and 1st March in
London.
8th March
International Women’s Day. Lots of
fundraising events happening across the
region, including coffee mornings, cake
sales, quizzes and film nights! For further
support contact Adam
or Ron 5 April
th
Oxfam Fundraising Group Quiz. Contact
[email protected]
for more details.
south west EVENT
27 th January
S
Bristol town groups first meeting 2014.
6th February
Fundraising gig organised by Oxfam
6.30 pm – 11pm, Hog in Armour, Norwich.
15th February
City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra –
Oxfam fundraising concert. 7.30pm West
Road Concert hall, Cambridge. Tickets/
enquiries please email
[email protected]
22nd February
Norwich Music Group concert in aid of
Oxfam. 7.30pm St Peter Mancroft Church,
Norwich
28th February
Sonic Relief - New Music Night.
8.30pm – midnight, Reigate Ex-Service &
Social Club, Reigate, Surrey. Tickets £10, all
proceeds to Oxfam’s 365 Emergency Fund.
http://www.newmusicnights.co.uk/
1st March
Constituency Campaigners skills share,
11am -16.30pm, London, for details
contact [email protected]
24th February:
Start of Fairtrade Fortnight
‘Come On You Brentford’
Charity single, All profits to the
Philippines Typhoon Emergency
appeal. Available on itunes.
http://bit.ly/18lIfm6
Oxjam is here!
27
contacts
North
south west
Kelly Paes, North of England
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0161 234 2786
Caitlin Shepherd, South West
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01179 166 482
Nancy Gartside, Central North Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0161 234 2923/07557 291868
Chris Babb, Dorset, Devon & Cornwall
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07795343605
Heather Walkington-Peak, North West
Tel: 0161 234 2791/07787 180 194
Email: [email protected]
Alice Byron, Somerset,
Gloucestershire & Wiltshire
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07584207128
David Hewitt, North East
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07968 308272
midlands
Adam Walker (Maternity Cover for Jenna
Wills), West Midlands
Email: [email protected] Tel: 07917 323 538
Ron Lodge, East Midlands
Email: [email protected] Tel: 07795 333091
Maya Segas, Midlands
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 0121 634 3611
Facebook
www.facebook.com/oxfammidlands
Twitter
@OxfamMidlands scotland
Heather Walkington-Peak, North West
Tel: 0161 234 2791/07787 180 194
wales
Steve Smith, Wales
Email: [email protected]
28
south east
Diana Vogtel, London and South East
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 02078029973
Ali Jinnah, South London, Surrey,
Sussex and Kent
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07795 334072
Ben Ansell, North London, Herts,
Beds and Essex
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07825 218299
Emma Crossley, Cambridgeshire,
Suffolk, Norfolk
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 07795 335391
Berks, Bucks, Oxon and Hants
Email: [email protected] Tel: 0300 200 1300