This article is written by Matthew Tucker and is part of the Webjam Charity Channel
A round-up of some of the week’s charity news.
Friday 14th November saw the Prince of Wales celebrate his 60th Birthday. This has prompted media coverage on the Prince’s extensive charity work, including a BBC documentary on the Prince broadcast last Wednesday: Charles at 60: the Passionate Prince. Cameras followed Prince Charles for a year to see how the influence and power of the future British Monarch has allowed him to promote his campaign work and gain support from some of the World’s most powerful leaders.
Friday’s Birthday celebrations included The Prince and The Duchess of Cornwall visiting Beckton Community Centre in East London to meet young people helped by The Prince’s Trust. Founded in 1976 by Prince Charles, The Prince’s Trust seeks to help young people who are not in employment, education or training. The organisation’s work gives the practical and financial support to enable disadvantaged young people to develop the key skills, confidence and motivation to change their situation. For example, The Trust has helped tens of thousands of young people to set up their own business.
The Queen recently said she is “enormously proud” of her son’s achievements in setting up The Princes Trust and that The Prince's "vision and conviction" had transformed "countless lives". With a turnover of over £50million, the Trust has helped more than half a million young people to date.
Another big event on television screens last week was the BBC’s Children in Need appeal. Raising a record-breaking £20million on Friday evening, donations from the appeal will go to making a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. Hosted by Terry Wogan, Tess Daly and Fearne Cotton, the evening’s entertainment included a Children’s Masterchef competition, a performance from the cast of the new West End revival of Oliver! and an exclusive preview of this years Dr Who Christmas Special.
In addition to the £20million raised on Friday, millions will be donated over the coming weeks and months from many Children in Need fundraising events across the UK. This unexpected result has proved many wrong over concerns of public generosity, as raised in my recent The Credit Crunch bites post. The recession has made the public more sensitive to their financial needs and worries. In turn, it appears this has made the public more aware of the more serious needs of others, stimulating charitable giving in this difficult time.
The fundraising methods of Children in Need might also be responsible for its continuing success in the face of recession; the Appeal promotes a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach to fundraising and encourages fun events, providing a pack with posters, stickers and event planners. It is a known fact that when in a recession, avenues of escapism are sought. Children in Need provided this in bucket loads on Friday.
But speculation is still rife over the future downturn of charitable giving. The National Council of Voluntary Organisations recently published a survey showing 70% of charities expecting conditions to worsen in the sector in 2009. However, The Guardian newspaper reported last week that according to new figures for religious donations, faith charities are set to weather economic conditions better than secular charities. The charity Islamic Relief raised £4.3million during the recent holy month of Ramadan and this year’s Christian Aid Week is expected to raise as much as last year’s £14.6million. Lindsay Boswell, chief executive at the Institute of Fundraising, believes all organisations can learn from the experience of faith charities: "It's due to the relationship they have with their supporters ... it's the unity and sense of community."
This article is written by Matthew Tucker and is part of the Webjam Charity Channel
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