Local resident Alun turned to environmental activism after noticing thousands of tyres in the River Ogmore in South Wales while walking his dog. In 2023, he led a massive local cleanup effort removing 2,000 tyres and much more. Despite this progress, thousands of tyres still endanger the river’s ecosystem. Alun is planning further large-scale cleanups in the river and aims to make an impact on environmental initiatives across the UK.
The Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit (CRRU) is a marine conservation charity in northeast Scotland. They safeguard UK cetaceans including whales and dolphins through research, education, and a 24-hour rescue service. Collaborating with universities, they study coastal cetaceans, informing conservation efforts and inspiring budding scientists worldwide. Plus, they provide marine mammal rescue training and operate Scotland’s only specialised team for stranded marine mammals with the help of their team of 600 volunteer first-responders.
Hidden Disabilities is a new charity in Hull that supports people with non-visible disabilities through social, wellness and personal development events and activities, and also by raising awareness. Hidden disabilities can include chronic illness, mental health conditions, neurodivergence, cognitive, sensory and movement disorders. These can severely impact daily life yet remain unnoticed, leading to scepticism and isolation. The charity organises inclusive events providing education and support to improve physical and mental health, whilst also promoting societal understanding.
PramDepot provides emergency baby boxes to vulnerable pregnant women lacking essential supplies, focusing on those in London who have minimal support from government or local authorities. Each month, around 40 women and their newborns receive quality clothing, feeding, and sleeping equipment in gift boxes that ensure mothers feel valued. The organisation collects preloved items from public donations, diverting thousands from landfills, and also use funding to provide new items such as pumps and sterilisers.
Sailors’ Children’s Society is a national charity that provides support to children whose parent has made a living at sea or from the inland canals or rivers. They help mariners from fishing fleets, Royal Navy and Merchant Navy families including ferries, cruise ships, cargo ships and offshore industries.
Ben’s Den is a charity founded in memory of Ben Parker, who battled leukaemia from a young age until his passing in 2003. Established by his parents in March 2004, the charity offers families of children with cancer or leukaemia free holidays in specially adapted caravans. It aims to provide these families with much-needed breaks away from hospital settings.
Stairfoot Foodbank is a crucial resource in Barnsley, providing emergency food parcels to individuals and families facing financial hardship. Serving up to 147 people weekly, it operates entirely through dedicated volunteers who also conduct fundraising activities like car boot sales and coffee mornings to raise funds for purchasing non-donated food items.
Walking 4 Hope, a charity in Sutton-in-Ashfield, UK, offers solace and support through nature walks, arts and crafts sessions, and peer support groups for those dealing with bereavement and mental health challenges. Their new short film, funded by the Matthew Good Foundation, highlights the charity’s mission and the transformative impact of their work on the community.
TCCL specialises in supporting families with a child under18 diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia by working with local health services to provide additional care during and after treatment, offering free holidays at their four-bedroom lodge in St Andrews, a vibrant seaside town not too far from Ninewells Hospital, where families can enjoy respite from treatments.
In addition to funding the launch of this brand new runner’s safety app, we have also provided extra support to produce high-quality video content promoting the app. The Race Ready app will raise awareness of medical issues that can affect runners during both training and racing, and provides recommendations to keep runners safe based on the latest research.
Clean Ocean Sailing are on a mission to remove marine pollution from the hard-to-reach parts of our shores, doing so sustainably under the sail power of a restored schooner, The Annette, whilst raising awareness about ocean plastics.
We first met Diversified when they were a Grants for Good finalist in 2022. We went on to help them produce a series of films to tell their story and promote advocacy in schools.
Set up by young people, for young people, Youngwilders is a non-profit organisation focused on accelerating the rewilding of the UK and educating and energising a new generation of environmentalists.
YourStance are working to prevent deaths and life-changing injuries in young people who are at risk of being a victim of violence, by teaching them lifesaving “zero-responder” skills. Through a large team of volunteer medical professionals, they educate young people to enable them to respond with first aid before medical help arrives.
Team 1C started off as a group of parents/carers of children with CHD (congenital heart defects) gathering on Ward 1C at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Recognising how much help was needed to support children and their families both at home and abroad, they have spent the last 5 years fundraising for some amazing initiatives, including funding surgery children abroad, supporting local hospital wards in England, and volunteering at Ronald McDonald House.
Taking Baby Steps is a brand-new Community Interest Company (CIC), formed by experienced health specialists Sue and Jane to provide support to families who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death and/or birth trauma with talking therapy sessions. They set up their organisation to make this much-needed and helpful therapy available to more people, as soon as they need it, having witnessed a gap in the local services available and long NHS waiting lists.
The BillyChip is an alternative to cash that allows the public to give direct donations to rough sleepers and homeless people without the fear of their donation being misused for drugs or alcohol. They can be redeemed in coffee shops and takeaways for the minimum of a hot or cold drink of their choice, many outlets offer more. The BillyChip is the legacy of its inventor, Billy Abernethy-Hope, a twenty-year-old ambulance driver from Bristol who tragically died before he could see his idea become a reality.
We provided funding for this video to help educate the local community about the work they do and how they might get involved during Volunteers Week 2023.
Sanitree is a social enterprise based across Scotland and India. Not only are they making menstruation more sustainable by manufacturing and selling reusable pads, they are also providing employment for women in Jaipur, India, who make the pads. They also have an outreach programme helping girls in Rajasthan to stay in education.
The UK Wild Otter Trust is a Devon-based charity dedicated to protecting and promoting a positive understanding of the European Otter and its conservation. As well as rescuing and rehabilitating otters from all over the UK, they also raise awareness, educate and campaign to help ensure the welfare and conservation of this much-loved native species.