AREA 7 - Fundraising & Resources

RESOURCES REQUIRED BY
CHARITIES, SCHOOLS etc.

As far as we are aware, all items on this page are *currently* required - any help in fulfilling requests will be appreciated - please contact individual charities direct. Should you have any surplus resources (other than those requested) to offer, please e-mail us [address on the "Contact" page, linked below] so we can post details on the Surplus Resources page.

CHANGING THE WORLD ONE GIFT AT A TIME

Take a look at the Freecycle network. This covers the UK, right across the USA, Canada and Germany, and their "International" page includes countries across the globe, ranging from Australia and New Zealand to Argentina, Trinidad, the Philippines and Spain [Freecycle operates in over 50 countries at time of updating this page].

Basically Freecycle allows people to give away items to those living near to them (all items advertised have to be *FREE*). There are endless groups within the UK, USA, Canada and Germany, and the UK alone has well over 100 groups. If there isn't an existing group in your area of the world ... then start one, to make it possible for people in your local area to join. Instructions here.

If you're under 18 we'd request that you ask your parents to join Freecycle (rather than you signing up). Freecycle enables making contact with people in your local area, to give things away or receive them, but obviously we don't recommend *any* situation where you yourself meet up with strangers. See the Freecycle FAQ page here [scroll down] for more about the risk/liability factor.

The Freecycle project is however a *wonderful* concept and will potentially make a whole lot of difference to people across the world, particularly those on low-incomes or otherwise disadvantaged. Our congratulations to Deron Beal, of Tucson Arizona, who founded this amazing organization.

TOOLS for developing countries - "TWAM - TOOLS WITH A MISSION - is a Christian Charity which sends gifts of good quality tools into many countries. It enables those who receive them to earn a living and change their world" - website at http://www.twam.co.uk.

The types of tools TWAM sends is very wide-ranging - see current list of tools needed / accepted here - everything from hammers, chisels, feeler gauges and wire brushes, to sewing machines and wheel nut spanners - and there are specific country coordinators listed here (though we understand TWAM have contacts in many other countries also).

Books for developing countries? see ALA resource page; scroll down for non-USA addresses.

Computers for developing countries? see Computer Aid International who accept surplus computers; there is also a facility on their website for educational institutions and community organizations in developing countries to apply for donated computer equipment. See also the entry further down this page about Recycling Computers.

Do you need paint, or have unused cans to donate? see Community RePaint

BIKES FOR AFRICA

Do you have a spare bike? Jole Rider (based in the UK) is shipping bikes to Africa, so that kids can get to school. Over 50,000 children in The Gambia alone, can't get to their nearest school because it's too far to walk. Some children walk 10k EACH WAY, every day, and many have further than that to travel.

Jole Rider sets up permanent, fully equipped bike repair workshops in schools in Africa and provides training for school students in maintaining their own bikes.

Their aim is to establish bike maintenance workshops in African and UK schools, and to provide opportunities for UK students to travel to Africa for a 7 or 10 day programme, to combine with fellow students of different cultures and to gain practical, engineering-based skills development around a favourite teenage topic - bikes.

To find out more, see their website here, Bikes 4 Africa here, African School Linking here and Schools Baton Relay (John O'Groats to Lands End) here.

Dear Sir,
I am a Surgeon working in a remote area in Pakistan. I am looking for a donation of a LAPTOP for a Charity school and Hospital that I work for. Used or refurbished PII or PIII will do. It would be appreciated if anyone who visits your website can help.
Regards,
DR. ARSHAD ZAFAR. [email azafar [at] brain.net.pk ]
HOUSE 207, STREET 2, JINNAHABAD, ABBOTTABAD, PAKISTAN.

[Editor's note: please see also our page for Pakistan appeals & projects helping children.]

I am a volunteer reader with the charity Volunteer Reading Help, Barnet Branch. We work in our local primary schools and help children aged 6 - 11 twice a week, and are able to give individual help to at least three children each. We are trained to read with them as well as play games with them. There are 74 volunteers in Barnet Schools. It is a great scheme and I personally feel that if one is able to advance these children one smidgeon it is worthwhile. If anyone would feel able to donate books to our cause we would be so grateful. The books do not need to be perfect.

With best wishes, Sheila Angel [ e-mail angel [at] globalnet.co.uk ]
Book Monitor!! Volunteer Reading Help, Barnet, 31 Gresham Gardens NW11 8NX

We get regular enquiries from people in different parts of the country, asking where they can usefully pass on children's outgrown clothing, to help disadvantaged kids in some way, so the following may be of interest .... [discovered on the NCT website]:

NCT Nearly New Sales in your area - at NCT Nearly New Sales you can buy top-quality baby and children's clothes and equipment at much reduced prices, straight from their owners. Buyers and sellers are all welcome as Nearly New Sales raise funds for the NCT's work. You may be asked to pay an admission price at some sales.

You'll find more details about sales being held in many areas of the UK at the NCT website - if this link diverts to their "home page", try following the "support us" links. For the National Childbirth Trust entry in the Project HappyChild Directory, please click here.

* Agriculture equipment - tractors, planters, a combine harvester, machinery for animal feed, ploughs, an irrigation system, incubators.

* Processing equipment for milk, ice-cream, cheese, bread and pastries.

* Carpentry tools for wood carving and design.

* Fertilising equipment.

If you can help, please e-mail Benu Bulugu - benub [at] yahoo.com .

More details about the Foundation's work with street children are available on their Appeal page.

We have a request on site from a British Army Regiment in Bosnia, undertaking landmines awareness training for children, for small gifts of pens, pencils, crayons and paper. If you're able to send a small package it would be very much appreciated - we're told the cost of postage to BFPO addresses from the UK is the same as inland charges. [please note we are currently awaiting an updated postal address for this appeal]

Our thanks to all visitors to Project HappyChild who responded to the Appeal (on site from December 1999) from Scott McDonald, Task Force Falcon, USA, for supplies, such as pens, pencils, crayons, paper for the school sponsored by the 709th MP Battalion in Kosovo.
Scott McDonald's follow-up letter of 6th December 2001 is included on the previous Appeal page.

Balkan Sunflowers - an extraordinary organization working in the Balkan countries of Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia - would welcome help with a wide range of resources required. For more details please click here.

We have received numerous requests for computer equipment, and for how/where second-hand machines can be obtained for schools, organizations, individual children or families.

Whilst some organizations within the UK help individuals, most major computer recycling charities outside the UK seem to benefit only non-profit-type organizations, so to locate help for an individual family it is probably best to key in "donations computer location" into Google [no quotes, and replace "location" by the state or county where you live] - also check out the "Freecycle" Network linked from the top of this page [click here].

If you're reading this and work for a firm which has recently upgraded its computers and has some older machines you'd like to find a good home for, please do contact your nearest computer-recycling organization.

Organizations which accept donated computers (at time of updating this entry) include:
Computer Aid International
REI (computers Yorkshire/Humber)
Tools for Schools [UK - low-cost recycled computers for schools (20,000+ supplied already to 1500+ schools)
Recycle It [based in Luton, benefits both individuals and organizations, plus overseas computer exports]
Donate a PC [single computer donations matched with requirements of UK charities, non-profits and educational establishments]
Share The Technology [US, Puerto Rico, Canada, England]
Out of Afrika [based in Dorset; computers for Kenya]
Refurbit [Hull - schools, charities etc.]
Computers for Charity [UK mainland]
Oxfam UK
Community Computers [Somerset]
Second Byte IT [Lincolnshire - includes computers for low-income families]
Computers for the Disabled [UK only]
Cyber Ark [Medway area plus schools and universities in Eastern Europe and developing countries]
Digital Links [UK-based - supplies to schools, hospitals and communities in Africa and Eastern Europe]

For a full list of Microsoft Authorised refurbishers across the world, please click here, and for destinations to which computers are supplied, please click here.

Have you returned from holiday or a trip abroad and have no idea what to do with that pile of foreign currency on the shelf?

Ockenden can make use of these coins by turning them back into sterling to help projects such as the tented schools for Afghan refugee children.

All you have to do is to contact us so that we can send you a special plastic bag which, when full of coins, can be taken to any branch of Barclays Bank.

Travelex, who are able to change the money back into pounds and pence for Ockenden, can then let us know how much you have raised.

Ockenden can also make use of used mobile phones, mobile phone chargers, and printer cartridges - more details here.

For further details please contact Ros at Ockenden International, Constitution Hill, Woking GU22 7UU, telephone 01483 772012, or e-mail fundraising [at] ockenden.org.uk . Click here to reach our entry in the Project HappyChild Directory.

We've had a lot of enquiries about donating postage stamps! and our thanks to the many people who have simply put their collection in an envelope and sent them to us here. However ..... it usually costs more to post them than the recycled stamps are actually worth, and we have *finally* found a "local" solution.

Nearly every town in the UK has an Oxfam shop ..... and at the time of writing this, Oxfam shops accept used postage stamps. So please continue collecting! but just take them to your local Oxfam shop. No postage costs :) and right on your doorstep.

Oxfam also accept the following items: used mobile phones, computer equipment, foreign currency coins, laser and inkjet cartridges - more details on their page here.

We homeschool our children in Georgia, and are searching for surplus educational materials to use for the children. If you happen to have any filmstrips, with or without accompanying sound, please email me.
It seems that so many school systems are simply discarding much of their older teaching materials, and with our budget restraints, we surely could put those discards to good use in our school . . such as filmstrips, transparencies, old workbooks, etc.
I will be happy to try to pay something for the materials, as well as shipping costs to us.

Anita (Atlanta, Georgia)
nsrrman [at] email.msn.com .

The National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries is a charity which promotes play and recreation by providing information, publications, training, advice and support for developing and existing toy libraries.

As a charity supporting toy libraries and leisure libraries we would very grateful for any toys which we could distribute amongst our member toy libraries. Also, any office equipment for use in our office.

Thank you.
Helen Dewdney
Local Group Development Worker
admin [at] natll.ukf.net

Please click here to reach our entry in the Project HappyChild Directory.

The National Childbirth Trust needs your old recycling printer, toner and inkjet cartridges as well as unwanted mobile phones and accessories to raise funds for our vital work with parents and parents-to-be throughout the UK.

Please pop all unwanted mobile phones, printer, toner and inkjet cartridges in a plastic bag, place in jiffy bag or envelope and FREEPOST to: The National Childbirth Trust, a/c number: 119648, FREEPOST, SCO4193, Falkirk, FK1 2BR.

If you, your employer or anyone you know has multiple cartridges or mobile phones which they are willing to donate, please contact our recycling centre and they will send you boxes in which to collect them in and will arrange a free collection from anywhere in the UK. Please call them on 08451 302010!

Please help us to turn your trash into cash and reach even more parents with our information and services than we do today! For more information on the scheme, please contact Jenny Zienau on 0870 770 3236 or e-mail j_zienau [at] national-childbirth-trust.co.uk . Thank you in advance for your kind donations.

To reach our entry in the Project HappyChild Directory, please click here.