REAL has always existed to be a force for good in the world. During a time of crisis, it was incredibly important for the REAL were able to offer support to charities who were doing the vitally important work around the globe. We have been inspired to hear about so many amazing causes and people, supporting their beneficiaries when they’ve never been needed more, in the most unimaginably challenging circumstances. REAL Ethical Fund(REF) has paid out £3300 to the first 4 recipients of this free emergency funding.

Seed Madagascar

A cause that is close to our hearts, when in 2019 REAL Fundraising supported SEED with their inspirational goal to build a school in Ranomefana, Madagascar. Knowing that SEED does amazing work and as we have first hand seen what they can achieve with donations from REF when they reached out to us again for the support it made complete sense to help.

SEED has been developing and distributing information to promote community preparedness across schools, churches, other NGOs, and individuals. Working with social media, radio, and partners to promote awareness, and have staff out in the communities ensuring the message reaches the most rural of communities who will be the most vulnerable. This awareness campaign includes putting up posters in towns and villages, providing hand-washing stations with soap and recording audio messages to be broadcast. SEED has also started the production of 100% cotton, washable, cloth face masks to provide to key workers and the vulnerable. The cloth masks can significantly help with preventing community transmission and where people are living in households of at least three generations, and with many children, the potential for widespread impact is huge. Already over 300 have been distributed with 500 more still to be made and distributed.

Skylarks’ vision is a world where children with additional needs can thrive. They aspire to this vision by enabling every child and young person with additional needs to live their best life while supporting everyone whose lives they touch. Skylarks provide a supportive and active community. We care for the whole family, providing opportunities to join in, develop and feel empowered. We want to remove the isolation that can be created for families and their children who have a disability or additional needs.

Additional Funding enables Skylarks to provide additional counsellors to support children with additional needs and their families to cope mentally in a time of uncertainty around COVID-19. Some of the children have had full-time carers suddenly disappear as they are unable to visit and have had a change in routine due to school closures. Many will have had access to their vital regular therapies restricted. These are just a few of the issues causing stress on the families we support during this unprecedented time, one that our additional counselling service hopes to support them through over the coming months.

Arrive Alive funds equipment and lifesaving vehicles for medically trained volunteers (CFR’s). CFR’s are trained to attend 999 calls in those vital seconds/minutes prior to a road or air ambulance.

The funding from REF will be a contribution towards the expansion of our resources that we currently have operational. As we are not funded by the government or National Lottery fund our lifesaving volunteers who are on the frontline responding to medical emergencies rely solely on donations. Arrive Alive will also be able to fund some of the most cutting edge lifesaving equipment for Community First Responders (CFR’s) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Established in 2008 with an aim to build a sustainable international development project between the UK and Zambia. The project has gone from strength to strength. still goes strong today with even more Universities and a broader focus than just sport. Our mission to preserve and protect the health of young Zambian’s in deprived communities and advance the education of young Zambian’s in deprived communities.

PDF focus our funding in three areas, Funding children through school/education and gaining coaching skills and qualifications to enable them a sustainable career path. Supporting Fountain of Hope (a street kids drop-in centre in the middle of Lusaka) which has a food programme and supplies dormitories with bedding for additional street kids to have a safe place to sleep. Sports facility development, building robust hard standing courts to allow children to play together safely.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began the orphanage, Fountain of hope has taken in an additional 75 children who are sleeping in classrooms. Now housing over 300 children at the orphanage. Funding from REF will cover a full months food, 3 meals per day for all 300 kids. This funding allows the orphanage to continue to provide its services to street children who would be at most risk due to the pandemic.

The Local Carers(TLC) Network — The Welcome Centre

We’re proud to provide a caring and safe environment for your children. We create a nurturing, stimulating and welcoming learning environment for all children. We provide our families with the tools they need for future happiness and success. Our unique support our volunteers go the extra mile to ensure we remove the stress, while always keeping the child’s best interest in mind.

Funding from the REAL Ethical Fund will help us supply Emergency packs including food for families in isolation or shielding, We will be buying equipment, food and resources needed to support families who are in crisis.

EACH offer care and support for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and support families across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. We offer families flexibility and control over where they receive their care and support, including where their child dies; at home, in hospital or at one of three hospices at Milton (Cambridge), The Nook (Norfolk) and The Treehouse (Ipswich).

EACH are working collaboratively with the county commissioner group (CCG) local community and hospital partners to reduce the pressure on the NHS. The shared goals are:
1. Caring for children outside of the hospital.
2. Creating more space in hospitals
COVID-19 has dramatically impacted our services. In order to protect our nation’s most vulnerable, which includes our service users, we have had to suspend our planned care activities including wellbeing therapies, groups and events, face-to-face counselling, care of the child’s body after they have died, and our Help at Home volunteering service. We aim to minimise the impact on families by continuing to offer our core, critical services. By continuing to operate EACH hope to minimise our impact on the NHS.