A80 In The Community Charity Donation : Members Choice Time

Hi
We had several very good charity nominations from club members this year with each one very worthy of our funds and support. The committee have decided on the 3 that we think should go before the members to vote on this year.
The 3 are:
The Purple People Kitchen
Pedal People
Ronald McDonald House
Each one is unique and has its own attributes and definite need for our funds, so could you please consider each one carefully before you reply to this email with your single choice. Replies to be received by 22nd March.
The detail on each one below has been provided by the nominators, please use their website links for greater detail.
1.    The Purple People Kitchen
https://www.mylifebh.org.uk/crisis-support/the-purple-people-kitchen/
Purple People KItchen operates from Portslade Town Hall on a Friday lunchtime.  Volunteers collect unwanted and unsold food and other items from supermarkets.  Some of this is used to provide a freshly cooked hot meal for those coming to collect food parcels and the rest is used in the food parcels.  Referrals into the service come from various agencies including social services, third sector agencies and local medical practices.  Many of those using the service are in work but low wages make it difficult for them to feed their families. It is a very local charity supporting those in the Portslade area.  I visited them just before Christmas and was quite shocked at the number of people who rely on them to get through the week.  For some it is the only hot meal they get.  I have worked in Portslade for nearly 25 years but hadn’t fully appreciated the extent of poverty and hardship in the  area.  It would mean a lot to them to be supported by the Club.
2.    Pedal People
https://pedalpeople.org.uk/
Our volunteer cycle pilots ride out together with elder care homes residents – so they can feel the wind in their hair and once again feel a part of the community! Many elders rarely have the chance to enjoy an outdoor adventure otherwise. Some don’t own an outdoor coat or shoes as they rarely have access to the outdoors. Our special ‘Trishaws’ (three-wheel cycles with passenger cab up front) enable them to experience our city and nature close-up and chat with passers-by. All riding the bikes enjoy the physical and mental well-being benefits. We maintain a consistent 50:50 balance of female/male volunteer cycle pilots. At least 75% of our passengers are living with dementia. Rides are comfortable, fun, fully insured and free to elders. We are a small, local Brighton charity. We run several rides a day from elder care homes, year-round. Donations always welcome.
What makes it special and why it makes a difference
It’s an extraordinary thing cycling with elders. Our rides bring care home residents ‘back into view’. Smiles galore, we see spirits lifted, people report feeling awake again, delighted, less anxious or depressed as well as sleeping better after rides out.
Evidence
Similar cycle projects exist globally. The Ageing Lab (School Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University) published research on the most closely aligned cycling project to ours (Scotland) in 2018.It concludes: “There are clear benefits and impacts for care home residents, primarily a sense of freedom, enjoyment of fresh air and social interaction (with each other, the Pilots and people in the community). Staff and family members identified impacts in terms of mood, alertness and general wellbeing.” Reports from Singapore, Australia and USA additionally conclude that the more rides taken, the higher percentage increase in improvement to mood, wellbeing, alertness, mobility and activity over time.
3.     Ronald McDonald House
https://rmhc.org.uk/support-for-families/
Although they are a national charity, their Houses are for parents in local areas, and they have a House in Brighton, which is where our funds would go.
My niece Lindsey gave birth to my great nephew at 25 weeks, just over a year ago, and he only weighed a pound and a half. The support of the nursing staff at the Royal Sussex County Hospital was first class, but as baby Joe was due for a long stay in hospital, Lindsey and her partner Simon were stuck as they do not live in Brighton.
Ronald McDonald House provides free accommodation for families with seriously ill children in hospital, so Lindsey and Simon were able to stay close to the hospital free of charge for as long as they needed to.
It would be wonderful to be able to provide support for this worthy charity to help other parents in a similar situation.
It is all completely free of charge for as long as necessary and provides much needed support for parents enduring an incredibly difficult time.
Thanks for reading this far, and please vote for this worthy cause if you can.