For Positive Living

The Business Charity Awards nominations close today, which will recognise partnerships between businesses and charities in the UK.  Great news – or so I thought…

On the face of it this is exactly the sort of thing that can help us acknowledge the amazing help and support we have received from B2B marketing agency Onefish Twofish, who have provided in-kind support from corporate videos to our excellent new website and Directory.

But the entry fee is £395 + VAT (nearly £500 net), an extraordinary sum which I cannot justify from charity funds, and by the same token I am not going to ask Onefish Twofish, who have already done so much for us, to pay several hundred pounds for something that won’t help our benficiaries.

Once again a scheme that bigs up the massive companies supporting the Megacharities, and completely excludes small, innovative charities and creative donors.  With big name charity sector partners such as Charities Aid Foundation and Third Sector behind it, you’d expect it to be better thought out especially as those entering will also be buying the top price dinner tickets.

Interestingly the entry fee was previously advertised at £450+VAT…

You might have seen we’ve recently set up our Unity Lottery, but what makes it so different?

Well, for every £1 entry, Ostomy Lifestyle receives 50p.  Compare this to only 28p to charity from each National Lottery ticket, and that will be to a very wide range of causes especially the arts, heritage, and sport.  With the 2012 Olympics approaching, expect to see much of this cash eaten up supporting London and the games.

By playing Unity Lottery, you can choose exactly where your money is spent, and nearly double the charity donation in the process.

There’s still a 1 in 63 chance of winning a prize, which is close to the National lottery’s 1 in 54:

• 6 numbers wins £25,000
• 5 numbers wins £1,000
• 4 numbers wins £25
• 3 numbers wins £5

Your £1 per week gives you a six digit Unity Lottery number, which will remain yours for as long as you play.

To get started, see our website or download an entry form.  Good luck!

Last week brought a very special celebration, as I’ve just won an UnLtd social entrepreneurship award.

This award has a financial element, which at such a time of growth and uncertainty is an immense help to me personally, but more importantly it also provides me with a tailored package of business support.  This will support my work establishing more creative methods for dealing with the challenges we face, especially improving patient care and generating sustainable support services for people affected by stoma surgery.

I’m very proud to have this award, and feel I am in very good company; at the event last week I met UnLtd Award winners past and present, and they are clearly achieving real social change in some of the most innovative ways.  I look forward to helping change the world with them.

Incidentally, the venue for the dinner was the Michelin recommended Hoxton Apprentice, which if you haven’t heard of or visited – do go there.  Owned by the charity Training For Life, it is a social enterprise that creates opportunities for people to get their lives back on track and learn skills that will secure them employment, at the same time as serving excellent food.  An excellent example for the rest of us.

I’ve lots to report over the next few days, as there’s been all sorts happening at Ostomy Lifestyle recently, and also for me personally, notably the birth of my son.  He’s now seven weeks old but growing very very fast, and already has a look of determination about him that makes us expect to be kept on our toes for the next few years…

With such a small team it can really knock us back when anyone is on holiday, so the last few weeks have been testing for everyone.  My paternity leave fell at an unusually busy time for patient workshops and regional open days, so what with developing the new ostomylifestyle.org website and a steady rise in demand for the Helpline, it is a wonder that anyone can ever take time off!

We do not expect the situation to get any easier, and for many of us that is the nature of charity work – the  busier we get, the more thinly spread our resources – but this shouldn’t have to be the case so we are reconsidering the impact of all of our work, and focussing on those things that deliver the most, even when times are hard.

Smaller charities are less wasteful and have a better understanding of their beneficiaries, according to a public poll.  This is good news for us, and I’d certainly agree with the findings of research organisation nfpSynergy, who surveyed 1,000 people last November.

51% of respondents thought charities with an income of over £10m were wasteful in how they spend their money, whilst only 6% thought charities with less than £1m income were wasteful.  £1m – £10m charities didn’t do too badly; 17% thought they were wasteful in their spending.  I’m very pleased to hear the public recognise the value of small charities, although we have a small income we still have to tackle serious challenges, and as such have to push our income and resources to the limits to deliver results.

65% of the general public recognise that small charities are good at understanding the needs of their beneficiaries, and 70% said they were friendly in their approach.  A good result, but also a reminder that we need to consult with our service users often to maintain this understanding and approachability. (more…)