Running for Water!
Article Dated: 17/01/12
Over the course of 2012, we are asking people to support our Clean Water Appeal by Running for Water!
Anyone can support our the appeal; just sign-up for you local fun-run, 10k or Marathon, set-up a JustGiving page and join our fund-raising team!
http://www.justgiving.com/teams/runningforwater
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Charity runner’s New Year’s resolution to run 2,012k in 2012
Article Dated: 02/01/12
It's the time of year when most of us resolve to lose weight, quit smoking, or get back into the gym, but one Swansea man has made a resolution that he hopes will make a difference to thousands of people around the world.
Chris Marshall (40), from Pontarddulais, has resolved to run a minimum of 2,012 kilometres (1,250 miles) over the next twelve months, with the aim of raising £12,000 to provide 12 clean water wells in 12 of the world's poorest countries.
Nearly one billion people don't have access to something as fundamentally important to good health as clean water. What water they do have is often contaminated and makes them sick, and unable to work or study – which in turn makes it harder to break free from poverty. One in five deaths of children under five is caused by dirty, diseased water.
Chris, who works in the Marketing Department at Swansea University, will be raising funds for Penny Appeal, a UK-based charity that has supported the Haiti earthquake relief effort, and has delivered tonnes of aid to those left with nothing after the Pakistan floods. Penny Appeal has also established wells, built homes, and sponsored education for one hundred orphans.
Chris said: "I can't imagine expecting my friends, family or children to drink water that they've collected from a muddy puddle, or from a stream that also serves as a sewage outflow, or from stagnant pools that carry cholera.
"I'm hoping that, through the Run2012 challenge, I'll be able to help Penny Appeal to provide access to clean water to communities in countries such as Afghanistan and Albania, Bangladesh and Burma, and Senegal and Somalia.
"I'm not a seasoned runner, although I do run quite regularly and I have completed a couple of 10k races. Even so, I'll have to run an average of approximately 38 kilometres (24 miles) a week if I am to reach my target of 2,012 kilometres in 2012."
Chris plans to take part in several organised events during the course of the year, including the Llanelli and Swansea 10k races, the Llanelli half-marathon, and the Wales half-marathon. He has also entered the Berlin marathon, which takes place in September, and which will be his first full marathon.
Further details of the Run2012 challenge can be found on the website at: www.run2012.org.uk
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Penny Appeal announces new Campaigns Director
Article Dated: 02/12/11
UK-based charity Penny Appeal is delighted to name Furqan Naeem as its Campaigns Director. This is a new position within the charity, and underscores Penny Appeal's ambitious plans for the coming year.
Furquan (24), from Manchester, will join Penny Appeal on a part-time basis as he continues his post-grad studies at Bradford University, where he is working towards a Master's Degree in Pharmacy. No stranger to charity work, Furqan has volunteered on behalf of several humanitarian charities, recently visiting the famine stricken areas on Somalia. He is also Chair of Manchester Young Labour.
Furqan commented: "I am delighted to be joining the Penny Appeal team as Campaigns Director. I hope that I can bring across my experiences to benefit this growing charity in order to help alleviate poverty in third world countries as well as focusing on UK-based projects to improve the plight of vulnerable members of our communities.
"Although NGOs face a big challenge with so much conflict and so many disasters around us, the British public are amongst the most generous when it comes to giving aid and I will work closely with different communities around the UK to ensure that aid reaches the needy.
"Over the coming year we will focus on community-based projects, working with local organisations to raise awareness of issues at home and abroad. I look forward to developing the role in line with my expertise and experiences as well as to picking up new skills through working with an enthusiastic team."
Welcoming Furqan to the team, Penny Appeal Chairman, Adeem Younis, commented: "This appointment is a real coup for Penny Appeal and we are sure that Furqan's skill set will herald an exciting new phase for the charity. He brings valuable experience to the team and we are delighted that he will be sharing his talents with us."
Real Change Re-launched
Article Dated: 22/11/11
Today Penny Appeal re-launches the Real Change section of the website to provide supporters with detailed information on the ways in which the charity is helping the children and communities that it supports.
This new section will be updated at least once a week and will showcase how sponsors' donations are helping to make a real change to the lives of others.
The very first profile introduces one of the first children to benefit from sponsorship through Penny Appeal. Real Change will also feature the wells, houses, livestock and other items, which supporters have kindly sponsored.
Penny Appeal Chairman, Adeem Younis, commented: "We are very excited about this new development as it will enable us to communicate more effectively the huge and positive impacts that sponsors are having on the lives of real children and communities affected by extreme poverty."
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Qurbani appeal supplies 14 sheep and 3 cows for Eid
Article Dated: 14/11/11
Penny Appeal's 2011 Qurbani appeal has raised almost three times more than last year's appeal! The £2788 in donations has bought thirty-two shares of Qurbani meat, which equates to three cows and fourteen sheep.
Qurbani is the sacrifice that is traditionally offered at Eid al-Adha (Qurbani) in order to give thanks to Allah, whilst also helping those who are in need. Qurbani is obligatory for all sane adult Muslims with at least a minimum level of wealth. Sheep, goats, cows and camels can be sacrificed and the meat is traditionally shared with family, friends and the poor.
In Western countries, however, it is often not possible to perform a Qurbani sacrifice. Therefore, Penny Appeal has given many British Muslims the opportunity to pay for a sacrifice to be made in another country on their behalf. The fresh meat is then distributed to the poor, thus sharing the blessings of Eid on the other side of the world.
Penny Appeal chairman, Adeem Younis, commented: "We are delighted with the response to our Qurbani Appeal and that support for the Appeal has grown so much since its launch in 2010. The total has enabled us to supply 14 sheep and 3 cows. These animals were sacrificed on behalf of our donors and the fresh meat has benefited many families in some of the world's poorest countries in time for Eid.
"We would like to say a big thank you to our donors for helping to spread some happiness to the needy during this important festival. We look forward to helping even more people next year."
View all our current appeals.
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