Charities That Are Special To Me

All charities are wonderful organisations and are worth donating to if you are able to afford to.


We all support different charities in our lives. Some are supported because you believe in the work they're trying to achieve and some you support because they have a special place in your heart and some because certain charities we can relate to on a personal level eg an illness or traumatic event. Today is International Day of Charity, a day to highlight the charities that mean so much to us individually.



I support and raise awareness of charities that are close to my heart as well among as my family's and friends. Charities always need support, donations etc to help people who are in the position to need it.


I remember my first taste of charity fundraising. I was a kid and my parents organised a fete in the local community centre for Cystic Fibrosis. Loads of locals turned up and we raised a small sum for the CF Trust. Every little helps! Sorry for sounding like Tesco. I've done other numerous things such as collecting money outside B&Q freezing my developing tits off on a cold day in February when I was like 12 years old. 


One thing that always sticks in my mind is my Year One teacher, Mrs Williams, running the London Marathon for me years ago (after I left her class) and we were in the local paper for it. My first taste of fame ladies and gentlemen. I remember my friends wondering and asking me why one of our favourite teachers would do that for me! 



But yes, charities love any kind of fundraising, awareness and donating that you do. They really do appreciate it.

Here are the charities that I support and are close to my heart -

Cystic Fibrosis (CF Trust)

It's pretty clear why this charity means a lot to me. Well, I have the disease, it's bound to be at the top of my list. Every year, especially during CF Week, I always try and grasp people's attention about this illness and how it affects mine and every other CFer's day-to-day life. Raising money is more important than ever to make sure that medical research can continue so EVERY person with CF can live a life unlimited. 

The  Willow Foundation

This charity gave me THE best day of my life to date. Before I state what that was (maybe you know already if you've followed me in the last few years!) let me talk about what the Willow Foundation do. They are a charity that organises special days for people aged 16-40 with life-limiting conditions. One of my specialist nurses put the idea in my head to apply for the Special Day I would like. I applied for a day to meet the Liverpool players at their training ground. I sent off the application form in the January of 2016, come February 22nd 2016, I was sitting in Melwood having selfies with my idols. Like I said, it was the most special day of my life and I will be forever grateful to Willow for giving me that. 



Cancer Research

This one is quite close to my heart as I have lost a few loved ones to this cruel disease. Both my Grandad's passed away with it, as did one of my close friends and one of my Mam's best friends. Also, I've known people who have had it and have beaten it which kind of makes me smile but also that they have had to go through this cruel disease makes me angry. I was supposed to be doing Race For Life this year in honour of a close friend I lost to cancer near the end of 2019, unfortunately, Covid put a stop to that. Hopefully, I can do it again when it's safer to do so.

RSPCA

Any person who is cruel to animals should be punished. Simple as. Cruelty to animals brings me to tears and as an animal lover, I hate seeing videos posted online of somebody being cruel or hurting helpless animals who can't call for help. It breaks my heart but also makes me equally angry at the same time. Why would somebody want to hurt something as cute as a kitten or puppy? It sickens me, it really does. Once a month (pre-pandemic) I will always go to my local RSPCA centre and donate some cat/dog food as they're always wanting food. Also if I have any old blankets for the cats and dogs to sleep on, it's always greatly received. I end up going to have a look at the dogs and cats and I always end up falling in love with them all. It makes me happy when I see a sign next to a cat/dog cage (I can't think of another way to describe their little homes) saying that they've been reserved for somebody else or that they have a new home. I try and encourage people to go to their local RSPCA if they want a new pet rather than buying pedigrees. There are just as beautiful pets at the RSPCA. 


 

Women's Aid

I can't really go into why this charity is in this post, but it's an organisation that my Mam is extremely grateful to for everything they did for us at a troubling time. They do great things for women who need help eg in abusive marriages or relationships. They really did so much for me and my Mam and helped us onto a better path than the one we were heading down. 

MIND

Since suffering with my mental health, this charity has become very close to me. I am all for opening up about my mental health (to a certain degree) to make others feel less alone. MIND is a great charity to raise awareness of mental health and helps those who are struggling. Mental health is just as beneficial as physical health, something I have learned a lot recently. 


So there you have it, the charities that mean something to me. These charities may mean something to you, but you may find other charities close to your heart. 

What charities mean something to you? Let me know!

46 comments
  1. What a lovely post! I liked how different it was, and that you've got such a connection to these amazing charities. I think what your teacher did for you was amazing! I did the moonwalk marathon when is was 14 for breast cancer as a teacher of mine had it. It was such an amazing accomplishment My favourite charities are MIND and BEAT as they helped me through my eating disorder.

    Love, Em | www.loveemblog.com

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    1. Thank you Em!
      Yeah it was an amazing thing for her to do, I'm still so grateful to her for doing that!
      What a lovely and inspiring thing to do for your teacher Em, what an achievement and kind thing to do!
      They're amazing charities and I'm so happy to hear that they helped you through such a difficult time x

      Lucy | www.lucymary.co.uk

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  2. A lovely post! I'm also a huge supporter of charities such as the RSPCA, dogs trust and Endometriosis UK. Always nice to give! x

    Zoey | www.zoeyolivia.com

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    1. Thank you Zoey!
      They're great charities and yes, it's always good to give something back! x

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  3. A really important post. More than ever, every charity needs our support.

    We’ve just decided as family, that we will only be buying for the children in the extended family and instead donating to charities who need our help more than ever.

    Your school teacher running the marathon, that’s incredible! You must have really touched her heart Lucy x

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    1. Absolutely Claire, charities need our support more than ever right now.
      That's such a lovely idea Claire, I really like that!
      She was an amazing teacher, she was the of the primary school teachers who had the biggest impact on my life at a young age! x

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  4. This is such an amazing post its great that youve got this all down in one post for everyone to see!

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    1. Thank you Amber, I'm glad you enjoyed reading this lovely!

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  5. I feel like charities have been so hard hit financially by the pandemic and really need our help! The Bone Cancer Research Trust and Clic Sargent are really close to home for me

    Steph - www.nourishmeblog.co.uk

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    1. Yeah they really have Steph, it's so sad to see. Ah they're amazing charities!

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  6. This is such a great post! I worked in the charity sector for 6 months and it massively opened my eyes to all the unseen and amazing work they do. I think my favourite has to be Oxfam because they hit it from all angles - funding, long-term on the ground work and advocacy/lobbying to get laws changed xx

    mia // https://beautiful-inspiring-creative-life.com/

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    1. I can't imagine how much incredible work goes on behind the scenes in charities. Oxfam are just wonderful aren't they?! xx

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  7. So many important charities. CF will always be a charity close to my heart.

    Danielle
    https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/

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  8. Hi Lucy. Thank you for sharing with us the charities that are important to you. I think that the charities that people choose to support is often a very personal thing. Ours are:

    Cancer Research (my mum died of cancer)
    British Heart Foundation (my MIL very nearly died of a heart attack)
    Dogs Trust (we love dogs)
    RSPCA (and animals generally)
    WWF (including those around the world)
    National Trust (in the hope that we manage to keep at least some greenfield land in the UK)

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    1. These are incredible charities that you support and they all obviously mean something to you and you're connected to them for personal reasons

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  9. The RSPCA and Dogs Trust have always been favourites of mine. I'm sending you so much love. Stay strong, stay safe. ♡

    With love, Alisha Valerie x | www.alishavalerie.com

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    1. They're wonderful charities Alisha.
      Thank you lovely, you too! x

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  10. There are so many charities to choose from, aren't they? I don't always think you realise how much they do behind the scenes as well and are great at raising awareness. I think I would add the Alzheimer's society to your list, both for family members as well as the area I work in. I always like to donate to a charity around Christmas time, as usually this is a great time of need for a lot of people with the pressures of Christmas. Simon on the Street is a great charity in Leeds, helping the homeless and those in needs.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Aimsy xoxo
    Aimsy’s Antics

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    1. There are Aimsy! You're right lovely, there's so much that goes on behind the scenes that we don't know about and don't see! Alzheimer's is a charity I think is close to a lot of people's hearts, like yours. Donating to charity at Christmas time is something I'm all for too!
      That sounds like a great local charity Aimsy! x

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  11. I really love this post, I’d love to support some more charities if I had the means. One charity I give to monthly is the cats protection league.

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    1. Raising awareness of the charity is just as valuable as donating Ellie! Oh I love any cat charity (being a huge cat lover!)

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  12. This is so lovely. The Willow Foundation sound incredible. I always try to support the animal charities too, I don't understand how anyone can hurt or neglect their pets, so awful. I like to support charities like Mind and Beat as mental health is so so so underfunded. But if I'm giving in terms of donations I try to give to places like women's shelters rather than my local charity shops x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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    1. They really are wonderful Sophie!
      Oh I know, it makes me so angry when people hurt animals!
      They are amazing charities, MIND help so much for people with bad mental health.
      That's a great way of making a donation x

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  13. What a great list of charities ! so important to give back to different organizations or even volunteer
    shy - https://www.shyyshianne.com/

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  14. This is such a lovely idea for a post and a brilliant way to bring awareness to different charities that are out there. It's incredible that one of your teachers ran a marathon, what a touching story xx

    Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/

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    1. Thank you Hannah, I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed reading this post!
      Yeah I'm still so grateful to her for doing that for me xx

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  15. Thanks for sharing this lovely post, I think its great all the charities you support as they do great work which is needed now in the times we are in. I would say the ones I have donated to or support are:
    Diabetes UK - Easy one as I am a Type 1 Diabetic any thing for research to make life easier
    Girl Guiding - I volunteer for them so any badges, I buy goes back into the unit I help out at
    RLNI - A brilliant charity helping out with life at seas
    Age UK - Helping older people out they did wonderful work with my Granddad in his later years

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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    1. As a diabetic myself, I'm all for supporting Diabetes UK, any little research for a better life is something I'm all for!
      All the others you have mentioned are amazing charities/organisations x

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  16. Lovely post and not something I every really see thanks for sharing. Charities are life lines to some many people and animal's its nice to read your post and everyones comments.

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    1. Thank you so much! I think charities need our support more than ever right now and like you said, they're a lifeline to so many people and animals so it's important to raise awareness and show support.

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  17. Oh this is such a lovely blog post. I have quite a few charities close to my heart. I always try and donate when I can because you never know what charities you might have to rely on or be thankful for in the future!

    https://www.emilyclareskinner.com

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    1. Thank you Emily! That's a true point lovely, you never know when you're going to need a particular charity for support!

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  18. Such a lovely post! So important to raise awareness for all these amazing charities especially when they're so close to your heart x

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    1. Thank you Hannah! Yeah it's so important to keep raising awareness for charities x

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  19. This is such a lovely post. You've mentioned some great charities. Its so important to raise awareness for what these and so many other charities do because they need our support.

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    1. Thank you Kelly! They definitely do need our support right now

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  20. Wonderful post, Lucy. I love your charities and the reasons they're special to you. Cancer Research is special to me too, for very personal reasons. As is the Cats Protection League. Thank you, this was a lovely uplifting read x

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    1. Thank you Lisa! Those charities seem very close to you and have a personal meaning to you lovely x

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  21. That is such a lovely post. I have never really looked much into charities but I think I should :)

    https://villemo20.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you Monica, it's well worth looking charities to support!

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  22. There are so many amazing charities out there, it's so so lovely and special seeing what they do for everyone. Its lovely to hear what the willow foundation set up for you, I bet that was a brilliant day! xx

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    1. There are Chloe, it's so good to see all the good work they do for animals and people!
      Yeah it was the most special day! xx

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  23. Such a lovely post Lucy! For me mind is the one that always feels special to me and Macmillan as well - my mum always hosts a coffee morning every year :-)
    Sarah x

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    1. Aww that is so nice that your Mum hosts a Macmillan coffee morning every year! x

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