Show your support for #GivingTuesday

With just four days to go until #GivingTuesday 2015, Exeter charity Rainbow Living is calling for local people to show their support for this global day of giving. 

Taking place on December 1, #GivingTuesday follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday - two of the UK’s biggest shopping days.  The campaign is supported by a wide range of celebrities and sports stars, including Miranda Hart, Casey Batchelor, Olympic gold medallist Hannah Cockcroft, Peter Andre, Downton Abbey’s Joanna Froggatt, former Dr Who David Tennant, and historian and presenter Dan Snow.

Rainbow Living has joined more than 1,300 UK charities and businesses as an official partner of #GivingTuesday, and will be celebrating the day by giving thanks to supporters and raising further funds for a third Rainbow house in the Exeter area.

Ruth Airdrie from Rainbow Living said: “We would encourage everyone to get involved with #GivingTuesday in whatever way they can – whether that’s making a donation, volunteering time or spreading the word at the start of the Christmas shopping season.”

There are lots of ways local businesses and individuals can get involved with #GivingTuesday – from holding a fundraising event such as a cake sale or dressing up day at work, or selling any unwanted clothes, toys or household items and donating some of the funds raised.

Or people could make a donation to a charity like Rainbow Living on the day, perhaps instead of buying a takeaway coffee on the 1 December, or in lieu of sending Christmas cards this year.

People can donate to Rainbow Living on the day of #GivingTuesday by text donating MKBU42 £3 to 70070 or online at www.rainbowliving.org.uk/donate.  They can also show support by following the charity on Facebook www.facebook.com/rainbowlivingcharity and Twitter @_rainbowliving and encourage others to get involved too.

According to a Populus survey*, the majority of people (53%) agree that supporting charities makes them happy; fewer people say the same of shopping (41%).  More than one in five people (22%) plan to shop in the Black Friday sales – equivalent to 11 million people, and almost one in four (24%) say that donating money to charity makes them feel less guilty about spending on themselves. 

Rainbow Living has already received support from local businesses for the day, including a donation from Exeter pharmaceutical software specialist Rx-info. Sainsbury’s and Virgin Money will support the charity with donation buckets on the till points at Sainsbury’s Pinhoe and in Virgin Money’s Exeter branch on the day.  An individual supporter is also backing the charity on #GivingTuesday and throughout December by selling home-made mince pies and wrapping presents in return for a donation.

Ruth adds: “We are absolutely delighted at the support we have received so far and very grateful to all of our supporters who enable us to support adults with disabilities through accommodation projects. All funds raised on #GivingTuesday will get us closer to our target of £450,000 which is needed to buy a third Rainbow house in the Exeter area, to enable a group of young disabled adults to move out of the family home and into supported living in the community.”