The Bath & North East Somerset Carers’ Centre has joined more than 1,000 UK charities and businesses as an official partner of #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving at the start of the festive season.
The day, led in the UK by the Charities Aid Foundation, takes place on 1st December and follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday – two of the UK’s biggest shopping days.
It is an opportunity for charities, families, businesses, community centres and students to come together to do something good for a cause they care about.
The Carers’ Centre, with centres in Bath and Radstock, has signed up again this year and hopes to fundraise for carers at Christmas which can be a difficult time.
Senior Development Manager at the charity Janine Woodward-Grant said: “The #GivingTuesday movement gives us a chance to connect with the local community and share and celebrate all the great work our staff and volunteers do, as well as giving us a chance to thank donors and raise awareness.
“We’re asking for people to give £3 this #GivingTuesday to support carers over the Christmas break, which can be an isolating and stressful time.”
With less than two weeks to go, over 1,000 charities have already signed up, guaranteeing that #GivingTuesday 2015 will be even bigger than last year, when just over 800 organisations signed up.
Kim Roberts, CAF’s #GivingTuesday campaign manager said: “We are astounded at the response to #GivingTuesday this year and delighted that we have hit 1,000 partners already.
“After two of the most frenetic shopping days of the year, #GivingTuesday is a day when charity can really kick off Christmas.
“People now have an extra reason to be charitable and shout about it. It is a chance for charities to celebrate the great work they do and for people to give back to the causes they care about.”
#GivingTuesday came to the UK for the first time last year, having originated in the USA in 2012. It now takes place in 12 countries across the world.
Last year charity donations online rose sharply on #GivingTuesday. Just Giving saw a 46% increase in donations compared to the previous year and Visa found that an average of £2500 was donated every minute on #GivingTuesday by UK Visa cardholders – this was a 10% higher than figures for the same day in 2013.
You can donate to the Carers’ Centre via JustGiving at www.justgiving.com/banescarerscentre.
