Anonymous Good Samaritans win JustGiving ‘special recognition’ award

Thousands of anonymous 'Good Samaritans' were celebrated at last night's JustGiving Awards when they together received JustGiving's 'Special Recognition' award. The award was made to recognise the anonymous donations of over £6 million that have been made to good causes across the world over the past 12 months. This is the first time a JustGiving Award has recognised such a large group of people. The ninth annual JustGiving Awards were hosted by television and radio presenter, and founder of vegan app Viappi, SarahJane Crawford. This year the awards are based on over 35,000 votes from members of the public. The awards were created to celebrate the many amazing individuals, charities and teams who have used JustGiving to change lives and make a positive contribution to a good cause.   The impact of anonymous donations Individuals that benefited from the anonymous donors generous acts include: Donna Corden, who was able to pay for urgent reconstructive facial surgery after she lost half of her face to a rare flesh-eating bug Alex, a 12-year old boy from South Wales who was born with Down Syndrome and leukaemia, to make his lifelong dream to visit Disneyland come true. Keith Williams, general manager, UK & Ireland at JustGiving, a Blackbaud company, said: “This award not only celebrates the efforts of a selfless group of individuals, but it also highlights how some causes can transcend family and friends to connect and touch the hearts of complete strangers. “Whilst we can’t personally thank the thousands of anonymous supporters who used JustGiving to help change the lives of people in need, we would like to dedicate this important award to celebrate, honour and thank them for being life changers “for good”. Donna Corden explained how she felt when she found out people she didn't know were donating to help here. She said: “My best friend Lindsey set up a JustGiving page shortly after my accident. And at the time I remember thinking this isn’t going to work. As I genuinely didn’t believe complete strangers would take time out from their busy lives to help me.  “When I first saw how much had been made, and what this would mean for my recovery, I burst into tears of joy. These anonymous donors have changed my life and have helped to restore my faith in humanity. I will forever be grateful for their help!”    JustGiving Awards winners 2018 Charity of the Year - British Hen Welfare Trust The national charity re-homes commercial laying hens; educates the public about how they can make a difference to hen welfare and encourages support for the British egg industry.   Endurance Fundraiser of the Year - Kevin Webber Since his advanced prostate cancer diagnosis in 2014, Kevin has taken on a series of endurance challenges for Prostate Cancer UK. This includes taking on the Marathon Des Sables three times!     Creative Fundraiser of the Year - Clare Young  Clare faced her grief by knitting for up to 12 hours a day, to create a 4m x 4m Knitted Show Garden Installation at RHS Malvern Spring Festival to raise funds for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice.   Change Maker of the Year - Maria and Stuart Grennan  After the stillbirth of their daughter Maggie-Lynn, Maria and her husband Stuart raised money to secure a second room for the Worcestershire Maternity Bereavement Suite and to soundproof two delivery rooms for stillborn labours.   Fundraising Team of the Year - Tŷ Hafan Dads #5in55 The group of 14 dads climbed five mountains in 55 hours (Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England, and Snowdon, Cadair Idris & Penyfan in Wales) to support Welsh children's hospice Ty Hafan.   Young Fundraiser of the Year - Maddison Harris    After experiencing hair loss following her two-year treatment for leukaemia, Maddison started a campaign “Don't Stare, It's Only Hair” to raise funds for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.   Celebrity Fundraiser of the Year - Josh Patterson Josh and his recently paralysed friend Ben Tansley took part in the Berlin Marathon in wheelchairs to raise funds for the Spinal Injury association.   Crowdfunder of the Year - Lisa Wells Shortly after her youngest daughter was born, Lisa was diagnosed with terminal bowel and liver cancer.  She, along with her friends – the aptly named #LisasArmy, participated in a series of fundraising challenges to help provide financial security for her daughters and raise money for Dorothy House Hospice Care.   Outstanding Commitment of the Year – Lucy Linnott After becoming the youngest person in Scotland to be diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, Lucy decided to launch 'Lucy's Fight', a blog to share her experiences, tick things off her bucket list and raise money for MND Scotland.  

from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/2FzSWrS