Meeting Needs Charity Partner Update

Greetings Charity Partners! Welcome to the 3rd issue of our quarterly Meeting Needs Update produced specially for you. Thank you so much for your ongoing support which makes a direct positive impact on communities in the UK and around the world!

Please do send this out to your teams so that they can keep up to date with how you help make a difference. Plus you never know, they might have some amazing ideas on how to get more involved!

In this edition, we’re giving a big shout out to our intrepid Royal Parks Half Marathon team, update you with recent news, tell you what’s coming up later this year and share some updates from our beneficiaries.

Royal Parks Half Marathon, 9th October

Our team of 50 runners and walkers are reaching the final stages of their training! Many of us who are taking part and watched the London part of the recent State Funeral of Her Majesty were thinking – “in less than three weeks’ time, I’ll be running there.”

We’d love for you to help any of our team taking part by making a small donation… it really is a big motivator with the date looming. You can see and support any of the amazing people taking part at https://justgiving.com/campaign/MNRPHM2022 - look out for someone you know or why not make a stranger’s day!

Meeting Needs “Board Talk”

On 21st July, Meeting Needs Chair Chris Peacock and Vice Chair Lene Corgan had a Zoom chat with some of our Charity Partners for an informal hour, talking about how we can work closer with you. This was so enjoyable for all that we’ve decided to do it again on Tuesday 18th October at 4.00pm!

Find out more about Meeting Needs, give us ideas on how we can engage better with you, and see how you could get more involved with the event industry’s charity.

Did you know…

We can provide you with a JustGiving platform to take regular, small donations from your suppliers and industry colleagues. ,How? Here’s a couple of examples…

Agencies - When you have suppliers who want to visit your offices, rather than all those (unsustainable!) give aways they bring, ask them to make a small donation to Meeting Needs instead!

Venues, DMCs - Fed up with drop outs from FAM trips? Ask your guests to confirm their commitment by making a small donation through the platform.

We’ll set everything up for you, so that you’re all ready to take donations. There must be more ways that we could raise funds in this way as well, please let us know if you have any bright ideas! Visit our website for more information or contact Margaret Mann.

Finally…

If you or your team members have a cause that’s close to your heart, you can nominate a charity for a grant, subject to our normal due diligence. Please get in touch!

See some updates from our recently supported beneficiaries below!

Inter Care Africa-Sierra Leone

We had a lovely update from Inter Care, a charity Meeting Needs recently supported by funding the freight costs of a shipping container filled with medical supplies, which was sent from the UK to five rural hospitals in Sierra Leone.

“On arrival in July 2022 - the healthcare goods were distributed to surrounding rural hospitals. Thousands of local patients will benefit from the quality medical supplies that, together we have sent. We very much appreciate the way in which Meeting Needs regularly and generously supports Inter Care. Thank you.

Ultimately, your support makes the doctors and medics so much happier because together we’re enabling them to better treat thousands of local patients in their communities. You help Inter Care to give happiness through improved health to local patients and their families, because the medical products Inter Care provides are given free of charge where patients cannot afford to pay. Thank you for your kindness and compassion.”

Phil Riley – Trust Fundraiser - Inter Care

Diocese of Central Tanganyika-Tanzania

We had a September update following on from our funding to provide 200 Airtight Grain Storage pits for subsistence farming villages in central Tanzania….

“The farming year has been bad in TZ with a reduced rainy season, compounded with flood rains sweeping crops away. Grain prices have rocketed and food security will therefore be a major issue in the coming year. So ATGS pits created this year will be vital for reducing insect eating loss and in addressing food security in 2023.

Against the above backdrop the Diocese & Farmers have built 111 of the 200 planned pits by end August and should complete much of the balance by December.

When we applied to Meeting Needs we had no idea that the harvest would be as poor this year, so your support has been MOST critical and timely. Many thanks as ever.”

Andrew Mayfield - Volunteer Adviser