This week, Coldplay kindly asked all their fans to support good causes, in return for the chance to win tickets to their sold out gig.

Thousands of people entered the competition which meant thousands of actions and donations to support numerous charities were made through BlueDot.

We would like to thank all the Coldplay fans that entered and helped out worthy causes. The lucky winner was announed yesterday and said “Thank you SO much. So excited, taking my daughter we just can’t wait!!!!”

Coldplay have always been very supportive of many charities and have asked that all their fans support their favourite charity Kids Company by liking them on facebook.

The Coldplay competition is now closed, but you can keep supporting charities through BlueDot and collect your Dots so you can use them for other exclusive products, experiences and of course more entry in to fantastic competitions.

We are delighted that as a result of our competition to win Noel Gallagher tickets last week, over 1,000 actions to support causes were made. Over 30 charities received cash donations and four lucky winners will be going to see him live this week. We want to thank all of the Noel Gallagher fans who entered and received their Blue Dots for supporting various charities.

We believe that offering people the chance to win fantastic prizes by supporting their favourite causes can only be a good thing. So please spread the word, share the love, support the cause you believe in and get yourself some dots you can exchange for great exclusive offers or to enter future competitions. Together we can change the world by encouraging more people to support their chosen charity in return for exclusive products, experiences and of course more entry in to fantastic competitions.

Many charities such as Christian Aid, Save the Children and Oxfam continue to work around the clock to bring desperately needed aid to the more than 10 million people affected by the East Africa food crisis. The UK public has so far donated over £57m, making it one of the most generously supported appeals in the DEC’s history. The sheer scale of the disaster, however, means that donations are still needed to save lives.

The initiatives are not limited to providing much-needed food and medical supplies, but also fund other initiatives such as mobile health clinics, training, seeds and equipment for farmers, and the digging of wells and boreholes that provide clean and safe water to thousands.

So why not get some Blue Dots now by contributing to the DEC appeal? It couldn’t be easier: Simply click on the big blue “Donate” button on the homepage or click here, then search for DEC. Your donation will be safely processed through Just Giving, and you’ll get some lovely Blue Dots to spend on some really cool offers and display proudly on your profiles and active CV!

From: The Mail Online

Bono’s famine advert is banned from UK television for ‘breaching rules on political advertising’

X Factor finalists to release charity single

From: Music News.com

The 16 finalists from this year’s X Factor series will be releasing a charity single in aid of ACT & Children’s Hospices UK. The acts will release their cover of the Rose Royce classic ‘Wishing On A Star’ via download on November 20th and via physical single on November 21st, on Syco Music.

All net record company proceeds from sales of the single will go to ACT & Children’s Hospices UK. There are an estimated 23,500 children and young unlikely to live to reach adulthood. ACT & Children’s Hospices UK is the voice for all these children, young people and their families, as well as the organisations and people that support them. The charity ensures that every life-limited and life-threatened child, young person and their family gets the best possible care and support from the moment of diagnosis, wherever they live and for as long as they need it.

Simon Cowell has worked closely with ACT & Children’s Hospices for many years and comments: “Having worked close hand with this charity and seeing the amazing work they do for kids and their families who need help and support, I am thrilled that the X Factor charity single this year will benefit this charity.’”

The single is the fourth charity release from X Factor, following last year’s cover of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’, 2009′s cover of Michael Jacksons’s ‘You Are Not Alone,’ which supported Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and 2008′s ‘Hero’ which raised over £1.3 million, again for the ‘Help For Heroes’ charity.

The finalists will record the single in London this week, produced by luminary music producer Biff (Spice Girls, Kylie Minogue, Will Young). A video will be shot later this month.

The sixteen acts performing on the single are: the boys, Frankie Cocozza, Craig Colton, Marcus Collins and James Michael; the girls, Janet Devlin, Amelia Lily, Sophie Habibis and Misha Bryan; the groups, Nu Vibe, Rhythmix, The Risk and 2 Shoes; and the overs, Kitty Brucknell, Johnny Robinson, Jonjo Kerr and Sami Brookes.

From: HeraldScotland

Charity pledge as donors queue up to help bone marrow victim Ryan, 3

A BLOOD cancer charity “overwhelmed” by the UK’s biggest turnout at a bone marrow donor recruitment drive has pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in the fight to save East Kilbride toddler Ryan Ferguson and thousands others like him.

The Anthony Nolan charity revealed yesterday potential donors had travelled from as far afield as Dundee, Falkirk, Stirling and South Ayrshire to be among the 1074 people who attended the recruitment clinic in East Kilbride on Sunday.

Ryan’s parents, Paula and Stuart Ferguson, launched an appeal for donors in the hope their three-year-old son, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in August, can receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant.

Lindsay MacCallum, regional fundraising manager for Anthony Nolan in Scotland, said: “Ryan Ferguson has captured the hearts of everybody who has read his story. We hope that through Ryan’s appeal there will be a successful outcome for Ryan. Anthony Nolan will leave no stone unturned in trying to find Ryan and the thousands of people like him a donor.”

It is the second major donor clinic held at the town’s Holiday Inn hotel, after actor Dougray Scott backed a similar appeal in 2008 for Katie Currie, then aged five, who shortly afterwards was successfully matched with a donor by the charity.

Katie’s mum, Siobhan Currie, 37, was among the volunteer counsellors at the clinic on Sunday who processed the applications and saliva sampling.

Katie underwent two intensive rounds of chemotherapy to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill. She spent a year in hospital before her transplant. Swimming, dancing, cycling and karate are among the activities she and sister Libby, seven, can now enjoy together.

Mrs Currie said: “She’s amazing. She’s very healthy now and at school and doing everything an eight-year-old should be doing. She could hardly walk at one point and she had to learn to walk again. Every day is a milestone now.”

Samples from the East Kilbride clinic will now be tested in London and any successful donors will need to give a blood sample to confirm the match and could go on to donate stem cells, taken from either bone marrow in the pelvis or from blood.

Bone marrow contains stem cells essential for blood production. It will be several weeks before they know if a match has been found.

The clinic was organised by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service area commander Ally Boyle, 40, from Hamilton, who himself was diagnosed with blood disorder myelodysplasia in 2008, just after the birth of daughter Jessica. He has a 25% chance of this turning to leukaemia, leaving him also needing a marrow transplant.

More than 60 volunteers from the fire service pitched in to help arrange the recruitment clinic.

Mr Boyle, who was told he had a three-year life expectancy when he was diagnosed four years ago, said: “This is a powerful story that makes us all think about our own mortality and our own children. There’s something really positive about seeing what society can do when they put their mind to it. To see that in East Kilbride was unbelievably humbling.”

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, which supports the Anthony Nolan charity, has raised £20,000 in the last two years for the charity.

Dr Brenda Gibson, consultant haematologist at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We are delighted with number of people who came forward. The more people who are on the bone marrow register the more likely we are to find a match for Ryan or someone else awaiting a transplant.”

Anthony Nolan is the UK’s most successful bone marrow register. Around 1600 people in Britain are waiting to find a matching donor and a further 37,000 people worldwide.

X Factor angers Brighton charity over Rhythmix band

From: BBC News

A music charity for vulnerable children is taking legal advice after a girl band on the TV show X Factor started using the same name.

The group Rhythmix were put together after entering the show as four soloists and are in the final 16 acts.

Brighton-based charity Rhythmix, which has been operating in Kent, Surrey and Sussex, fears it will cause confusion.

X Factor said there was no conflict because the charity used the name for educational purposes only.

Rhythmix charity, which receives National Lottery funding, has 50 musicians who have worked with 40,000 young people through youth support services.

It said it wanted to make it clear there was no connection between the charity and the TV show or the band and was discussing with lawyers how to resolve the matter.

“We contacted them (X Factor) on Sunday to say ‘do you realise that this is the name of a music education charity working with vulnerable young people?’” said consultant Lucy Stone.

Trademarks checked

“We are just asking them to stop and think about what they are doing and what impact they are going to have on a charity at such an already really challenging financial time.

“Their response was, ‘Get a lawyer’.”

Media lawyer Paul Gilbert said X Factor was being “a bit disingenuous”.

“I think they could at least make some statement to make it clear the distinction between the two and to support the charity in the good work they are doing,” he said.

An X Factor spokesman said it checked all band names for trademarks once they were selected for the live shows and it was aware of the charity.

“The charity in question have trademarked the name Rhythmix for educational purposes only, which is not in conflict with the band or the show,” it said.

From: The Mail Online

And for your first duty Mr Hurley: Shane Warne plays dutiful fiancé as he joins Liz at Estee Lauder charity event

They’ve only been engaged a matter of days, but it looks like Shane Warne is fitting into the role of dutiful fiancé very nicely.

In his dapper suit and pink tie, the cricketer, 42, complemented his future wife Elizabeth Hurley perfectly as she hosted a breast cancer charity event in Edinburgh.

The metrosexual Australian proudly stood back as the Austin Powers actress spoke about Estee Lauder’s fundraising campaign at the Jenners department store.

Thousands sink a cuppa for charity

From: The Worcerster Standard

HUNDREDS of biscuits were dunked and gallons of tea and coffee drunk as people across the county got the kettle on for charity. More than 600 venues including schools, churches, offices and historic buildings invited people to come and enjoy a brew and make a donation to the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care.
At Worcester Guildhall the Mayor Dr David Tibbutt raised a cuppa with visitors to show his support, while homemade cakes and cookies were the order of the day at fire and rescue service headquarters on Charles Hastings Way, where staff raised £133,000. Staff at city company VolkerLaser ensured their fund-raising was much more than just a storm in a teacup as they held a raffle which raised £1,215 for the charity. They were just a small number of the fund-raising events which Macmillan believe will help them smash their target.
Kelly Whitehouse, Macmillan fund-raising manager for Worcestershire, said this year’s fund-raiser across Worcestershire was definitely the biggest and best yet.
“The amazing support Macmillan Cancer Support has seen this year has meant we’re set to reach our target of £103,000,” she said. “Early reports show that with over a dozen events raising in excess of £1,000, we should hit and even smash our goal!” The money raised will help to fund vital services like Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialists, benefits advice workers, information centres and give thousands of pounds in much-needed patient grants to people affected by cancer.

For more information and to support Macmillan visit the Website or visit their Facebook page

‘Big rise’ in charity food demand, says Fareshare

From: BBC News

Figures from a charity suggest a sharp rise in demand on charities for food.

Fareshare, which redirects food trade surpluses to those in need, said its donations were reaching 35,000 people a day, up from 29,000 a day last year.

The organisation said it had seen the largest annual increase in the number of charities asking for handouts.

Fareshare said low-income families were struggling with rising food prices, and one in three charities it surveyed was facing government funding cuts.

Unprecedented demand

The charity has 17 locations around the UK and passes on good quality supplies from the British food industry to a wide network of organisations such as homeless hostels, women’s refuges, day centres and after-school clubs.

It said that in the year to April it provided 8.6 million meals to 600 groups, and this year it was facing unprecedented demand from some 700 organisations.

The organisation, which works with more than 100 companies in the food and drink industry, said 42% of the charities it surveyed reported an increase in demand for food in the past year.

Some 65% of the charities were slashing food budgets in an effort to stay afloat, it found, according to responses from 150 community members from organisations Fareshare supplies.

Fareshare said there has been an “increase in people and the types of people” seeking food from the charities.

In the past, its donations commonly went to homeless people and refugee charities but more “destitute families” were now among its recipients.

Fareshare chief executive Lindsay Boswell said: “At a time of unprecedented demand we want the food industry and the general public to increase their support.”

He added: “This research supports the growing anecdotal evidence we’ve seen in recent months – more people are getting in touch with Fareshare asking for help to access food.

“We’re committed to working with grassroots charities to make a significant difference to the diets of people in communities all over the UK but we need more food to meet this increased demand.

“We’re asking anyone who works in the food industry in any capacity to look at what is happening to their surplus food and to ask themselves a simple question: ‘Could this food stop someone going hungry?’”