As many of you know every year (based on the accounting year which is April to March) we make a donation to a selected charity based on a percentage of all walk fees for the whole year, plus 100% of the walk fees for the Christmas and New Year special walk events.
We have changed the process for selecting the charity in order to enable new charities to be considered and also to provide an element of democracy for our members to nominate and select the charity. The committee will select a shortlist of two and the members will make the final choice between these two at the AGM. At the AGM the committee will also announce the proposed amount of the donation to the charity for the year just completed prior to presenting a cheque to the charity.
The choice of charity has always been challenging. The amount donated is usually of the order of £500 but can be higher or lower depending on walk turnout during the year. We try to select a charity that has local connections and that is small enough such that the above amount would make a real difference to them.
We currently have a list of charities. Charities can be added to this list by nomimation to the committee for consideration. Brief details of the current charities are listed below, along with when they last received our donation:
Glamis Hall - chosen by members at the June 2024 AGM as the charity for 2024 - 2025.
“Glamis Hall”. Glamis Hall was set up by a group of friends who came together in 2014 to save Glamis Hall and its services from closure by the local council. They became a registered charity in early 2015 to help them provide services at Glamis Hall for the community. Glamis Hall is a community centre on the Queensway Estate in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, comprising a Day Centre for the over 50s, a large hall with a kitchen and servery, a community (meeting) room, and sports changing rooms. They have stated that should they be given a donation from us they would like to purchase some new games/activities to play with the day centre clients. Theye like to have games that require the clients to get up out of their chairs and move around while they are with us to help them retain their mobility as much as possible.
Northamptonshire Search and Rescue
At the 2025 AGM attendees will be voted for one of the following to receive the 2025/2026 donation, with Northamptonshire Search and Rescue being selected.
i.
“The Daylight Centre Fellowship”. This organisation was established in
1994, registered in 2003 and ever since has supported disadvantaged and
vulnerable adults particularly rough sleepers, vulnerably housed, those in
poverty and those who are socially isolated. As such, they are at the very
forefront of social action within Wellingborough and the surrounding areas. They
have stated that if they are fortunate enough to be awarded the donation, they
would utilise it to support their rough sleeper clients. At their community hub,
they offer free hot breakfasts for rough sleepers, a crucial service that relies
heavily on funding to continue. These meals provide essential nourishment and
comfort, helping maintain their commitment to supporting those in need.
On average a rough sleeper breakfast costs around £3.50 per person.
ii.
“Northamptonshire Search and Rescue”.
Northamptonshire Search and Rescue (NSAR) are a group of trained volunteers who
are on call 24hrs a day, 365 days a year. The team today is extremely well
trained and equipped and regularly assist Northamptonshire Police and other
statutory emergency services. They are mainly called out to assist in the search
for vulnerable missing people across the county’s 760 square miles (2,364 square
kilometres) of Northamptonshire. The charity has over 40 volunteers, 3 search
dogs, and access to 3 specialist vehicles and a search drone. It received no
government funding and is a registered charity