INAS stands for International Association for Sport and they encourage people with an intellectual disability to get into olympic sport.

Although they are based in Sheffield, they operate on a global basis, with membership of 130,000 athletes across 75 different nations. The aim is to make sure an intellectual disability does not inhibit anyone from achieving their sporting goals.

INAS run a number of events including an annual World Championship competitions and an INAS Global Games every 4 years.

You can read more about INAS and the work they are involved in here.

One thing which everybody recognises as a clue that the warmer months are ahead; the sightings of bumblebees buzzing around all the new flowers!

They are our favourite insect, not just because of the yellow on their backs (though it does help), but also because they are extremely useful pollinating plants & making honey. They are arguably one of the most important insects in the UK.

However, their numbers have been dwindling over the years and there is real concern over what that will mean for our food production and the effect that it will have on the environment.

This is where Bumblebee Conservation Trust come in. They are out to protect and encourage the bumblebee population in the UK, with a view to educating people on why the bees are so important.
You can read more about their work and get involved in stopping the plight of the bumblebee here.

The Sick Kids Friends Foundation is a charity that wants to help children who are in hospital. Their mentality and ethos is to help children be “children first and patients second.” Despite being ill, a child should still be able to enjoy being a child and enjoy life.

Not only do they fund the latest medical equipment and research to take care of the children clinically, they also provide fun and play services to keep the children happy.

They also organise all sorts of fundraising events and challenges to fund the services they offer.
If you would like to find out more, please have a look at their website here.

Off on a daring and challenging adventure, Ken Welsh, one of our clients, is going to climb Kilimanjaro to raise money for Action for Children.

The charity is focused on securing a better future for the children of the UK. They offer support for young people, people with disabilities, families, and children in care. Another key focus is encouraging adoption and fostering to help improve the lives of the children.

Ken Welsh left on the 18th January to start his expedition to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. If you want to find out more about the fundraising, you can see his JustGiving page here.

Many of you will of heard of Social Bite by now, especially after the publicity gained when George Clooney came to Edinburgh for tea! He was helping to raise awareness and money for the social business, and his high profile certainly accomplished this.

So what is Social Bite? It’s a cafe, with a difference. The profit raised from this business gets donated to other charities, with a particular focus on helping the homeless. Meals can be bought in advance for homeless people, and one in four employees were previously homeless.

In the season of giving, Social Bite has organised an extra special Itison deal where you can buy a homeless person a meal or provide winter essentials for Refugees in Europe. Last year, this endeavour bought 36,269 meals!! So far this year, they have almost doubled the intake, reaching over 62,800 meals bought (at least at the time of this article).

If you would like to buy a homeless person a meal this Christmas, just follow this link to Itison. Hurry, only one day left of the deal!

Huntington’s Disease is a neurological condition, where a faulty gene causes certain brain cells to waste away and eventually die. It is a hereditary condition that can affect a person’s ability to walk, talk and swallow, as well as their personality and emotions.

The charity was set up by a group of families who were living with Huntington’s Disease and they wanted to provide a support network for each other. Since starting in 1989, Scottish Huntington’s Association has grown to have 9 specialist services across Scotland and provides support, both emotional and financial to families affected by the disease.

If you want to read more about Scottish Huntington’s Association, you can view their website here.
We would also love to hear any suggestions for our next Charity of the Month. Why not tweet us to let us know? (You might as well give us a wee ‘follow’ while you’re at it!)

We like to ask for your nominations and choose a charity that is close to your heart. So, last month we received a Facebook message from Deanna Wolf asking for us to support Quarriers next.
Quarriers is predominately a social care charity, helping vulnerable children, adults and families with various issues they may incur throughout their lives. This could be health related, financial or circumstantial.
The charity also provides care and support to these vulnerable groups, providing more information on different disabilities, illnesses and how to support young people in the UK.
We are delighted to give a donation to Quarriers and help them fund this valuable work.
So as you can see from this month, it’s really great when people want to interact with us on social media and we really do listen to what you have to say.
If you would like to nominate a charity please get in touch, why not be really modern and Facebook or Tweet us? On the other hand, you could always ‘Tweet’ us the old fashioned way via carrier pigeon… whatever works for you…

As you know, every month we donate money to a charity of your choosing. This month our very own Graphic Designer, Ryan, has nominated The Leanne Fund as our Charity of the Month.
The Leanne Fund was started in memory of Leanne Mitchell, who had Cystic Fibrosis and really lived life to the full. The charity seeks to help young people and their families to be active, love life and create long-lasting memories.
The money that is raised goes towards funding special treats such as weekends away, driving lessons, spa days etc. The charity also provides counselling and crisis grants to help people cope better. They have even started supplying special TV cards in hospitals so that children who are admitted to  hospital often, and for longer periods of time, are able to watch TV.
If you want to read more about The Leanne Fund, you can view their website here and learn about the work that they are involved in. There are also a number of events scheduled to take place to help raise money.

Having being diagnosed with breast cancer, Lydia Jack has found great comfort and support from Cancer Support Scotland, as they have helped her to rebuild her life. Wanting to recognise this and give something back, Lydia has decided to raise money for the charity so they can keep on supporting others who have also been affected by cancer.
So how is she going to do this? Lydia and her daughter Alex have chosen to do something daring and challenging. A skydive. Having survived cancer, she is keen to seize every opportunity, step out, and give something back.
She hoped to raise £1,000 and with 27 days left to go she has already exceeded this target.
Cancer Support Scotland provide care and support people who have been affected by cancer. The charity gives emotional and practical help by means of a one-to-one counselling session or community-based support groups and relies heavily of fundraising and donations to be able to continue this work.
If you would like to contribute, you can find her Virgin Money Giving page here.
Every month we donate £50 to charity, so if you would like to nominate a charity please contact us.

Whether you are a major fan of golf or only like to play occasionally, completing 100 holes in only one day would prove a difficult task for anyone (even Tiger Woods?) Well that’s exactly what Tom Lovering and Michael McEwan managed to do on Monday the 22^nd June, playing from 4am – 10pm and walking 23 miles in the process.

Why did they want to play 16 hours of golf in one day? To raise money for Yorkhill Children’s Charity, who provide support for paediatric, obstetric and neonatal care. Every year, the charity help 160,000 people and continually strive to improve the care they can give. Having now moved to the new Glasgow hospital, Yorkhill are excited about the prospects of new equipment and the care that can be given. Have a look at their fancy new home here.

Tom and Michael completed the ‘100 Holes Challenge’ for exactly this reason: to help Yorkhill provide even better care.

If you would like to read more about their golfing-marathon or wish to donate, you can visit their Just Giving page here. You can also read more about Yorkhill Children’s Charity by clicking here.
Is there a charity close to your heart? Why not nominate them as our next ‘Charity of the Month’ and we will donate £50 to the charity of your choice.