Feature | Wave 105 Cash for Kids

I'm raising money through my love for books & reading - can you help?

If your following my blog then I would say its a pretty safe bet that your a book lover, right?

Most of us gained our love of reading from an early age, you can read my story here, but imagine for a moment a world where you grew up without books. 

For others their passion might be cars or music, again steaming from a childhood of building go-carts and building ramps for your hot wheels collection, or from making drums out of pots and pans to sitting there with your finger on the record button every Sunday evening as you listen to the charts waiting to see who would be number one that week - we all did this, didn't we?

Yet there are thousands of children that don't have such privileges and that in itself is just heartbreaking- whether you have children yourself, grandchildren,  nieces, nephews, god-children, friends with kids.... the list goes on, but I'm sure you would hate for them to be missing out on the fun of childhood, the toys, the clean clothes, a hot meal or a warm bath... OK, making myself cry justv thinking about it but you get the general idea!

I've been a listener to Wave 105 radio now for as long as I can remember, and the last couple of years have followed their Cash for Kids campaign. It has amazed me how the south coast comes together each year to raise thousands of Christmas presents for children across the region just so they don't miss out.

Sadly, I'm gutted to say that due to personal reasons I have been unable to buy and contribute as funds just haven't been there but things have changed and I want to help.

Wave 105 have reached out for people to join their 1000 faces campaign. They want to raise £100,000 this year for Cash for Kids, which is an awful lot of money to achieve... but 1000 people raising £100 each sounds much more achievable doesn't it?

So I sat and stewed and pondered and thought.... 

And then I picked up my current book! About three chapters later I had finished and updated my Goodreads status when it suddenly hit me.

I've challenged myself to read 100 books this year... Wave 105 want us to raise £100... I'll donate a pound for every book I complete.

And so, I signed up there and then and am proud to say that I'm face 436 out of 1000!

Why am I telling you this I hear you ask? Well my lovely bookish friends.. I don't want to stop at £100! I'd love for you to take part and help me. 

Remember.... just imagine your life as a child with no books.... ;-)

Now, I'm not asking you to read 100 book this year... but you might have lost your reading mojo a little and want to get back into it. Why not pledge to read 5 for the rest of the year and donate £5? 

Or you could donate me 5p for every book I read adding £5 to the pot, 10p adding £10... or you could just simply donate £1 if that's what you have spare.

Whatever you can do to help me to help Wave 105 to help Cash for Kids, I would be extremely grateful for - I've already read 20 books so far this year and so I have £20 here ready to give, but of course a challenge wouldn't be a challenge if I didn't push myself so I'd like to do 100 from now until the end of the year... eeek!!

My donation page can be found HERE

Wave 105 website HERE

Cash for Kids website HERE

About Cash for Kids (copyright to Wave 105 as taken from their website)

We were so inspired by the overwhelming success of our charity auction in 2009 that we have registered our own charity, Wave 105 Cash for Kids, to continue our support of children in our region in to the future.

We are committed to supporting local children under the age of 18, who are financially, socially, emotionally or physically disadvantaged. Additionally to encourage healthy lifestyle options by promoting physical, mental and general wellbeing of children and adolescents specifically within the Wave 105 region.

We firmly believe in this day and age no child should go without their basic needs being met, food, clothes, education, health needs, guidance and support for their future.

We want to encourage children to participate in activities outside of school that can engage, spark their imaginations, and help increase their self confidence through art, music, or any sport they are passionate about.

We will provide grants to individuals as well as other charities to help ensure the specific needs of children across the region are met.

Figures show that there are approximately 54,000 children living in poverty within the Wave 105 Region.

• Well over half of parents in poverty (61%) say they have cut back on food and over a quarter (26%) say they have skipped meals in the past year.

• Around 1 in 5 parents in poverty (19%) say their children have to go without new shoes when they need them.

• A large number of children in poverty say they are missing out on things that many other children take for granted, such as going on school trips (19%) and having a warm coat in winter (14%).

• Only 1 in 5 parents in poverty (20%) say they have not had to borrow money to pay for essentials, such as food and clothes in the past year.

Source: www.endchildpoverty.org.uk

Bauer Radio's Cash for Kids registered charity 1122062 (England & NI), SC041421 (East Scotland), SC003334 (West Scotland).