It is now a year since I won the money and I have enjoyed helping many people to help others make a difference through the £65 giveaways. It has been rewarding to occasionally get follow-up e-mails, letters and photo's showing the differences made.I hope I have also inspired others to be creative in their thinking. Whilst £65 might not seem much to some, for others it can be life changing.
Who's life could you change? How creative could you be? Are you willing to make a difference?
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23 comments:
Hi Andy,
I was looking to see if you had responded to my request and I think I may have been over looked. My name is Gwen and I am the childminder requesting the money to help get the children I look after out and about more.
Thank you,
Gwen
Greetings Andy,
I would like to request a share of your winnings for a lovely lady who is having a very difficult time at the moment with a young lad, that she cares for. In short he has been excluded from school and she is finding it very hard work keeping him occupied. Please don't see this as rewarding his bad behaviour but his carer could really use a break. I'll have him for the afternoon so that she can do something nice for herself like go shopping and get her hair done.
Thank you for this generous offer.
Richard
Hi Andy,
I would like to request 65.00 to hire out a PA system. I am an amateur singer and I would like to visit my local hospice and share some songs with these critically ill patients. I don't drive so this would include a taxi there and back.
I hope this would cheer them up and make them feel a bit better for a couple of hours. They say happiness can be a form of pain relief and I would like to try it out.
Hugs Laura Bibb
Hello Andy,
My name is Tone C. and I am a detached youth worker in Maypole, Birmingham. I run a very strong football team but the team is in desperate need of some new kit for next season. I could get a great deal for some kit for 65.00 from an online charitiable organisation who move on surplus goods.
The team have won the league and I thought they all deserved a treat for their hard work throughout the season.
Cheers Mate.
From Tone C.
Hi Richard, Laura & Tone C,
having granted lots of requests last week, I possibly feel a bit mean this week in declining your requests. However, I hope my reasons will not deter you from achieving your goals.
Richard, it appears that you will already be making a difference by giving the carer a break for the afternoon. Well done.
Laura, great idea for you to make a difference at the local hospice. However, I believe that you could possibly find someone to give you a lift and they would be delighted to hear you sing without the need for a P.A.
Tone C, you have done the hard work in finding the kit at a reasonable price. Why not ask each of the lads to chip in £6? You are right it would be a treat, but I don't think my money will really make a difference in their lives.
Andy G
Gwen,
I apologise. With so many other requests, I did overlook your request last week.
I appreciate that the equipment you purchase will benefit the children. However, could this be provided by their parents or guardian? I am willing to consider your request if you can convince me that they can't afford it, rather than to save them money.
Andy G
Dear Andy,
I would like to ask you for the money for a fancy new hat for my friend. We run a mother and toddler group as volunteers and my friend has been battling a tumour on her head for a long time. The treatment has caused some hair lose and a scar across her forehead. I would like to take her to buy a fancy new hat that she can wear when she goes out, as she only has a few old ones which she wears all the time. I think this is effecting her self esteem. She gives so much to the community and I want to show her how much we care. I could ask people to donate and I'm sure they would, but I thought this way was more subtle as she can remain anonymous.
Much appreciated,
J.S.
Hello Andy,
My name is Tracy and I would like to get the money to buy a small portable cd/stereo player and some classic CDs for the old folks I work with as a volunteer. They love having a sing- a- long but as they are so old we sometimes get into a right mess with the words and the tune.
This would make a difference to the old dears as sometimes it can get very quiet and we want to keep them as lively as possible. We often do raffles and fundraising events, to keep us going but there are only so many pound coins a pensioner can part with.
What you are doing is lovely and I hope you can help.
Cheers
Tracy Meakin
Hi Andy,
I would like the money to buy medals for all of the participants of the Birmingham Badminton Schools Championships. The medals are only 2.00 each and we can only usually afford to get trophies for the winners of each age category. Your generousity has already inspired me to donate a new badminton racket for the child showing most determination. It would be nice for every participant (30) to get a medal to encourage them to remain active and playing sport.
Just an idea.
Thanks Brian
Hello there Andy,
I help my elderly neighbour with her shopping each week. We always go to the same places as she shops around looking for bargains and buying the same old cheapest foods. I was wondering if you would support me for just one week to take her to a nice supermarket to buy some different and more healthy foods. I could introduce her to some healthier fruits and vegetables and show her how to prepare them. This would help her see that there are lots of other things to eat besides bangers and mash.
from
Jenny Douglas
A Grandad's request...
My grandson has just had grommets fitted as he has not been able to hear anything for the last 12 months. He is only 20 months old and we have been told that this is very young for such a condition. The hearing lose had also affected his speech and he will be having speech therapy as well as visits to the hospital for hearing tests. My wife and I would love to take him to the new Thomas the Tank attraction as we think this will encourage him to speak when he sees all the characters he knows and loves from the TV.
These theme parks can be so expensive and we thought with your help we could go and enjoy watching him try to speak and hear all the train sounds.
Simeon
Hi Mrs J.S.,
Hats off to you for wanting to help your friend who does such a lot for others. £65 is yours.
E-mail me your contact details and I will send you a cheque.
Andy G
Hi Tracey and Brian,
It's great that you will be able to put a smile on so many faces. Send me your contact details and I will send you a cheque for £65.
Andy G.
Hi Jenny and Simeon,
Whilst the support you are giving to your neighbour and Grandson is admirable, I have decided not to support you financially.
Last night I watched the Sports Relief fundraising activities on TV and the causes they were making a difference to. It caused me to think about how many people could be helped by £65 and the differences that could be made. Hence my focus at the moment is on helping people who can help larger groups or create ongoing financial sustainability in some way - kickstarted by my £65.
Andy G.
Hi Andy,
I work in a barber shop and I would like to ask for the £65 to buy a booster seat and some children's DVDs for the children who come into the shop. More often than not the children can't sit still and I obviously can't restrain them. The parent is then left trying to keep the child seated in the chair, while cringing with embarressment, as the rest of the shop watches the performance.
We are based in Handsworth, Birmingham which is an area of deprivation so we can't increase prices to cover this cost. It would really make a difference for these little customers to have a less stressful experience when they come to visit us.
Thanks Daine
Dearest Andy,
We have had a great idea to use the money to use recycled materials to create a sensory garden in our local community space. Eg filling plastic bottles with coloured water and oil, using old cds on the floor to look like puddles, using cans as wind chimes etc. The £65.00 is for things like safety glue, outdoor paints and some containers to store the things away during bad weather. We want to get the community involved in making the garden a great experience for all.
They call me Mother Anderson, as I have been working in the community for so long, but even though I am a pensioner I will continue doing the work for as long as I am able.
God bless you.
Mother Anderson
Hi Andy,
Gwen again... I was more thinking of keeping the things to use for all the children I look after. If individual parents/carers buy things then they take them with them when their child leaves. I was hoping to build my resources for all the child to use now and in the future. I was also thinking that if I have a bank of resources then parents/ carers don't have to keep buying new things as the child grows older. I have the children while their parents work and I know they go home, have dinner and to bed. If they don't get out and about with me during the day, they don't often get the chance til maybe the weekend. I think I should do my part to help.
Thanks.
Gwen
Childminder
Hiya Andy,
What a lot of good ideas. I would like to request the £65.00 to buy some flasks and safety mugs for the day trips I organise for my community in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. We have many families and the elderly attend and often have 2 coaches go to te seaside or the country side. The problem is the motorway services are so expensive! With the 4 large flasks and 20 mugs we could bring our own hot drinks with us. The mugs will keep the children and elderly safe from spilling the drinks as they have lids with sip holes on.
This would save us all alot of money and we would all have more enjoyable days out.
many thanks,
Marie
Hello Andy,
I am concerned about the amount of fizzy drinks our young people consume and the effects this has on their health and behaviour. I would like the £65 to go into my local primary school ( I used to be a teacher) and during break and lunch time, show them how to make simple fruit smoothies. These can be very expensive in the shops but they are quick and easy to make. Hopefully the children will enjoy them and continue to make them at home. The money would be for the fruit, plastic cups and other ingredients like soda water and milk.
We all need to take responsibility for our youth and our communities. Thank you so much,
Marva
Hi Mother Anderson,
I am willing to give you £65 to assist in your sensory garden with one condition. I would like to invite you to consider the possible implications about using the man made materials you described. Surely plastic, oil and cans could be replaced with something more natural and environmentally friendly?
It is great to get the community involved so why not involve them in helping you to do some further thinking about what else could create a sensory experience?
Andy G
Hi Marie,
Whilst I am happy to give you £65 for the flasks and safety mugs, the primary purpose of me giving money away is not to save other people lot's of money.
However, what if, over a period of time, you were able to collect £65 from the money you saved and agreed to find another worthy cause to give it to? Then that would really be making a difference.
Andy G
Hi Daine and Gwen,
I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have decided not to fund what could technically be classified as equipment used in the running of a business or occupation. Whilst both are good ideas, I do believe strongly that businesses should generate sufficient funds to invest in equipment that meets customer needs.
I wish you well.
Andy G.
Hi Marva,
I like your idea and the effort you are prepared to invest in helping young people understand more about their health. Please consider producing some form of recipe/instructions handout that they can take home with them and the £65 is yours.
Send me your contact details and I will get a cheque to you.
Andy G.
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