Charity Begins At Home

One of the great joys of Christmas is giving.

We all enjoy seeing someone’s face light up when they open a present we’ve given them, but we also feel immense satisfaction if we give to a worthy cause and we can see the benefit of our gift. Being a firm believer in the motto ‘charity begins at home’ I don’t think we need look further than our own area to find causes worthy of our support. Here at Time & Leisure we do all we can to support our local charities and Christmas is an ideal time to remember the work they do in the community throughout the year.

Heed the warning sent out by St Raphael’s Hospice, North Cheam, which is urging local people to turn their backs on the new, commercially-run ‘health’ lottery, warning that it could deprive local people with lifethreatening illnesses of the care services they depend on. Keith Whitham, Director of Fundraising at the hospice, says: ‘The new lottery will only donate 20p to charity for every pound spent on tickets – just a fraction above the legal minimum amount. And no-one can be sure where the money is going. In contrast, for every pound received by the St Raphael’s Lottery, 50p goes directly to hospice care in our community.’ With so little support coming from the government and the NHS, St Raphael’s and our regional children’s hospice, Shooting Star CHASE, face enormous challenges every year in raising funds. Shooting Star CHASE is currently issuing an appeal this Christmas to raise funds to extend its Hospice at Home service, which it simply cannot afford to fully deliver at present. Visit www.straphaels.org.uk and www.shootingstarchase.org.uk.

The Children’s Trust is a national charity, but it’s locally based and we can be proud of the wonderful work it does in treating and rehabilitating children with acquired brain injuries and complex health needs. The Trust also has to rely on a year-round programme of fundraising to continue its work, so what better way to support it than by buying your Christmas cards, calendar and diary from the Trust’s online shop (www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk). Have a very Merry, giving Christmas!

Chris Wood is resident composer with Guest House Opera and editor of Epsom, Sutton and Cheam Time & Leisure.

Find out more about Guest House Opera (website under construction)