Can you remember how you felt the last time someone held a door open for you? Or when you offered up a seat on a bus to someone who needed it more? In all likelihood you felt great; but just how important could it be in helping us maintain a healthy mind?

Our latest research report called ‘Doing Good’ has revealed that helping others can be of immense benefit to our mental health and wellbeing. We’ve found strong evidence that giving or receiving a good deed can improve our mood, reduce stress, help create stronger communities and build a happier and healthier society for everyone.

During Mental Health Awareness Week (21^st – 27^th May 2012) we are campaigning to promote the message that ‘doing good, does you good’. We believe it has the power to make a substantive difference to the nation’s happiness and wellbeing, and we are highlighting simple ways that we all can incorporate it in our daily lives. To help people start feeling the benefits right away, we are launching a pocket guide, including a ‘Doing Good’ diary, which can be downloaded for free from our website.

Support the Mental Health Foundation with an ongoing donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

“Barnardo’s is piloting a unique scheme with the Department for Education to offer alternative, safe accommodation for victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking, with specially trained and highly supported foster carers.

It is a project with a lot of young lives riding on it and its success could help transform the future of society’s most vulnerable.

If a society is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable then we are truly failing when it comes to some of our youngest.

In the 17 years Barnardo’s has been working to stop child sexual exploitation it has become clear that victims have been preyed upon because of their vulnerability and their sadly low opinions of themselves.

Our report Not A World Away found that in a study sample of 1,102 children known to social services, 70 per cent of whom were in care, social workers identified a staggering one in five that were at significant risk of sexual exploitation.

And it gets worse, sexual exploitation was found to be an issue of concern for almost two thirds of girls in residential care. And for half of these children it became a concern after they entered into care.

Our services have heard countless stories of men waiting outside care homes to befriend these unwitting children, some as young as 12, desperate for love. Men attract them with flashy cars, gifts and feigned kindness, waiting for the child to fall in love with them before abusing them on a scale which is incomprehensible to most, but sadly very real.

Rates of sexual exploitation of those in care varies depending on the type of care placement they are in, with the risks being far higher for those in residential care compared to foster care.

And for those young people who are placed by their local authority, often due to financial constraints, in bed and breakfast accommodation with other vulnerable adults and ex-prisoners the risks can be extraordinarily high.

Last week, when I was with a Barnardo’s outreach team, I met two such children; a 16-year-old boy who is known to have been targeted by unscrupulous sexually exploitative adults in the past and a runaway 15-year-old girl who was befriended by several undesirable, much older people. The bed and breakfast ‘home’ these children had been given was so dangerous that the risk to their safety increased tenfold the minute they walked through the door. It is truly heartbreaking.

These young people, who have already been seriously harmed, need extra special care. They need to be protected from these insidious criminals, but apart from locking them up in secure accommodation and effectively punishing the victim rather than the perpetrator, how do we stop it from happening?

Could you foster a vulnerable child?  Barnardo’s is looking for a number of exceptional people to take on an equally exceptional role, to provide high-quality foster care for children and young people who have been sexually exploited.

They have been exposed to abusive situations and need foster carers who can offer a secure and caring environment.

Working as part of a team, Barnardo’s will provide specialist training, advice and support from its experienced staff.

You need to be someone who has an understanding of those who are vulnerable and be able to provide them with a welcoming, safe and secure home environment.”

Anyone interested in the role should contact Barnardo’s on 0800 0277 280.

Support the ongoing work of Barnardos with a monthly donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

Save the Children is appealing for £1 million to build seven new, life saving clinics in the Habiganj District, north-east Bangladesh.  Parents will no longer have to walk for 6 hours to their nearest clinic, not knowing if their sick children will make it.  Crucially, the clinics will be there for years to come, so diseases like pneumonia and diarrhoea will stop being a death sentence for children in these areas of Bangladesh.

These fully quipped clinics will be able to:

• Provide vital, life saving medical services to over 150,000 people per year currently cut off from any kind of proper healthcare
• Reach more than 35,000 women, 5,000 of whom are pregnant
• Help over 3,500 newborn babies survive their first crucial weeks of life
• Teach nearly 76,500 people how to stay healthy

You can help support our work in Bangladesh as well as the many other projects we are working on in over 120 countries, through Workplace Giving. You helped save millions of children’s lives in 2011 and we want to make sure we save even more in 2012.

Support the work of Save the Children with a monthly donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

Celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

We hope you want to join in the fun and also the spirit of this celebration so why not sign up to give a regular donation to your favourite charity straight from your pay and be in with a chance of winning everything you will need for your own Dazzling Diamond Jubilee Jamboree!

This readymade Jubilee Jamboree party in a box is worth £300 and includes; 4 bottles of Pimms; 2 bottles of Champagne; 4 bottles of old fashioned lemonade; £150 M&S food voucher; Union Jack bunting; Union Jack table cloth; Union Jack cake stand; sandwich flags and napkins; red, white and blue party poppers; commemorative mugs, plate and tea-towels.

The offer is valid for every employee who signs up to give to ANY charity from their pay from 16th April until 28th May 2012, just in time for the big celebration!

Already giving to charity via pay?  Then as a thank you, we would be happy to include you in this prize draw, simply email your name/ employer name and a contact number to info@workplacegiving-uk.co.uk.  Please note we will need to have received your details by email before 28th May 2012.

Good luck and enjoy the celebrations!!

Almost two thirds (64%) of those polled said that apart from family and friends they have never accessed any other support or services such as respite breaks or counselling. Six in ten (60%) of those that have been caring for more than five years have done so without accessing any additional support.

Of those who have sought out extra help, almost half (46%) did so after they were made aware that assistance was available specifically for carers, according to a survey of 500 unpaid adult carers, carried out by YouGov for Carers Trust which works to improve services and support for unpaid carers through our network of local carers’ centres and schemes.

Anne Roberts, Chief Executive of Carers Trust said: ‘As this survey shows many unpaid carers have never accessed any support services to help them in their caring role. We already know that many carers simply don’t have any awareness of the kind of help that is out there and what a huge difference it could make to their lives. We’ve launched Carers Trust so we can ensure that all carers know where to go to get that help when they need it and to help society recognise and value the role of carers in our communities across the UK.’

Battling on as a carer without support can lead to serious problems in carers’ lives. Almost six in ten (59%) carers said that being a carer had a negative impact on their working life. And almost six in ten (58%) of the carers surveyed said that their mental health has been affected by being a carer while more than a quarter (27%) said both their physical and mental health has been adversely affected by their caring role.

Norman had to stop working in 2008 aged 56 to become a full-time carer for his wife, Linda, who has MS. He explains: ‘I was struggling with keeping my job going and trying to ensure that my wife was safe enough to allow me to go out to work. The pressure on me eventually led to my own health failing. The stress of trying to manage a challenging job and cope with Linda’s needs led to me ending up in the Cardiac Unit at our local hospital.

‘I was left with no choice but to give up my job and become a full-time carer. The impact of this choice had serious financial implications and this led to depression and a feeling that I had gone from being a person to a resource called “carer”. I was invisible.

‘When I first contacted my local Carers’ Centre, I spoke to a Carer Support Worker and for the first time in many years, there was someone willing to listen to me rather than offering the usual retort of  “but it is much worse for your wife because of her illness”. The Carers’ Centre helped me to restore my self-respect and confidence and now I feel proud of what I do to look after Linda.’

Film and TV stars Dame Helen Mirren and Dame Judi Dench are among the well-known names supporting Carers Trust. Dame Judi Dench said: ‘There are almost six million carers in the UK and the number is rising. Many of those carers are unaware of the support that is available to them and continue looking after their family or friends without any help and often at a cost to their own health and wellbeing.’

Carers Trust, recently formed by the merger of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care, works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. With our Network Partners of local carers’ centres and schemes, we aim to ensure that information, advice and practical support such as respite care are available to all carers across the UK.

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who has agreed to be President of Carers Trust said: ‘Carers Trust will provide a united and stronger voice for unpaid carers which will enable us to continue to raise awareness of carers’ issues with Government, other policy makers and the general public and hopefully increase funding opportunities to develop and deliver the services so needed by carers and those they care for.’

Support Carers Trust with an ongoing donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

The National Autistic Society is the leading UK charity for people with autism (including Asperger syndrome) and their families. We provide information, support and pioneering services, and campaign for a better world for people with autism.

Our mission is to change the world for people living with autism through education, campaigning, support and pioneering services.

A local charity with a national presence, we campaign and lobby for lasting positive change for people affected by autism and provideservices in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We have 20,000 members, more than 100 branches, and provide:

• information, advice, advocacy, training and support for individuals and their families
• information and training for health, education and other professionals working with people with autism and their families
• specialist residential, supported living, outreach and day services for adults
• specialist schools and education outreach services for children
• out-of-school services for children and young people
• employment training and support and social groups for adults with autism.

50 years ago, we started as a small group of friends who gathered around a ‘kitchen table’, frustrated at the lack of understanding and help available for us and our children.  That day, we decided to act for ourselves, to help transform the lives of everyone affected by autism, and now, 50 years later, our small group has grown into a national society of friends and the UK’s leading autism charity. From good times to challenging times, we’re there at every stage, for parents who need advice and support for their children or adults on the spectrum who want help to lead the life they choose.

We’re proud of our achievements but that doesn’t mean our mission is complete. Because as long as indifference to autism exists, we will be here to support, campaign for and empower people living with autism. Friendships can be difficult for people with autism but if you, or someone you love, are living with autism you’ll find a lifelong friend in The National Autistic Society.

Support the work of the National Autistic Society with a monthly donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

The announcement was made by Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell at the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership High Level Meeting in Washington DC.

Barbara Frost, the Chief Executive of WaterAid, said:”We are delighted that the UK Government has committed to double from 30 to at least 60 million the number of people who will benefit from safe water to drink, improved hygiene and sanitation.

“The UK commitment represents a significant boost in tackling the international water and sanitation crisis which currently results in a staggering 2.5 million people dying every year from diarrhoea and other diseases caused by a lack of access to these basic services.

“We call on the other donors and governments to follow the UK’s lead and redouble their efforts to achieve sanitation and water for all.”

A recent DFID review showed that water, sanitation and hygiene interventions are a highly cost-effective way of improving the health, welfare and livelihoods of poor people living in developing countries and represent excellent value for money.  However, until now these interventions attracted just 2% of the UK’s aid budget.

Barbara Frost continued:”Diarrhoea caused by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene is the single biggest killer of children in Africa yet adequate investment in water, improved hygiene and sanitation has often been neglected.

“The governments in these regions, who ultimately bear responsibility for delivering basic services, have committed to do what they can to improve the situation, along with the support of the international community. The key challenge now will be delivering on their national plans in a timely manner to make these commitments a reality.”

Find out more about the meeting and WaterAid’s Water Works campaign at http://www.waterworks.me/

Support the work of WaterAid with an ongoing donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

Zeus’s first disaster was averted when his owner, Anthony Wain of Abbey Houlton, Stoke-On-Trent, noticed his beloved Boxer was suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. Anthony rushed him to his local PDSA PetAid hospital, in Club Street, Stoke-on Trent.

“Zeus seemed fine in himself,” said Anthony, “but he was being sick and had lost some weight, so I thought it best to get him checked”.

On arrival at PDSA, Zeus was examined by the veterinary team. Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Duncan Senior, said: “We were concerned that Zeus could be seriously ill, so we arranged for a series of tests to try and determine the cause of his symptoms.”

Alarmingly, an x-ray revealed several unidentified items inside Zeus’s stomach, which the vet suspected were swallowed objects, known in the trade as ‘foreign bodies’ and quite common in young dogs. The veterinary team rushed him into surgery to remove them. “They turned out to be bouncy balls, and just kept coming!” recalls Duncan “He was actually in a very serious condition. If the balls had been left in there much longer, they could have blocked his stomach, which can be fatal.”

After the operation Zeus spent a day recovering at PDSA before being allowed home with medicines. Despite his ordeal, Zeus made a quick recovery and was back to his old tricks in no time: “Some time later we were sitting in the lounge playing with his toys,” said Anthony “I turned round for a second and the next thing I know he’s licking his lips – he’d swallowed his slipper chew toy!”

So it was back to Stoke PDSA, where staff couldn’t believe that Zeus hadn’t learnt his lesson the first time round, and as Duncan Senior recalled: “Because his owners brought him straight into the hospital he didn’t suffer any real symptoms. It was very strange – he was quite happy and content, you wouldn’t think he had a toy lodged inside him! This time round we managed to remove the toy through his throat using very long forceps, avoiding major stomach surgery for a second time” recalls Duncan Senior.

Miraculously, Zeus was fine once more. He was allowed home the same day and only had to go back to hospital again to have a check up.

Anthony says: “We’re so grateful for everything PDSA have done for us. We’re keeping a very close eye on Zeus now to make sure he doesn’t do this again!”

Vet Duncan recommends that owners make sure their dogs are fully trained so they’ll obey their owner’s commands: “It’s important that dogs will drop items if told to do so. Always make sure toys are a suitable size and type for the pet, as dogs can swallow objects that are too small and solid toys can cause suffocation if they get wedged in a pet’s windpipe. Always keep an eye on your dogs when they are at play and keep anything that could be swallowed out of their way.”

PDSA provides free veterinary treatment to the sick and injured pets of people in need. For further information about PDSA or to get free pet health advice on a range of topics including like dog training visit

Support the PDSA with an ongoing donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

Scientists at the Cancer Research UK and National Institute for Health Research Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) in Leicester will investigate whether tablets containing curcumin – found in the spice turmeric – can be safely added to the standard treatment for bowel cancer that has spread.

Earlier studies have shown that curcumin can enhance the ability of chemotherapy to kill bowel cancer cells in the lab. The trial is being funded by Hope Against Cancer, The Royal College of Surgeons and the Bowel Disease Research Foundation.

Patients with advanced bowel cancer are usually given a treatment called FOLFOX, which combines three chemotherapy drugs. But around 40-60 per cent of patients don’t respond and, of those who do, side effects such as severe tingling or nerve pain can limit the number of cycles patients can have.

Chief investigator Professor William Steward, ECMC director at the University of Leicester, said: “Once bowel cancer has spread it is very difficult to treat, partly because the side effects of chemotherapy can limit how long patients can have treatment. The prospect that curcumin might increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy is exciting because it could mean giving lower doses, so patients have fewer side effects and can keep having treatment for longer.

“This research is at a very early stage, but investigating the potential of plant chemicals to treat cancer is an intriguing area that we hope could provide clues to developing new drugs in the future.”

Around 40 patients with bowel cancer that has spread to the liver will be recruited to take part in the study at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital. Three quarters of these will be given curcumin tablets for seven days, before being treated with FOLFOX. The remainder will receive FOLFOX only.

Colin Carroll, a 62-year-old compliance consultant from near Loughborough, agreed to take part in the trial after being diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in January.

“The diagnosis came as a big shock because I’d had no symptoms apart from some occasional cramps,” said Colin.

“I’d had a few tests which had come back clear and I’d just been booked for a CT scan when I was rushed to hospital with a suspected intestinal blockage.”

Scans showed Colin had bowel cancer which had spread to his liver and, three days after being admitted to Leicester Royal Infirmary, he underwent an emergency ileostomy to bypass the blockage.

“It’s been like a whirlwind,” said Colin who will need to undergo chemotherapy until mid-August. “To have something creep up on you like that when you have absolutely no control over it really makes you want to fight back. That’s why I had no difficulty in agreeing to take part in the trial.

“I’ve met some amazing people since January and my treatment on the NHS has been fantastic. The way I see it is that I’m being given the best possible chance so in that sense I feel very fortunate.”

Dr Joanna Reynolds, Cancer Research UK’s director of centres, said: “The Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres Network supports research into some of the most novel and exciting new anti-cancer therapies, often providing the first insights into their effect on cancer patients. By doing a clinical trial like this we will find out more about the potential benefits of taking large amounts of curcumin, as well as any possible side effects this could have for cancer patients.”

Support the work of Cancer Research UK with an ongoing donation from pay.

WIN a Diamond Jubilee Jamboree! £300 readymade party in a box including champagne, £150 M&S food voucher, bunting and more!

Simply choose a charity you wish to donate to regularly from your pay before 28^th May 2012 to be entered into the prize draw, just in time for the big celebration!

Celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

We hope you want to join in the fun and also the spirit of this celebration so why not sign up to give a regular donation to your favourite charity straight from your pay and be in with a chance of winning everything you will need for your own Dazzling Diamond Jubilee Jamboree!

This readymade Jubilee Jamboree party in a box is worth £300 and includes; 4 bottles of Pimms; 2 bottles of Champagne; 4 bottles of old fashioned lemonade; £150 M&S food voucher; Union Jack bunting; Union Jack table cloth; Union Jack cake stand; sandwich flags and napkins; red, white and blue party poppers; commemorative mugs, plate and tea-towels.

The offer is valid for every employee who signs up to give to ANY charity from their pay from 16th April until 28th May 2012, just in time for the big celebration!

Already giving to charity via pay?  Then as a thank you, we would be happy to include you in this prize draw, simply email your name/ employer name and a contact number to info@workplacegiving-uk.co.uk.  Please note we will need to have received your details by email before 28th May 2012.

Good luck and enjoy the celebrations!!