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April 2008
30th April 2008
Please examine your change before leaving as mistakes cannot easily be rectified afterwards
The cost of the Olympic games has risen from a budget of £3.4 billion to £9.3 billion, which includes the eyebrow raising cost of an 'aquatics centre' (a swimming pool to thee and me) from £73 million in 2004 to £303 million in today's money. More here.
In the same week that the blame for these costs is being passed around, the National Union of Teachers went on strike for the first time in 21 years, over a disagreement regarding pay. These days it is a very good idea to check on what you are actually paying for and what you get in return. The Brazilian footballer Ronaldo would probably agree with these sentiments. I wonder if he has switched yet?
25th April 2008
Oil again.
If you thought the cost of oil reaching over $100 a barrel was bad enough, the O.P.E.C (Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) has warned that it could now reach $200 a barrel. Read More. The bad news continues with the fact that BP is looking to close down its 'Forties' pipeline due to the proposed strike at Grangemouth - responsible for around 700,000 barrels a day.
There is also trouble further a field as another strike and militant action, this time in Nigeria, has further declined production by approximately 200,000 barrels a day. Not only does this situation put further pressure on the cost of petrol and diesel but Britain's imports of liquid gas have also fallen - despite the fact that most energy consumers are paying too much for their gas and electricity.
23rd April 2008
Happy St. George’s Day to all those people who have him as their patron saint - England, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Palestine and Russia as well as others.
In time honoured tradition we're off out for a few drinks and then to queue up somewhere!
22nd April 2008
Eureka!
A man in Cumbria has been charged over £200 by his council because his wheelie bin lid was raised by approximately 4 inches.
The problem arose when the council decided to switch its refuse collections to fortnightly instead of weekly. However, they neglected to add into this equation that they would be collecting 2 weeks worth of refuse in a container that is only designed to hold a weeks worth of waste.
18th April 2008
If you are looking for a way to network with other charities regarding fundraising and events have a look at www.mycharitypage.com.
My Charity Page is the charity equivalent of Facebook that uses social networking features such as videos, blogs and forum discussions, to let people build a network of friends to raise awareness of a chosen charity.
Save for a Change have created their own profile so you can see what else we get up to when we are let out of the office. Don't forget: switch your energy providers through Save for a Change and we can get you started with your fundrasing!
9th April 2008
Government gets into further difficulty with Fuel Poverty
Help the Aged and Friends of the Earth are taking the Government to court today over the failure to identify, tackle and eradicate fuel poverty. See Guardian article.
This is something that we have commented on previously see March 11th and March 28th and our fuel poverty article.
What todays news highlights is the ever increasing struggle for the elderly to heat their own homes as even though the governments 'winter fuel' grants are going up, it is ardly in proportion with the rising costs of gas and electricity.
You can read more about the impact that the ever rising cost of gas and electricity are having on the elderly by reading the Age Concern article.
7th April 2008
'There is a light that never goes out'
In the spirit of the 1968, the Olympic torch was extinguished at least 3 times today during the Paris relay because of the protests against China's involvement with Tibet. I do wonder who first came up with this idea...
and then on to San Francisco for more of the same. Then Tibet, which should be really interesting.
5th April 2008
To celebrate the wonder of animals of all kinds we are getting behind National Pet Month - 5th April to 5th May.
National Pet month aims to promote
- Responsible pet ownership.
- the public's awareness of the companionship, comfort and joy that owning a pet can bring.
- awareness of the role that working animals make to our society.
To celebrate this, Save for a Change have got behind the following charities as they really contribute to the society we live in and make a huge difference:
The Border Collie Trust of Great Britain help to resuce and re-home border collies. If you get a chance look at 'Damien and Clancy's fundraising walk.
Canine Partners assists people with disabilities to enjoy a greater independence and quality of life and, where possible, helps them into education and employment, through the provision of specially trained dogs, whose well-being is a key consideration.
A 'Canine Partner' assistance dog is life transforming for people with disabilities, providing practical, physiological, psychological and social benefits that help keep people happy and healthy.
Three Counties Dog Rescue based in Bourne Lincolnshire accepts, cares for, and finds homes for unwanted, lost and stray dogs.
Aristocat Cat Rescue is run entirely by volunteers, they have no paid staff and all of the funds are spent on the cats and kittens they help.
Aristocat has a non-destruct policy and does not put healthy animals to sleep.
Haworth Cat Rescue is a small independent UK registered charity which offers a half-way home to unwanted cats and kittens. The charity is funded and run by volunteers and operates a no-kill policy.
Tŷ Agored Animal Sanctuary is a registered charity that for over 35 years has provided care and support for unwanted, abused and abandoned animals. They mainly care for cats and dogs but all animals are welcome. Tŷ Agored is Welsh meaning Open House and the animals in their care are guests until a suitable home is found.
Many of the animals that go and stay a while have lived troubled lives. The aim is to change that; they are loved and cared for whilst they stay and Tŷ Agored work hard to find them a good home.
2nd April 2008
Ofgem have revealed that more than 5 million people switched their energy providers last year. Due to the rising cost of energy and numerous price increases - all the major providers has raised their prices right across the board - consumers are sending a clear signal that they are not prepared to stay with their 'default' supplier when there are cheaper options available.
If you have never switched energy providers let me assure you that its not scary or complicated at all. Throughout my time in the industry I have regularly seen savings of over £100 just by moving provider and changing payment method.
Example: For a household who has never switched in the Yorkshire area (spending £450 on electric and £400 on gas, paying on reciept of the bills) a saving of £219 can easily be made by switching to Alantic Electric and Gas (part of the Scottish and Southern Energy Group) or £194 by moving to British Gas.
So why should we use the Save for a Change service I hear you ask. Well we show you the best provider for your needs and arrange the transfer on your behalf, this is all free of charge and we even make a donation for you once your application has gone live.
In short:
It costs you nothing, It can save you loads, You will be helping others.
1st April 2008
Since 1994 the East of Congo has been at war, a further result of the genocide that took place in Rwanda. Gorrilas like Bobby Junior (pictured left) are also caught up in this war as they live where there is an abundance of natural minerals.
One of these minerals is called Columbite-tantalite or 'Coltan' for short. Coltan is quite the commodity for the Congo, once refined it is used to make tantalum capacitors which are a vital component in mobile phones.
Coltan is extremly sought after and highly organised gangs are systematically exploiting this, using Coltan as a method of funding civil war.
The main area where Coltan is mined is the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, home of the Mountain Gorilla. In this area the gorilla population has been cut nearly in half as the ground is cleared to make mining easier and quicker. The ground clearence reduces the amount of available food for the gorillas, ontop of this the poverty caused by the activity in the area has lead to gorillas being killed and their meat being sold to the miners and rebel armies that control the area.
Within Congo as a whole, the U.N. Environment Program has reported that the number of eastern lowland gorillas in 8 of the national parks has declined by 90% over the past 5 years, and now only 3,000 remain.
You can help Bobby Junior by finding a better energy provider and then using your 'Change Points' to donate to either:
The Zoological Society of London - Registered Charity No. 208728
or
The Gorilla Organization - Registered Charity No. 1117131
You can save money with a cheaper energy supplier or choose an even more environmentally friendly supplier, which will help Bobby Junior as well.
Read more about Bobby Junior.