SHAMELESS PROMOTION (but it is for charity....)

made4aid

is launching now!

made4aid is a new charity project I've been working on with some friends, and we're launching now. Yes, right now!

This is evidence of the power and reality of blogging because the inspiration for this project was a blog-friend (who I hope to meet in person one day), Joyce, who I met on Blunderview, when my mother was dying and her brother was dying, both from cancer.

I think we both found some strength and comfort and solidarity in each other's blogs - certainly I did over at Joyce's, plus wisdom and warmth and lots of humour. Another friend met through blogging has done various web things too complicated for me, and has set up the made4aid blog and will be helping to run it.

The inspiration for made4aid comes from Joyce's project which you will find over here, which raises money for the World Food Programme's work in Darfur by selling Joyce's fabulous hand-made vintage-fabric bags.

made4aid will be starting its own on-line auctions to raise money for charity

- on MONDAY June 15th

via the made4aid blog.

We have some great hand-made art and craft items which were made, found and given or mailed to us by a range of people.

We will be selling via the made4aid blog - please look over there from Monday 15th - I hope you'll see something you might like to bid on. We are planning to post an item every other day. Or thereabouts. We will be selling till we run out of items - but then, we are hoping to receive donations of more items to sell to keep the project going, and hopefully growing.

We will be sending money raised to the World Food programme in Darfur, in the first instance - if the project finds its feet and has legs, as they say, we would support other causes in the future.

There are all sorts of ways you could contribute if you are willing and able to help, whether or not you are arty or crafty yourself - telling other people, giving, buying, giving us a mention and link on your blog ....

Anything hand-made and postable and good quality/condition can be donated, whether or not you made it yourself (a few exceptions... here are more ideas of what could be given and what we would rather not be sent).

Plus we will accept and sell materials for artist and crafters to use. And vintage hand-made items... The website has details of how and where to mail donations - and hopefully any other information which might be needed.

This is an entirely non-profit-making voluntary organisation, all money will go to charity and aid. And yes! we will also accept cash donations. Cash donations would go to charity, but also en route would help us raise the funds we need to open a made4aid Charity Aid Foundation account and then, in the future, hopefully to register as a charity.

SO

if you lovely bloggers are willing to help promote made4aid, we will be very grateful.

Please pass the word along to any one you know, any individuals and groups who might like to donate and/or buy things.

If you are willing to plug us on your blog or website, that would be fab. The made4aid website has a flier which can be downloaded, and the made4aid blog will soon have html for a button which you could cut and paste onto your blog or website.

If you have feedback on the project, on the website or blog - especially anything which is unclear - please email us. There is contact information on the website.

And.... I'd best not go on about this any longer.

Its very exciting!

It seems to us like a good idea but, fingers crossed - we will have to wait and see.

Note on pictures: the photos here illustrate the kinds of things we hope to be selling, not particular items for sale - though we do have some items made by artists whose work is shown here. There are details of the sources of these images on the website.