Charities

Cancer Research UK has an enormous vision of beating cancer. They set about doing this by carrying out world-class research to improve understanding of cancer and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer. Cancer Research UK also ensures that their findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients. They help the general public to understand cancer, the progress they are making and the choices each person can make. They also work in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.

In 2009, 30 night stays were donated to the charity to use as luxury auction prizes at high value events such as Ronan Keating’s Emeralds & Ivy Ball, Lawrence Dallaglio’s 8Rocks and the Bobby Moore Fund Celebrity Sports Quiz. Supporters at these events bid for the luxury stays and raised over £20,000 for their life-saving work – an amazing figure which SLH has already pledged to beat in 2010. The partnership between Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Cancer Research UK only began in 2008 but continues to positively move forward.

The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to improve the quality of life for those living with the disease. An inherited chronic disease affecting the lungs and digestive systems of about 30,000 people in the USA, The Foundation is the leading organization in the country devoted to funding and accrediting more than 115 care centers, 95 adult care programs and 50 affiliate programs. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has 80 chapters and branch offices nationwide. For more information about Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, visit

www.cff.org

Room to Read is an innovative, global, non-profit organisation seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in the developing world by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children, Room to Read works in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and to ensure girls have the skills and support needed to complete their secondary education.

SLH supports Room to Read’s fundraising efforts by donating room nights to be used as auction prizes. Since 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of more than five million children in Asia and Africa and aims to reach 10 million children by 2015.

Learn more at www.roomtoread.org

Sparks was founded by professional sports people who were grateful for their own good health and who wanted to help those who are less fortunate. Their vision is a world where all babies are given the best possible start in life and where a medical condition or disability at birth is not a barrier to opportunity and fulfilment.

Their aim is to achieve this by funding high quality medical research that is intended to have a practical and positive effect on the lives of children.

SLH has been supporting Sparks for the past four years and the relationship has gone from strength to strength. In 2008, SLH donated eighteen packages throughout the year which raised a total of £30,067. We thought this would be difficult to surpass but in 2009 SLH provided twenty-one packages which raised a tremendous £34,210 for Sparks. SLH’s support to date has raised in excess of £100,000.

The Prince’s Trust is a youth charity that helps change young lives. They give practical and financial support and help youths to develop key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation. The Prince’s Trust works with 14 to 30-year-olds who have struggled at school, have been in care, are long-term unemployed or have been in trouble with the law.

They have helped more than 600,000 young people since 1976 and support 100 more each working day. More than three in four young people they helped last year moved into work, education or training.

SLH has been supporting The Prince’s Trust for several years. The donations provided by SLH for The Prince’s Trusts prestigious events has proved very popular and has helped to raise much needed funds for the charity.

Special Olympics is recognized as the third member of the Olympic family along with the Olympics and Paralympics but it is not just a global event every four years. The Special Olympics Great Britain programme is a year-round sports and competition programme for children and adults with learning disabilities. Day in and day out across England, Scotland and Wales, 8000 learning disabled athletes’ lives are being transformed through sport. They become more self-confident, improve their fitness, health and wellbeing, and for many, they have for the first time, not only teammates, but mates. This year is Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens – it is the largest multi-sports event in the world in 2011 with over 185 countries and 7500 athletes and is the Olympics before the Olympics!

www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk

Tuesday's Children is a non-profit family service organization that has made a long-term commitment to every individual who was directly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001 and more recently those lives that have been affected forever by the effects of terrorism around the globe. Tuesday’s Children provides a wide range of programming including mentoring, educational and career guidance, leadership training, wellness, and life management programs, all designed to address the unmet needs of 9/11 family members, and Rescue and Recovery workers and their families. Programs include Project COMMON BOND, which has become an international success. For more information about Tuesday’s Children, visit

www.tuesdayschildren.org