Health | Intelligent Giving

			Health Whether carrying out research, caring for ill people or providing information, an enormous range of charities aims to make people as healthy as possible. And when it isn’t possible, help is at hand for people living with all sorts of health conditions. Consider whether you want to help with a specific disease, and don’t forget that treatment isn’t the only thing in demand. Good support, care and information can make all the difference, while lobbying the government could benefit a large number of people. Last but not least, preventative action also has a role to play – the positive effect of sports facilities and first aid courses may not be immediately apparent, but the long-term potential for shaping the way we live is clear. *N.B.* For all cancer-related causes, see our Cancer overview . > Health, sport and lifestyle > First aid and emergencies > Specific diseases and conditions > Mental health > HIV/AIDS and sexual health > Support and care > Hospital charities > Hospices > Worldwide > Umbrella bodies Health, sport and lifestyle Obesity is fast becoming a major problem across the Western world, and it is increasingly accepted that sports and lifestyle changes are crucial to turning the situation around. Giving money to sports charities could, therefore, have a major impact on health. The YMCA (see profile) says it is “the largest voluntary sector provider of health and fitness services that promote physical activity and healthy living”, while the Youth Sports Trust aims to encourage sport and good quality physical education lessons among under-18s in the UK. An enormous range of charities deals with promoting particular sports – see our sports charity listings for examples. There are also initiatives that deal with nutrition and healthy eating. These are often small and local, such as Noel’s Kitchen in London, a parent-initiated community café encouraging better family nutrition by providing healthy and affordable food. Try your local phone book or Google for an initiative which matches your interests and location. See also the British Heart Foundation (see profile), mentioned below under ‘Specific diseases and conditions’. It specialises in heart disease and runs a campaign to help people reduce their own risk. Back to top First aid and emergencies Charities which provide First Aid training play a major role in saving lives when there is a health emergency. According to statistics, if somebody suffers a cardiac arrest and a bystander performs effective Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, it can double the chance of survival. St John Ambulance (see profile), a First Aid giant, runs courses across the UK and aims to provide emergency support wherever the NHS cannot. The British Red Cross (see profile) is another colossus, which counts running First Aid courses among its many activities. It is also called in during emergencies in the UK, such as floods, transport accidents and fires, and is included in local authority emergency plans for every part of the UK. Its teams offer practical and emotional support and assist the emergency services. If you are interested in the Red Cross’s international work, see the ‘Worldwide’ section below. The large WRVS (see profile) is another familiar presence in disaster situations, and is included in 98% of all local authority emergency plans. Its trained volunteers set up rest centres offering all kinds of support and help, both to the victims and to the rescuers, including medical assistance. For international emergencies, see the ‘Worldwide’ section below. Back to top Specific diseases and conditions The majority of health charities deal with a specific disease or condition, usually combating it in a variety of ways. A notable exception is Action Medical Research (see profile), which funds research into a huge range of diseases and campaigns for more medical government funding. Here are some examples of charities specific to certain diseases – try searching our health listings for more. For cancer charities, see our cancer overview. For conditions causing disability, see our disability overview. For mental health or HIV/AIDS, see the corresponding section below. The Stroke Association (see profile) says it is the only national charity solely concerned with helping everybody affected by strokes, including through campaigns. The Alzheimer’s Society (see profile) is twice the size, and deals with a different sort of brain condition. It invests in care and campaigns as well as research. If you would like to contribute to research into a range of brain conditions, consider giving to the Brain Research Trust. The Arthritis Research Campaign (see profile) and Arthritis Care (see profile) deal with different aspects of the same condition, while the National Osteoporosis Society (see profile) aims to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this bone disease. The National Autistic Society (see profile) is a large membership outfit offering an impressive range of services, help and support, particularly for families. The Down's Syndrome Association (see profile) is apparently the only UK charity focusing solely on all aspects of living with Down’s syndrome. It runs training courses and has over 19,000 members. The MND Association (see profile) aims to give people with motor neurone disease and their careers access to support, through care centres and an advice line, as well as funding research into MND. The MS Society (see profile) helps those affected by Multiple Sclerosis through a combination of information, care, counselling and campaigning. The Parkinson’s Disease Society (see profile) also offers care and support, but in addition funds research both into care and into the disease itself. The British Diabetic Association (see profile) is a membership charity which works in a range of areas – it offers practical advice, lobbies the government on policy and commissions research. Asthma UK (see profile) deals with another common condition. It funds research, encourages children to get involved in sport and lobbies against smoking. The British Lung Foundation (see profile) funds research, provides information and support and campaigns not only on asthma, but also on a huge variety of other lung-related conditions. The British Heart Foundation (see profile) is an enormous charity which also deals with conditions specific to a certain organ. It funds most of the UK’s research into all aspects of heart disease, supports and cares for heart patients and supplies equipment to hospitals, emergency services and first-aiders. It also runs an information campaign to help people reduce their own risk of heart disease. Heartstart UK schemes teach people what to do in an emergency. There are also a few health charities concerned with specific groups of people – such as the Black Health Agency (see profile), WellBeing of Women (reproductive health - see profile) and Bliss (for babies - see profile). See our children’s, older people and cancer overviews for more examples, or failing that search all charities in England and Wales using CAF’s directory. Back to top Mental health This is a difficult area to define, but its significance should not be underestimated – according to statistics, one in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. ‘Mental health’ could be seen to cover all sorts of things – from specific conditions, such as Alzheimer’s or autism, to depression. As mentioned above, the former two are addressed by the National Autistic Society (see profile) and the Alzheimer’s Society (see profile). However, most charities which work in this area do not deal with particular conditions, but rather with mental health in general. Success in combating mental health problems may well be very difficult to measure, but do consider supporting charities’ efforts. Rethink (see profile), a membership charity, is sometimes known as the National Schizophrenia Fellowship, but it in fact helps people with all sorts of severe mental illnesses. It lobbies on their behalf, carries out research, tries to reduce discrimination and aims to provide “hope and empowerment through effective services, information and support”. Mind (see profile) also tries to reduce discrimination and influence policy. It hopes to represent the views and needs of people with mental health problems and has the ambitious aim of creating a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress. The mental health of children is perhaps easy to overlook, but the Young Minds Trust (see profile) points out that children often grow up surrounded by pressures and worries. It raises awareness of the problem and campaigns on the importance of recognising when a child needs help. It also has a helpline for anybody concerned about a child or young person. The large Family Welfare Association (see profile) provides practical and therapeutic support for families, particularly where parents have mental health problems. It even works within the family home, helping to maintain a normal routine for the children. The Rural Stress Information Network (see profile), on the other hand, deals with a very common problem by providing people in rural communities with useful information about stress and how to deal with it. For more charities which help with stress, search the CAF directory of all charities in England in Wales. Back to top HIV/AIDS and sexual health The Terrence Higgins Trust (see profile), the largest HIV/AIDS charity in Europe, specialises in prevention, treatment and campaigns across England, Scotland and Wales. It promotes sexual health, pushes for the best treatment services for those with HIV and campaigns against discrimination. It also provides advice on HIV tests, and for those who already have HIV it offers information on housing, treatment, immigration, welfare, employment and legal matters. To find your closest services use this list. The International Planned Parenthood Foundation (see profile) works in 180 countries advocating sexual and reproductive health and rights. It campaigns to give women more power in their sexual relations and runs advice centres. Elton John AIDS Foundation (see profile) gives grants to AIDS projects around the world, while Children with AIDS is a very small charity providing care and support. The International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (see profile) is a small membership outfit which aims to give advice, help and representation to women with AIDS and to those at risk. For more on international health charities, see the ‘Worldwide’ section below. Back to top Support and care Finding out how to best treat and prevent illness is indispensable in improving health, but don’t forget the importance of support and care when you are unwell. Improved medical knowledge means that more and more people are living with diseases or health conditions for many years. Charities often focus on physical and emotional needs, particularly where they feel that NHS provision is lacking. Many of the disease-specific charities mentioned above also aim to inform, support and care for those affected. However, here are a few examples of outfits which try to help wherever the need is greatest: WRVS (see profile) volunteers offer help in all sorts of situations, but are often to be seen in hospitals. They direct patients, arrange flowers and run book trolleys. They also play an important role in helping people after they have been in hospital, providing the help with everyday tasks that allows them to return home (and of course to make space for somebody else who needs to be in hospital). A similar service is provided by the British Red Cross (see profile), with the aim of preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and giving people the confidence to return home through free extra support and care. As mentioned above, the Family Welfare Association (see profile) provides support to families, and not only when the parents are struggling with mental health problems. The assistance they provide can help to minimise health risks for both parents and children. Back to top Hospital charities Many hospitals have a charity attached to them, which raises money to plug any NHS fundraising gaps. Sometimes these outfits can afford to fund building work and buy expensive equipment, as well as offering extra staff or patient facilities. Unfortunately, many are not very transparent, and so it is hard to work out exactly what they do. Notable exceptions are Bart’s and the London Charity (see profile) and the University College London Hospital Charities (see profile). For hospital charities in your area, look in your local phone book, try typing the name of your town or hospital into our search, or try the CAF directory of all charities in England and Wales. Age Concern England (see profile) is currently running a campaign on inadequate hospital food. See also the WRVS (see profile) and the British Red Cross (see profile), mentioned above under ‘Support and care’. Both help people at home so that they can return from hospital, or even avoid having to stay altogether. This of course relieves the pressure on busy hospitals. For more on hospital charities and whether they’re a good idea, read this blog entry Back to top Hospices Please do consider giving money to hospices, which often struggle for funds, as they rarely receive money from the government and their work is expensive. If you want to give to a specific hospice, St Christopher’s Hospice (London – see profile) and Isabel Hospice (Hertfordshire - see profile) both rate highly for transparency. Our listings contain many more examples, including cancer-specific hospices and hospices for children. Bear in mind that some hospices are attached to particular religions. To find hospices near you, try searching our listings or your local phone book – in this way you could help people in your local community. Alternatively, consider giving to Help the Hospices (see profile), which represents independent hospices and supports them with training, information, advice, campaigns and some money. The Association of Children’s Hospices is the kids’ equivalent. Our hospice listings Back to top Worldwide The range of health needs around the world is even more daunting than those in the UK. Fortunately, a myriad of charities is on hand to help. Almost all international aid charities deal with health issues – see our international aid overview for details – but here are some examples of charities which focus particularly on health: For HIV/AIDS, see the ‘HIV/AIDS and sexual health’ section above. Sightsavers International (see profile) works to treat and prevent river blindness as part of a range of lobbying, education and medical work. The ORBIS Charitable Trust (see profile) aims to stop all avoidable blindness in the developing world by 2020. Médecins Sans Frontières UK (see profile) is a large outfit which works in 80 countries to provide healthcare in disaster and war zones. Merlin – Medical Emergency Relief International (see profile) – provides medical help in response to worldwide crises. The medical teams also stay after the disaster has passed, working with health ministries and improving local healthcare systems for a longer-term solution. The British Red Cross, a member of the international Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, also combines immediate relief with longer-term reconstruction and improving local planning for emergencies. For a more specific approach, Children in Distress (see profile) helps children with incurable diseases in Eastern Europe, while Medical Aid for Palestinians (see profile) aims to improve the health and prospects of refugees and vulnerable Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Back to top Umbrella bodies There are a few umbrella bodies which aim to help health charities to co-operate and pool resources. The Long-term Medical Conditions Alliance brings together charities trying to meet the needs of those living with long-term health problems. It also tries to influence policy on issues of shared concern. Their website has a list of members. The Neurological Alliance aims to raise awareness of neurological conditions and their impact, especially in order to secure better services and to promote research. See their list of members to find out more about charities working in this area. The Genetic Interest Group is an alliance of patient organisations and over 130 charities (list of members) which support people affected by genetic disorders. It influences policy, launches common programmes and seeks to raise awareness and understanding of genetic disorders. For research into cancer, the NCRI is the umbrella body – see our cancer overview for more information. Our health charity listings Back to top