Enchanted Burlesque - 17th September 2011

On Saturday the 17th September 2011 a fair few people dressed up and wandered over to the HMV Institute in Birmingham for Enchanted Burlesque's lastest show, a musical concert featuring bizarre cabaret sensation Mister Joe Black. Come the end of the night, which also featured the musical talents of Bitter Ruin and Mister Meredith, a lot of people had laughed, cheered and tried not to be too embarressed by some rather interesting and racey songs. The audience also ended up contributing a nice bundle of money for UK Disaster Relief.

Show organiser Angel LaVey and her husband initially organised the event as a money making venture, but after the recent riots tore through Birmingham city centre they felt they had to do something to help those affected. Birmingham has been Angel's home for most of her life and is also where Enchanted Burlesque runs events. UK Disaster Relief was the perfecty charity to support, set up in response to the riots and aiming to target the areas most in need. All the money raised by Enchanted Burlesque will go to help those affected in the West Midlands.

Now that Enchanted Burlesque and their loyal fans have done their bit for the local community it's back to business as usual, with a more traditional burlesque theatre show booked for the 31st March 2012 at the Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham. The show is called Enchanted Burlesque - Believe, quite apt since everyone involved the last show believed in supporting UK Disaster Relief.


(by James LaVey - Enchanted Burlesque)

Frank Turner and Xtra Mile Records Raising Money for UKDR

The musician Frank Turner has announced on his blog today that Xtra Mile Records have launched a new scheme - F*** The Fire - in response to the fire at PIAS Distribution Warehouse. More than 3 million records were destroyed, which Frank called a "body-blow for an industry that's already in fragile state.


Xtra Mile Records, in response, are organising small-scale pressings of old records that a minimum number of people have pledged to buy.


On top of this, Xtra Mile and Pledge Music will be donating a proportion of the money raised to UK Disaster Relief, to help those affected by the riots.


So get buying!

Excellent Response from eBay Sellers

There have now been over 600 items listed on eBay from which a proportion of the cost has been donated to UK Disaster Relief!


Money is raised for charities on eBay through MissionFish. When you sell an item, you can choose a listed charity to donate to. You can also search for items which are raising money for charities if you are a buyer, or donate when you reach checkout -plenty of opportunities to help UK Disaster Relief!

Have You Donated to Help Riot Victims?

UK Disaster Relief is aware of numerous charitable funds to which people have donated in the wake of the recent riots. Some were for individual cases, like the examples of Aaron Biber, the barber in Tottenham, or Ashraf Haziq, the Malaysian student. Other funds have been set up, by councils or individuals on a local level.


Have you donated to any of these funds? If so, please tell us which one, and why you chose to do so.


Also if you would like to donate, you can use UK Disaster Relief 's Charity Giving page.


Thank you for your help! 

We Still Need Your Help

We are very grateful to everyone who has donated to UK Disaster Relief to help those affected by the recent riots, through Mission Fish, Every Click or through our Just Giving page. There will also be opportunities to give to UKDR over the next two weeks, by coming to one of our fundraising events in Birmingham, Clapham or Hackney. 


While donations are always welcome, we also need your help in other ways. As part of our research, we want your opinion on what you would need if you lost your home and possessions in a disaster. Would you need cash, food, accommodation; and if so, how much? Please add your comments to this blog post.


If you were affected by the riots, also, and would like to share your experience, UK Disaster Relief would like to talk to you, so that we have the best picture of what provisions are necessary if another disaster occurs.


Thank you from all at UK Disaster Relief

Fundraising Event in Shoreditch

Merk Chicken is a bi-monthly club night in East London showcasing old school garage, jungle and grime.


Their next event will take place on 17th September at the Camp Basement and will raise money for those affected by the recent riots.


For more information see the Facebook page and click attending.


Hope to see you there!

Wandsworth Launches Disorder Review

Wandsworth Borough Council  has appointed independent commissioner Neil Kinghan to look into "what happened and why" during the serious disorder in Clapham Junction, as well as the disturbances in Tooting and Balham. 


Wandsworth Council are holding a series of public meetings in Battersea Arts Centre on 12th September, Samaj Hall, Tooting High St on 13th September and Wandsworth Civic Suite on 19th September. UK Disaster Relief will attend these meetings, so if you have any thoughts on the charitable response to the riots, please come and let us know


Wandsworth Council's report will be published in October.


UPDATE The Croydon Guardian reports today that Croydon Council will also be holding an independent enquiry

Croydon Victims Speak Out

Families affected by the recent riots have spoken to the Croydon Guardian today. Joan Smith, of Reeves Corner, speaks of her fear at having to leave her home after it was set alight. Carla Rees had to flee her home on the corner of London Road and St James Road. Ms Rees, who lost 15 flutes in the fire is grateful to Myall Music Store who have set up a collection fund for her. Mrs Smith is grateful to the council for their response, and is waiting on insurance. Our thoughts, as always, are with these victims. 


UKDR works with local groups to make sure that all money raised is targeted effectively and fairly. If you would like to donate to UK Disaster Relief then please visit our Charity Giving page or text UKDR01 with your amount (for example £5) to 70070.


Once again, thank you for your generosity.

Homelessness in Haringey

According to estimates, up to 62 households have been displaced by the riots in Haringey due to fire and other damage to their homes.


Our thoughts are with those families. If you want to donate to UK Disaster Relief then please visit our Charity Giving page or text UKDR01 with your amount (for example £5) to 70070.


Thank you for your generosity.

Can you help?

We're compiling a list of what would be needed if all lost in a disaster. For example, school uniform and clothes for an 8 year old; 4 year old; 15 year old.

Be glad to hear what people would consider an appropriate list (eg. do you need 5 changes of clothes? Should children's shoes be Clarks or similar so have to go to a specialist children's shoe shop? If calculating need to eat out, should one take McDonalds or KFC as the standard, or a healthier café option?).

We are trying to get an idea about what is needed.

UKDR Visiting Community Meetings in Camden and Tottenham

People from the UK Disaster Relief team will be visiting community meetings in Camden and Tottenham this Tuesday as part of our research into the aftermath of the riots. We will be visiting the Tottenham and Seven Sisters Area Forum at Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, and the Camden Summit at Kingsgate Community Centre. 


Both meetings start at 6.30pm, so if you were affected by the riots, and would like to discuss the help you received, or would just like to give your perspective, please find us at these meetings.


If you're not able to attend, but would still like to talk to us please email info@ukdisasterrelief.org.uk, or call Kieran on 0207 794 9835.


We look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks to all our eBay supporters!

We would like to say a huge thank you to all of those people who have donated to, or are buying and selling products for UK Disaster Relief. So far, over 500 sellers have agreed to donate a percentage of their sales to UK Disaster Relief, raising lots of money to help people who were affected by last months UK riots. 

Money is raised for charities on eBay through MissionFish. When you sell and item, you can choose a listed charity to donate to. You can also search for items which are raising money for charities if you are a buyer, or donate when you reach checkout -plenty of opportunities to help UK Disaster Relief!

Keep selling and buying eBayers, your support is invaluable. Thank you!

Research into the needs of people affected by recent UK riots.

UK Disaster Relief is currently conducting research around the country, in areas which were hit by recent riots. The research is to discover exactly what people affected by the riots need, be it immediate financial aid, help finding accommodation/temporary housing or long term help solutions. 


This research is to help us better understand how we can help after a disaster, and we will also use to research to best direct the funds we raise. 


We are in the process of speaking with people who were affected in any way by the recent UK riots, resulting in them looking to organisations for help. If you are one of these people, or you anyone who is, please contact Kieran Cunningham at info@ukdisasterrelief.org.uk, or tweet us @ukdr_info. You can also call Kieran on 02077949835. The more information we have the better, so we thank you in advance of your support!

£250 grants for retailers affected by the riots from The Retail Trust

The Retail Trust are the only charity in the UK which looks after and supports the three million people working in retail. They offer advice, course funding, financial assistance, redundancy programmes for people who need work and counselling to retailers in times of need. 

They are currently offering grants of £250 to retailers who have been affected by the riots. These grants are available to help retailers with personal losses that they may have incurred, to help ease the financial burden of paying for food shopping for example. As well as these grants, Retail Trust offer a number of long term help solutions to help people deal with ongoing trauma they might be experiencing as a result of the riots.

If you are a retailer who could benefit from this grant, or you know someone else who is, go to to the Retail Trust website for more information on who is eligible and how to apply. There is also information for people who want to volunteer to help victims of the riots, so a great project all round!

Here's a new easy way to raise money for UK DISASTER RELIEF that does not involve parting with extra cash.

Everyclick.com has launched a new way to donate – it’s been christened “Give as you Live”. It means you can search the web, shop on line from your favourite retailers, trade on eBay and raise money for UK DISASTER RELIEF.

You get great search results from Yahoo!, content from leading shopping providers and access to all eBay auctions. Every search you make creates a donation for charity.

Our special address is http://www.everyclick.com/uk-disaster-relief/ct45357, all searches, shopping and eBay activity made from here will raise money for us.

Make sure you sign up so you can track your giving – it updates every 3 minutes, you’ll be amazed how quickly it adds up!

Everyclick has already raised over £2,062,294.07 for a wide range of charities around the UK, and Everyclick was voted website of the Year 2008 and has been recognised as a top 100 media tech company 2009.

Discover the new way to give to UK DISASTER RELIEF. Give as you Live.

Fundraising for UK Disaster Relief

We have had a great response from people who want to help victims of the recent UK riots by fundraising for UK Disaster Relief. Now you can set up your own charity page on Just Giving, making it really easy to collect donations and keep track of your fundraising targets. If you are doing a sponsored event for UK Disaster Relief, be sure to get in touch with us to let us know how you are getting on!

This button will take you straight through to setting up your fundraising page

Thank you and good luck!

The Fleeting Festival Line Up

Find out more about the exciting Fleeting Festival on the events website, which includes details about its line-up.

The event, taking place on the 24th September, is in aid of UK Disaster Relief. Funds will go towards rejuvenating the Clapham area devastated by the recent riots. 

Turn up to show your support!

Join EveryClick and Help Raise us Money

Sign up to EveryClick, choose UK Disaster Relief as your charity and 'Give as you Live'!

The 'Give as you Live' app allows thousands of stores to donate money as you shop online. Once its downloaded, you can shop directly at these online stores. Everytime you shop, a percentage of your spend can be donated to UK Disaster Relief. To find out more about how EveryClick works click here. 

You can also use the EveryClick search bar to generate funds. Every time you do a search, we get a donation. 

Let EveryClick know what you think of the website and their service and you could be in with the chance of winning of holiday!

Neither cost you anything so please support UK Disaster Relief and join now!

The Fleeting Festival – In support of UK Disaster Relief

The Fleeting Festival will be showcasing an eclectic mix of performances in support of the UK Disaster Relief. The donations from this event will be used to help restore local businesses and repair areas of Clapham that were damaged by the riots this month.

This exciting event will take place on Saturday 24^thSeptember at 8pm at The Alexandra pub on Clapham Common. It will be the launching night for the Festival that will be brought to you every month.

We hope that lots of you will turn up to soak up the festival atmosphere and to give support to the Clapham community. Thank you to the Fleeting Festival for showing your support for those effected by the UK riots. More details to follow soon…

UK Disaster Relief and Big Give Christmas Challenge 2011

The UK disaster Relief have been accepted to take part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2011! This exciting opportunity allows us to have our pledged donations met by the Christmas Challenge Sponsor Fund. In the past two years the Christmas Challenge has raised over £18 million for hundreds of charities. We anticipate continued success this year.

Everyone can get help in the Christmas Challenge, by getting involved in this community of giving you can help us regenerate the communities fractured by this months riots.

At 10am on 5th December 2011 the Christmas Challenge opens for online donations. Thank you Big Give!