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Special Olympics Great Britain is one of disability sports best kept secrets and is available to the 1.5 million learning disabled population of Great Britain. We provide not only a year-round programme of sports training but also the chance for our athletes to compete at local, national and international levels regardless of their ability.
Special Olympics is the third member of the Olympic movement we exist solely on goodwill donations from the corporate and public sectors. We currently receive no government or lottery funding.
Special Olympics believes that through sports training and competition, people with a learning disability benefit physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Families are strengthened and the community at large is united with people with a learning disability in an environment of equality, respect and acceptance.
Imagine, the passion, the pride, the excitement and the spectacle of the Olympics in London And Manchester, Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Glasgow and Cardiff to name but a few...
Whether it's a local football competition in Harrogate, a regional tennis championship in Middlesbrough, a national gymnastics competition in Birmingham or representing your country at a World Games - our goal is to ensure people with learning disabilities realise their full potential through getting involved in sport and to realise there are no limits.
We presently offer opportunities to more than 5,000 children and adults with a learning disability.
This represents however less than a quarter of one per cent of people with a learning disability in Great Britain.
to make a donation please click one of the links below:
N.B If you wish to make a donation with a CAF Card please visit www.cafonline.org and select Special Olympics GB as the charity you wish to donate to.
Tips for good giving
The following information has been sourced from Which?There are plenty of ways to support charities. Here are a few of them.
Set up a regular payment
Charities love regular donations because it gives them an income they can count on. As a regular donor you also feel more involved as you'll usually receive updates on what the charity is doing and what your money is being spent on. If you really want to get a gold star don't wait to be asked. Set up a direct debit yourself (you can get this through the charity).
Use Gift Aid to increase your gift by at least 28 per cent
If you are a taxpayer, use Gift Aid when you give to charity to make your donation worth 28 per cent more. It doesn't cost you a penny, but it could make a vital difference to the charity you're supporting. All you need to do is sign the form that the charity will give you, or if you are donating by telephone just answer 'yes' when asked if you want to donate through Gift Aid. You can find a copy of the Gift Aid declaration form at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/appendix_b1.pdf - opens new browser window.
If you are a higher rate tax payer you can also claim tax relief to the value of 22% of your original donation when you complete your annual Self Assessment Tax Form and either make a further donation to charity or keep the money yourself.
Give straight from your pay
Persuade your employer to set up a payroll giving scheme. Because your donation is deducted by your employer from your pay (or pension) each month before tax you get full tax relief on your donation. So each £1.00 you give only costs you 78p and if you are a higher rate taxpayer only 60p. Employers with fewer than 500 employees can claim up to £500 simply for signing up and their employees will have the first £10 of their donations matched for the first six months. See www.payrollgiving.co.uk - opens new browser window and www.payrollgivinggrants.org.uk - opens new browser window.
Give shares
As much as £100 million in shares is donated to charity each year. By donating shares, you can earn up to 40 per cent income tax relief as well as exemption from capital gains tax. So, if you've got some shares gathering dust, consider giving them to charity. Visit www.sharegift.org.uk - opens new browser window for more details.
Remember a charity in your will
Legacies give you the chance to make a real difference even after you're gone, and most gifts to charities are free of inheritance tax. See www.rememberacharity.org.uk - opens new browser window for free advice and a Will Guide.
Give to charities in your local area
Many charities operate in local communities and in some areas community foundations have been set up to support local causes, especially to link local donors with local needs. See www.communityfoundations.org.uk - opens new browser window to see if there is a community foundation in your community and find out how they can help.
Give to charities if you are a business
Businesses can make donations to charities from their pre-tax profits. Businesses can also support charities by sponsoring activities and events or through community involvement programmes. To find out more about corporate giving see www.bitc.org.uk - opens new browser window . To find out more about the other ways business can support communities see, www.societyandbusiness.gov.uk - opens new browser window.
Cards and gifts
Many charities sell their own Christmas cards, and some of the larger ones also produce gift catalogues, often throughout the year as well as at Christmas. If possible, buy your cards direct from the charity because that way it receives a higher percentage of the profit.
For the person who has everything: If you're really stuck what to get someone for Christmas, give on their behalf to someone who doesn't have everything. The Charities Advisory Trust, Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision UK , all run 'alternative gift' schemes where your money buys a specific item or service. Many 'gifts' help to tackle proverty in communities around the world. For example, you can buy a goat for as little as £13, build a toilet for £30 or buy starter packs of seed and tools - even give a donkey or a herd of sheep. The person you are buying the gift on behalf of will receive a card describing the item. Buying gifts this way can save someone's life. See Charities Advisory Trust Good Gifts Catalogue www.goodgifts.org - opens new browser window or call 020 7794 8000. Oxfam: www.oxfamunwrapped.com - opens new browser window or call 0870 410 5030 (or pick up a catalogue in any Oxfam shop). Save the Children www.savethechildren.co.uk - opens new browser window or call 020 7012 6400. World Vision UK www.greatgifts.org - opens new browser window or call 0845 600 6449.
Gifts in kind: There are around 6,500 charity shops in the UK which rely on donations of good quality, re-saleable items of clothes, books and bric-a-brac. This way of giving costs you nothing, but is a significant benefit to the charity. And you're helping the environment too by passing on re-useable items. The Association of Charity Shops at www.charityshops.org.uk - opens new browser window will tell you more. But please only donate things you'd be willing to buy yourself. Charity shops are spending £4.5 million a year on waste disposal for things they can't sell like single shoes, dirty underwear or even false teeth.
Give your time: 2005 is the Year of the Volunteer, but although the year's nearly over, you can still get involved. You've got a month (just) to donate to the Give a Billion Minutes Campaign . This is an exciting fundraising initiative, but with time as the currency instead of money. Help the campaign to reach its target of a billion minutes donated for 2005 by pledging your time before the end of the year. Go to www.yearofthevolunteer.org - opens new browser window . You can also find out more about volunteering through TimeBank, a charity set up by the founders of Comic Relief at www.timebank.org.uk - opens new browser window or through a Home Office initiative www.do-it.org.uk - opens new browser window.
Giving you the facts about giving
- £7.1 billion was given to charity during 2003 by individuals.
- On average, of every £1 generated by a UK charity, 80p is spend directly on achieving the objectives of the charity and 20p is spend on operating and administration and fundraising costs. In 2003 the most popular ways to give were through street collections or door-to-door collections.
- 70 per cent of the UK population donates to charities, but fewer than one in five people leave a legacy.
- 70.7 per cent of women donated to charity in 2003, compared to 60.1 per cent of men. They also tended to make larger donations.
- Less than one in twenty people give more than £50 to charity each month, but these donations account for over half of the money donated.
- £1 from a lottery ticket is split with 50p going to the prize fund, 12p in tax, 5p as commission to the retailer, 5p for operating costs and profits and 28p to good causes. Not all of the good causes are registered charities.
Other links about giving
Charityfacts - opens new browser window
A website of information about how charities are run and how the voluntary sector is operated to inform givers.
Charitynet - opens new browser window
Includes information about the Charities Aid Foundation's services for donors and charities and links to not-for-profit organisations world-wide and related services and sites.
The Giving Campaign - opens new browser window
A website containing information on ways of supporting charities tax-effectively, including using gift aid, payroll giving and share giving.
Giving Nation - opens new browser window
A campaign to encourage giving amongst young people. The website contains materials and tools to help teachers and pupils run charity and community projects.
HM Revenue and Customs - opens new browser window
A section of the HMRC website which contains information on charities, payroll giving and news on current charity issues.
Just Giving - opens new browser window
An on-line giving service which makes it easy to raise funds and donate to charities online.
Philanthropy UK - opens new browser window
This handbook presents a framework for developing a programme of philanthropic activity and highlights key principles of effective giving.
The More You Give - opens new browser window
A book which explains how the charity world works and how to start one; discover why businesses should give more and how it can transform them and their employees
How to Give to Charity - opens new browser window
Both a short history of charity and a survey of what the charity business is like in the early 21st century and an attempt to answer some difficult questions about giving to charity.
If you are interested in becoming a coach or volunteer please click on the navigation bars to the left Our coaches or Our volunteers.
Thank you for supporting our bid. You will be ensuring a sports future for the 1.5 million learning disabled people of this country and the athletes, coaches and volunteers who are training, coaching and competing throughout the year, will receive the support and recognition they deserve.