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In celebration
Making a donation to Meningitis UK in lieu of gifts is a fantastic way to mark a very special occasion.
If you're getting married or about to celebrate your anniversary or organise a birthday party, why not ask friends and family to make a donation to Meningitis UK instead of giving a present? By doing this you will be helping to save thousands of families in the future from the heartache caused by meningitis.
Donations in lieu of wedding gifts
Many couples now ask their wedding guests to make a donation, rather than have a traditional wedding list. Many fortunate couples feel that they already have most of the belongings that they need such as dinner sets and toasters. If you'd like to support us in this way please call Kelly on 0117 947 6320 or email kellyobanputra@meningitisuk.org.
Justgiving occasion page
For weddings and other occasions such as a christening or birthday, you can also set up your own fundraising page on Justgiving.com. All you have to do is visit Meningitis UK's page on JustGiving and follow the simple step-by-step instructions to create your own occasion page. You can add photos and your own text. You can then e-mail a link to this page to friends and family who can make contributions to your page online with a credit/debit card (through their secure servers).
You can also collect donations by hand (please ask people to make cheques payable to 'Meningitis UK') and send these to us by post When all the money has been received, we will send you a special thank you certificate to mark the occasion, showing the total amount raised. If you would like more information on setting up a fund to mark a special occasion, please contact Kelly (contact details above).
Recent celebrations
90th Birthday
Marjorie Smart asked for donations to Meningitis UK in lieu of 90th birthday presents in memory of her great-grandson James Smart, and raised £1,090.
Majorie Smart celebrates her 90th birthday
Wedding celebration
After tragically losing their 21 month-old nephew Dylan to meningococcal septicaemia, Ben and Rosie Stott asked for donations to the charity in lieu of wedding gifts. Thanks to the generosity of their friends and family, Ben and Rosie were able to raise over £1,300 for Meningitis UK.
Ben and Rosie Stott on their wedding day
Rosie explains, "After losing someone so precious as our nephew Dylan,we experienced a profound feeling of helplessness. Our wedding presented us with an opportunity to raise alittle money to help the ongoing fight against this terrible disease and, just as important, to raise awareness of meningitis among those we care about most. We were genuinely humbled by everyone's generosity."
65th Birthday
Plant and machinery building contractor, Dave Longstreth celebrated his 65th birthday by holding a party for family and friends at a social club and asking for contributions to Meningitis UK. Dave's efforts resulted in raising a fantastic £1,600 for the charity.
Dave Longstreth (middle) presenting a cheque for £1,600 from his 65th birthday celebrations
Dave who has been a supporter of the charity since it started and has known Meningitis UK's Founder, Steve Dayman for over 40 years said "When planning my party, I thought what can you buy a man who has everything, so I decided to ask for donations to Meningitis UK instead of presents and put the money to a good cause. Thinking about Steve's little boy Spencer who he lost to meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in 1982 inspired me to do this. It is vital that we find a vaccine to eradicate this devastating disease. Over 150 of my friends and family came and everyone was so generous. I was delighted that we raised over £1,600 on the day whilst having a great party!"
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