National Give Something Away Day: Giving Back to the Community.

July 15 marked National Give Something Away Day. This day was founded by Linda Eaton Hall-Fulcher in 2015 to mark a time where people should be big-hearted, thoughtful and generous by helping someone in need, such as people who might be homeless, in hospital, or families with children who are struggling financially.

Acts of generosity could including donating money or unwanted items to charities/other people, or giving your time to volunteer for charitable organisations. The rising popularity of series like ‘Sort Your Life Out’, hosted by Stacey Solomon on BBC One, demonstrates the growth in mind set amongst people to part with surplus items that may be of benefit to others.

Help others to help yourself

Research has shown that the act of giving can be beneficial for the givers physical and mental health. It can decrease blood pressure, reduce stress and promote an overall sense of positive well-being. It’s a win- win!

Lanyon Bowdler’s charity committee exist to raise funds and support two charities each year. We host dress down days, raffles, bake sales and events throughout the year to support these charities! Our next upcoming event is a Musical Bingo Charity Fundraiser on 23 September 2025 at Belmont Community Hall, Wellington. Look out for more details on our social media pages.

Our chosen charities this year are ‘We are Farming Minds’ and ‘Belmont Hall’.

We are Farming Minds is a charity that was founded in Herefordshire aiming to raise awareness of mental health amongst the farming community, to reassure every farmer that they are not alone. Prince William, the Patron of ‘We are Farming Minds’ recently appeared on the BBC One series ‘’Countryfile’. Shockingly, poor mental health is 46% higher in the farming community than any other occupation due to isolation, long hours, and factors outside of the farmers control along with less access to support.

Belmont Community Hall offers a meeting space for the people of Wellington, Telford. The Friday Club for anyone over 60 includes lunch and entertainment at a reasonable cost. The charity regularly hosts social activities for older people to provide them with a sense of community and wellbeing.

Lanyon Bowdler are proud to support local small charities each year, and it is lovely to know that the hundreds of pounds we raise will really make a difference. This was confirmed by a charity we supported last year when we received this message: ‘Your fundraising on our behalf has far exceeded our expectations! You have raised enough to keep our two Shrewsbury support groups going for a whole year – without your hard work on our behalf we would have really struggled. We really can’t thank you enough.”

Conclusion

Acts of generosity and helping others when you can, really does have a feel good factor, and you never know when you might need help yourself – not all acts of kindness cost money.