One thing which everybody recognises as a clue that the warmer months are ahead; the sightings of bumblebees buzzing around all the new flowers!

They are our favourite insect, not just because of the yellow on their backs (though it does help), but also because they are extremely useful pollinating plants & making honey. They are arguably one of the most important insects in the UK.

However, their numbers have been dwindling over the years and there is real concern over what that will mean for our food production and the effect that it will have on the environment.

This is where Bumblebee Conservation Trust come in. They are out to protect and encourage the bumblebee population in the UK, with a view to educating people on why the bees are so important.
You can read more about their work and get involved in stopping the plight of the bumblebee here.

Many of you will of heard of Social Bite by now, especially after the publicity gained when George Clooney came to Edinburgh for tea! He was helping to raise awareness and money for the social business, and his high profile certainly accomplished this.

So what is Social Bite? It’s a cafe, with a difference. The profit raised from this business gets donated to other charities, with a particular focus on helping the homeless. Meals can be bought in advance for homeless people, and one in four employees were previously homeless.

In the season of giving, Social Bite has organised an extra special Itison deal where you can buy a homeless person a meal or provide winter essentials for Refugees in Europe. Last year, this endeavour bought 36,269 meals!! So far this year, they have almost doubled the intake, reaching over 62,800 meals bought (at least at the time of this article).

If you would like to buy a homeless person a meal this Christmas, just follow this link to Itison. Hurry, only one day left of the deal!

Huntington’s Disease is a neurological condition, where a faulty gene causes certain brain cells to waste away and eventually die. It is a hereditary condition that can affect a person’s ability to walk, talk and swallow, as well as their personality and emotions.

The charity was set up by a group of families who were living with Huntington’s Disease and they wanted to provide a support network for each other. Since starting in 1989, Scottish Huntington’s Association has grown to have 9 specialist services across Scotland and provides support, both emotional and financial to families affected by the disease.

If you want to read more about Scottish Huntington’s Association, you can view their website here.
We would also love to hear any suggestions for our next Charity of the Month. Why not tweet us to let us know? (You might as well give us a wee ‘follow’ while you’re at it!)

We like to ask for your nominations and choose a charity that is close to your heart. So, last month we received a Facebook message from Deanna Wolf asking for us to support Quarriers next.
Quarriers is predominately a social care charity, helping vulnerable children, adults and families with various issues they may incur throughout their lives. This could be health related, financial or circumstantial.
The charity also provides care and support to these vulnerable groups, providing more information on different disabilities, illnesses and how to support young people in the UK.
We are delighted to give a donation to Quarriers and help them fund this valuable work.
So as you can see from this month, it’s really great when people want to interact with us on social media and we really do listen to what you have to say.
If you would like to nominate a charity please get in touch, why not be really modern and Facebook or Tweet us? On the other hand, you could always ‘Tweet’ us the old fashioned way via carrier pigeon… whatever works for you…

As you know, every month we donate money to a charity of your choosing. This month our very own Graphic Designer, Ryan, has nominated The Leanne Fund as our Charity of the Month.
The Leanne Fund was started in memory of Leanne Mitchell, who had Cystic Fibrosis and really lived life to the full. The charity seeks to help young people and their families to be active, love life and create long-lasting memories.
The money that is raised goes towards funding special treats such as weekends away, driving lessons, spa days etc. The charity also provides counselling and crisis grants to help people cope better. They have even started supplying special TV cards in hospitals so that children who are admitted to  hospital often, and for longer periods of time, are able to watch TV.
If you want to read more about The Leanne Fund, you can view their website here and learn about the work that they are involved in. There are also a number of events scheduled to take place to help raise money.

Having being diagnosed with breast cancer, Lydia Jack has found great comfort and support from Cancer Support Scotland, as they have helped her to rebuild her life. Wanting to recognise this and give something back, Lydia has decided to raise money for the charity so they can keep on supporting others who have also been affected by cancer.
So how is she going to do this? Lydia and her daughter Alex have chosen to do something daring and challenging. A skydive. Having survived cancer, she is keen to seize every opportunity, step out, and give something back.
She hoped to raise £1,000 and with 27 days left to go she has already exceeded this target.
Cancer Support Scotland provide care and support people who have been affected by cancer. The charity gives emotional and practical help by means of a one-to-one counselling session or community-based support groups and relies heavily of fundraising and donations to be able to continue this work.
If you would like to contribute, you can find her Virgin Money Giving page here.
Every month we donate £50 to charity, so if you would like to nominate a charity please contact us.

Whether you are a major fan of golf or only like to play occasionally, completing 100 holes in only one day would prove a difficult task for anyone (even Tiger Woods?) Well that’s exactly what Tom Lovering and Michael McEwan managed to do on Monday the 22^nd June, playing from 4am – 10pm and walking 23 miles in the process.

Why did they want to play 16 hours of golf in one day? To raise money for Yorkhill Children’s Charity, who provide support for paediatric, obstetric and neonatal care. Every year, the charity help 160,000 people and continually strive to improve the care they can give. Having now moved to the new Glasgow hospital, Yorkhill are excited about the prospects of new equipment and the care that can be given. Have a look at their fancy new home here.

Tom and Michael completed the ‘100 Holes Challenge’ for exactly this reason: to help Yorkhill provide even better care.

If you would like to read more about their golfing-marathon or wish to donate, you can visit their Just Giving page here. You can also read more about Yorkhill Children’s Charity by clicking here.
Is there a charity close to your heart? Why not nominate them as our next ‘Charity of the Month’ and we will donate £50 to the charity of your choice.

Our Junior Designer, Michael, is going to be leaving SHINE and yellow behind for greener pastures “down south”. As a farewell gesture, we have asked him to choose the charity of the month.
After some thought, he has picked Alzheimer Scotland, a charity who support the care and research for people with dementia.

It is estimated that 86,000 people across Scotland alone have dementia. More common in elderly people, dementia can cause memory loss, confusion and difficulty holding a conversation. At present there is no cure, although if the disease is caught early enough it can be slowed.

The donations to Alzheimer Scotland are used to help support people who have been diagnosed, whether through counselling, education or advice. It also helps to pay for nurses and telephone support lines to care for people across Scotland. The money also goes towards further research into dementia.

There are a number of fundraising activities to raise money for Alzheimers, including very challenging events like Tough Mudder and night time cycles through the city.
If you would like to read more about the charity and their work, you can visit their website by clicking HERE.

Every month, we donate money to charity. If you have a charity that is close to your heart that you would like to nominate, please let us know.

Social media platforms can be a great way to keep in touch. Interacting with people means you can build conversations and communicate with businesses. Every month we ask for suggestions for a charity to donate to and we have recently being posting these to Twitter. This is where we received a tweet, asking us to donate to Erskine.

Erskine provides nursing care and support for veterans and ex-servicemen. Working in the community for almost 100 years, Erskine now has a number of care homes across Scotland in Erskine, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness. The charity received nationwide recognition when Prince Charles came for the grand unveiling of the new nursing home in Erskine, making it into newspapers nationwide.
The charity also organise fundraising events and work with companies and individuals across Scotland. From motorbike parades to marathons to golf tournaments.

In June, they are holding a “Veteran’s Wishes Week” where they are hoping to fulfil the wishes of the patients. Their wishes are fairly simple. One man hopes to visit the seaside again and enjoy a good bag of chips! Read more about it here.

You can also read more about Erskine’s other work and where they spend donations here. They explain that they need to raise around £7million every year to fund their work and appreciate every penny that is donated:

“The generosity of our supporters has been overwhelming in the past, driven by the knowledge that they are supporting people who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for ours. We hope this generosity will continue for many years in the future.”

Every month we ask for suggestions of charities you would like us to donate to. Last month a friend of SHINE’s, Sarah Scott sent us a link to her JustGiving page, where her team from MMS are raising money for The Cookie Jar Foundation. Going on a daring adventure around some of the islands on the West Coast of Scotland, the MMS team will be completing a major cycling challenge and are currently looking for sponsorship. This event will take place on the 30th-31st May, where the team will cycle 106 miles across the islands. To make it more difficult, this also involves island-hoping and the added pressure of trying to arrive at each ferry-port with enough time to make the next ferry!

This challenge is in aid of The Cookie Jar Foundation, which was founded in memory of Christopher Coutts who died from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer at the early age of 19. The charity aims to support children and adults alike in whichever environment they need it – hospital, education or in the community. Providing more than just financial support, the foundation also work with people with who need support for learning to maximise their potential.

If you have a charity that you would like us to donate to, please let us know in the comments below.