Why We Ask For Donations
March 17th, 2021
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We won't be offended if our charity status comes as a surprise to you. It's been something that The Isbourne has been quietly working away at since we were created in 1995. For many years, we kept our charity side separate under the name of Community Outreach. Here we had a dedicated team of coordinators, tutors and volunteers who would provide wellbeing sessions to those in our community who were most vulnerable. The Community Outreach side of The Isbourne is still going today and we are proud of the support we can offer our community. From meditation and music therapy at Eastwood Park Prison, resilience and mindfulness workshops for Gloucestershire's Young Carers and tai chi classes to help those with dementia, our Outreach sector has been busy!
However, keeping Outreach separate didn't sit right with us. Our goal has always been to make wellbeing accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, financial situation or location. In 2019 we made the decision to integrate Outreach into the main body of The Isbourne, which has allowed us to think more like a charity in everything we do.
From free wellbeing classes, free Workplace Wellbeing resources, a dedicated YouTube channel, blog and podcast, The Isbourne is committed to providing as much free and affordable wellbeing to as many people as possible.
Now for the money bit. As a charity, we rely on donations and grants to keep us going. We're happy to operate this way as it means we can take a bottom-up approach to everything we do. At the end of the day, you are the reason we do what we do.
Where does my donation go?
We are grateful for all donation amounts and make sure they are distributed as evenly as possible across all aspects of The Isbourne. Your donation goes towards:
Enabling financially disadvantaged outreach clients to attend our standard classes and workshops at a subsidised rate
Providing free/subsidised 6-week blocks of one-to-one counselling for some outreach clients
Offering transport services to clients who are isolated without means of transport
Allowing us to offer additional support such as following up with clients online or by phone
The production of the Tai Chi Movements for Dementia home practice DVD
Covering the cost of tutors’ time
Being able to use a therapy dog as part of outreach programmes
Plus much more
Hopefully, you are now all clued up on what The Isbourne's charity status means and maybe feel included to send us a donation. As a small team, we really do notice every donation amount no matter how small. It is the highlight of our Monday meetings!
Want to help in other ways?
We understand that donating isn't for everyone and we don't judge. If you would like to get involved with The Isbourne in another way we have the following opportunities:
Become an Affiliated Member
If you are a wellbeing or holistic practitioner, we'd love to have you join the family! Affiliated Membership costs £75 a year and allows you to run classes, workshops, events and one-to-one sessions from our building. Fill out the form on the bottom of this page to express interest.
Volunteer Your Time
We are always looking for volunteers to help out at our events! Whether you can spare an hour to serve tea and cake to our ta chi for dementia classes, volunteer at a fair or help us with some charity admin, we would love to have you! email info@isbourne.org or call 01242 254321 for more information.
Write For Our Blog
Do you have a story to tell? Maybe you have some wellbeing advice that you want to share with the world? Get in touch! Email marketing@isbourne.org with your pitch idea.
Feature On Our Podcast
We're on the lookout for individuals and professionals who have something to say. Our podcast focuses on a single topic each week based within the realms of physical, mental, spiritual and environmental wellbeing. If you have something you could talk about at length, email marketing@isbourne.org with your topic ideas.
Spread The Word
The easiest and most effective way you can help us is by talking about us! Share our social media posts with your friends, attend our events, listen to our podcast and watch our videos. The more people know about us the more people we can help!
