Helping Help for Heroes

Service charities like Help for Heroes get funding through lots of different money-raising activities, which bring in figures ranging from small to huge amounts.

Although the charity appreciates donations of any size, it was no doubt thrilled by the large sum worth over £509,000 which it has received from Cotton Traders, a firm based in Broadheath.

According to the Messenger Newspapers website, the founder of the firm, Fran Cotton, has said that the event represents "a significant milestone" both for the charity and her organisation.

During recent years, she said, Cotton Traders has put hard work into fundraising for H4H, so that it can carry on bringing support to people "who have suffered in the line of duty".

“We hope that the £509K raised will help improve the facilities at the Catterick Recovery Centre, and we look forward to the next time we come together to celebrate the one million pound mark," she said.

The firm has gathered money for H4H by selling its co-branded Help for Heroes shirts, wash bags and other items – with a tenth of the price of each item going to H4H. The charity's partner gave H4H a cheque as part of the Cotton Traders yearly golf day and dinner earlier this month.

Overall, Cotton Traders is hoping to bring in £1 million for gym equipment at the H4H North Yorkshire based Northern Recovery Centre. The partnership between H4H and Cotton Traders dates back to 2011.

Besides raising funds through its clothing, the firm has held several store-based fundraising events, and raised cash via its golf day.

There's never any shortage of stories about fundraising efforts for charity.

We're used to hearing about people raising cash by jumping out of planes and sky diving, but a rather different sort of aircraft was involved in helping to raise close to a grand for Help for Heroes recently.

The Plymouth Herald reports that Eddystone Model Flying Club were behind the feat, managed at a barbecue and flight show last weekend – which sadly saw windy, rainy weather.

Events included a raffle featuring prizes like model planes and champagne.

"We had a really good response especially as the weather was a total washout. Even though we had heavy rain and strong winds we still managed to get a few planes in the air," club member Paul Dunn told the news provider.  

He explained that the event has not been held since 2011, but it is planned that one will take place in 2015, hopefully at a time when the weather is much improved.

High profile fundraising activity for H4H in the past few years includes the singles 'Hero' and 'Heroes' sung by finalists on talent programme The X Factor and released in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

Coming up, another high profile fundraising activity that will help the charity is going to centre around the Tower of London – more specifically its moat.

Charitable money raising will meet with art and marking the First World War's anniversary at this event, according to Historic Royal Palaces.

Between August 5th and November 11th 2014, an installation called Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red will see thousands of ceramic poppies filling the moat of the tower.

The piece is the joint work of Paul Cummins, who is a ceramic artist, and Tom Piper, a stage designer. The poppies are meant to provide a visual reminder of the War's anniversary.

Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and other charities with links to the services are going to be helped by proceeds from a sale of each of the ceramic poppies, with each selling for £25 – which could raise more than £15 million for charity if they are all bought.