Action for Change Foundation is all about providing peace-building activities which we utterly love here!

They target the unemployed and youth who were unable to complete their education due to the conflict in Timor Leste at the time.

Their main goal is to reduce the unemployment of youth by providing life-skills and vocational training thereby strengthening the community and promoting capacity building.

We gave them £3,341 through the Asia Pacific Zone Funding Panel to help fund their vocational training activities such as English classes, IT training and Public Management Training for the unemployed youth and kids in Dili, the capital city of Timor Leste.

They have sent us some wonderful images of them in action which we simply had to share with you.  Small but vital?  You bet.  Heart warming?  You got it.  Worth looking through and celebrating their work?  Absolutely.

If you’d like to find out more about their work, simply visit their website at http://www.actionforchangefoundation.info/

We funded them through our Asia Pacific Zone Funding Programme and gave them £5,000 for their ‘around the clock’ animal ambulance, treating and rescuing sick animals.

Check out their recent newsletter here, packed full of news and updates from this small but vital organisation:  HIS Newsletters spring 2012

If you’d like to find out more about them or support in any way you can, please visit their website at http://www.his-india.in/

We’re delighted to welcome two new members to the team; namely Jo Laker, our new Fundraising Manager and Barbara Howland, our new Grants Administrator.

This gives us a more focused approach to fundraising and communications and gives us more potential for more events, more fundraising, developing social media and the opportunity to tell you more about what, how and why we do what we do.

For more information on all the members of The Body Shop Foundation team, check out http://thebodyshopfoundation.org/what-we-do/meet-the-team/.

Walking for water – 103 km, 5 days, 29 trekkers, 18 areas and markets of The Body Shop – £41,250 raised for WaterAid

Smashing expected donations, we are delighted to announce that because of the monies raised from the Sahara trekkers, WaterAid are able to fund three projects across Africa, in Zambia, Tanzania and Liberia.

An immediate 130 communities and 79,000 peoples lives will be changed because of the trekkers. 10 schools with 5,000 children will benefit from water, sanitation and hygiene schemes and all because of everyone who took part and supported the Sahara Trek.

Massive thanks to everyone who support this challenge – we simply couldn’t have done this without your help. While the immediate change is easy to quantify, the long term impact of this challenge is immeasurable with lives changed, lives saved and lives transformed for the better. Way to go folks!

For more information, images and videos, visit and ‘like’ our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebodyshopfoundation.

More news as it happens and watch this space for news of the next one!

Following the recent The Body Shop Foundation Sahara Challenge, we’ve been able to fund 3 WaterAid projects in Zambia, Tanzania and Liberia raising an incredible £41,250. MASSIVE thanks to all involved – you know who you are and how awesome we think you are too!

Check out these adverts we made to sing the praises of our 29 heroes here:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xZmwSevdM0&context=C41470eaADvjVQa1PpcFOKHZ-FxM_YQK6m0qEl6MhAEuZjynZ3BvQ=
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUXCd-R3wI4&context=C4496a18ADvjVQa1PpcFOKHZ-FxM_YQAxd_mrw4J3izmhOYBRakag=

Happy viewing and watch this space for more information about the NEXT challenge!

“Exactly this book is the thing that we needed! I have been thinking what a feeling it must be when the women leave the shelter and must be able to continue coping with all these traumas alone. One tip for every day of a whole year – this should be enough for a total recovery. A really good thing!” Professional working with woman survivors, 38 years old.

The aim of MTÜ Naiste Varjupaik is to make a positive societal change through offering mechanisms for stopping domestic violence and promoting healthy alternatives.

We gave them £3,745 through our EMEA Zone Funding Panel towards the project to translate and publish the book “Time to Fly Free. Meditations for Those Who Have Left an Abusive Relationship” by Judith R. Smith (2001), in Estonian language

Want to know what our money has meant to this group?  Then read on, click the link here for their report on our funding : L1001_Project_Report_and_Consent

We gave them £10,000 through our Local Community Grants Programme to enhance their IT systems, including their online booking system.  Its this online booking system which enables the personalisation of the scheme and will help them move to being a paperless organisation.  Well, they’ve only gone and done it and we’re delighted to link to their new website which we happen to think is rather wonderful – click here to have a look: http://www.crossroadscare-sc.org

Top work guys!

29 trekkers, 103 km, one team challenge – all walking for water

Their challenge sounded simple enough – walk 103 km across the Sahara terrain to highlight and fundraise for those without access to clean water.  The challenge would see our brave trekkers climb mountain terrain, walk over dry riverbed, volcanic rock and some of the highest sand dunes in the area.

In sweltering temperature, our trekkers have risen early and tackled their challenge with true grit and determination.  Between them, they have suffered heart palpitations, blisters, bruised soles of the feet, knee injuries, swelling and breathing issues – all as they struggle to beat the heat and terrain they face.

Their endeavours are nothing short of inspirational.  It’s a physically, mentally and emotionally draining challenge that has stretched them to their utter limits.   The sheer vastness of the area and kilometres set has been intimidating and has sometimes seemed impossible.  But, united in their efforts, they carried on.

Today, we are pleased to report that despite these injuries, they have ALL completed the challenge. The team that turned into family saw each other through the rough times and can now celebrate their incredible achievements together.

We think that they are all utterly awesome and inspiring and can’t say enough how we proud of them we all are.  The legacy from this challenge will be access to clean water for communities in Zambia for the very first time.  Their efforts will literally change thousands of people’s lives for the better.  Nice one, Team Sahara!

Thanks to everyone who brought a cake, attended an event, sponsored & assisted – your help & support enabled all 29 to cross the finish line today.  It’s still not too late to donate to the issue and celebrate with them – text TREK12£3 to 70070  or donate at www.justgiving.com/GroupOne - monies received will go to projects in Zambia for WaterAid.

Check out their incredible adventure in aid of WaterAid at  www.facebook.com/thebodyshopfoundation 

Our intrepid adventures/trekkers/fundraisers arrived at Ouarzazte, Morroco late on Saturday 25 Feburary to start the over 100 km in aid of WaterAid.

Day 1 saw a journey into the Sahara, followed by a 2 hour training walk to the first camp to give the trekkers a ‘taste’ of what lie ahead over the next 5 days.  This morning saw the challenge start in earnest, with a 6.00 am start and a gruelling, exhausting 17 km walk in blistering heat over sand and dry river bed.

We’ve got a regular news feed happening on our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/thebodyshopfoundation - check out their photos, achievements, thoughts and feedback from the desert and join us celebrating this incredible team of truly remarkable people.

The profits from this challenge will go towards WaterAid’s Zambian projects, providing access to clean water for communities for the first time.  Its an incredible challenge for an incredible cause and they need as much support as possible!  Join our group and join the activities this week!

We’re humbled by how much help and support there has been: to all at The Body Shop International, the suppliers of the company, all the staff, departments, team and all the trekkers friends and families – a heartfelt thanks.

Check out what some of our trekkers are thinking and feeling, their fundraising tips and also why they are doing it in a series of short videos.  Click on the link at www.facebook.com/thebodyshopfoundation for their updates.

Between us all, we’ll change lives and communities forever. Thank you for your part in it.