Hello!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This appeal is personal (it's my birthday, after all!)*. As I turn 26, I want to give back to my roots and help local communities in Hertfordshire, UK, to get through the corona crisis. 

Why this charity?

Since this week, new measures are in place which mean the UK's elderly and clinically vulnerable are to be "shielded" at home for 12 weeks to ensure maximum protection from the coronavirus. This group includes my dad and grandparents.

Shielding goes further than social distancing: it means no food shopping, no going out for walks (not even for the dog!) and no in-person contact with family or friends.

It pains me to be quarantined so far from home with no means of providing support to my family who are shielding right now. Worse still, some members of this newly categorised group have no access at all to support from friends, loved ones or carers. So, I am asking for a very unique birthday present this year in the form of your donations.

Where will your gift go?

Your donations will help grassroots charities and community organisations in Hertfordshire support the elderly and vulnerable people hit by the social and economic impact of the coronavirus.

Specifically, your donations will ensure that food is delivered to those who have no access to support, and will help provide mental health services to the isolated.

"That don't impress me much!"

My fundraising goal feels ambitious, and I doubt I will reach it by simply turning 26. So, I am also willing to earn your cash more creatively. We all have a bunch of free time on our hands, after all.

Off the top of my head, I could offer: a pancake cook-along, a poetry workshop, a staring contest, a 30 min learning session on design thinking or adult learning, an English class, a virtual tour of my kitchen to answer your question, "what do vegans eat?", a virtual Irish dance, or (for a generous donation) my best rendition of Wretch32's Fire in the Booth rap (my rap repertoire is small but mighty).

"Why are you always so wordy, Kiera?"

OK, I will wrap this up.

In short, if you're inspired by this appeal, please support me as I age furiously from my Berlin-based quarantine by supporting my local community back home.

Disclaimer

*I am fully aware that Coronavirus is affecting everyone globally, and by no means intend to imply that Hertfordshire deserves more attention than elsewhere. This is simply a personal appeal for a personal occasion. In the meantime, I pledge to contribute locally to my area by supporting Berlin-based community action groups.

#thinkglobal #actlocal

With love, from my room in Berlin

Kiera