Why we support this cause?

If it is true that planting trees is good for the planet, it is even more true that doing it incorrectly can create enormous damage to ecosystems, water supplies, agriculture and even people. Artificial forests (with only one or a few non-native species) impoverish local biodiversity, threaten natural ecosystems and put the water reserves of entire regions at risk. Finally, mass planting of trees on large plots of land triggers a social conflict between using the land for forestry in place of using the land for agriculture that provides food sustenance. But if we plant the right tree, in the right place, for the right purpose, we can avoid all of these issues, and achieve extraordinary results for the environment, the planet and local communities.

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Why we support this charity?

This organisation finances projects, communities and farmers who want to plant trees, supporting their work in the early years, when trees are not yet productive. Treedom provides farmers with educational and technical training for planting and managing trees for at least 10 years of the plant’s life. They directly finance small agroforestry projects throughout the territory, in order to realize sustainable ecosystems and allowing thousands of farmers to support the initial costs of planting new trees, ensuring food autonomy and income opportunities over time. Planting a tree for them means not only making the planet greener, but also empowering local people and farmers, and improving ecological balance and promoting biodiversity. You can plant a tree, give it a name and watch it grow in real time. It’s something you can also make as a special occasion gift.

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What impact will SCR and you make by supporting this charity?

With our contribution, together we could help them plant more trees  within Treedom’s 17 project countries across the world.

People and territories in those countries can be exploited by huge companies whose aim is to maximise income and act with little regard to the local flora and fauna’s balance and requirements. Intensive agriculture can initially lead to soil’s impoverishment, which if left unsupported, will regress into desertification, which reduces food availability and can threaten the local community’s ability to support itself.

Educating local populations on cultivation and teaching them how to take care of their own resources will also create a safer space for Nature. Each tree can absorb as much carbon as one person taking a one-hour flight.

The carbon dioxide that a tree absorbs is what is then converted into its woody parts (so the branches, trunk, stems and roots), and the oxygen it emits into the atmostphere. This means that the volume of carbon dioxide a tree absorbs is relative to the weight of the tree as it grows.

‍Why we support this cause?

Medical research has helped to tackle many diseases and conditions that affect human health. But there will always be more to do. Health organisations and Governments are spending lots of money developing exciting new treatments and therapies, but there are also areas of medical need that receive little or no support. That’s where we step in. Funding Health Charities that support the population is our sole purpose. We are inspired by the responsibility and independence that our donations give us.

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Why we support this charity?

Acreditar is a Portuguese National Charity that supports children and youngsters with cancer as well as their families. They help struggling families by taking in their children in their Acreditar houses when they are transported from their homes anywhere across the country or islands to the 3 main pediatric oncology hospitals in Portugal which are based in Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto - They help financially the families in need and give psychological assistance to the children and parents – They also help providing school support with volunteer work for children with cancer at their homes if needed. They also fight for the rights of these children and families.

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What impact will SCR and you make by supporting this charity?

In Portugal, about 400 children a year are diagnosed with cancer. Although the survival rate is around 80%, much remains to be done, especially for the quality of life of the survivors and families rights.

Cancer has a brutal impact on the children and their families. Most of us know a friend, family, co-worker or heard of someone close who has/had cancer. The pain they go through is unimaginable, with our help, we will improve the well-being of those who, always too soon, are challenged by cancer. Furthermore, this charity has been massively impacted financially due to COVID, they really need our help.

‍Why do we support this cause?

According to international law, torture everywhere is always illegal. However, torture continues in many countries around the world, with many governments complicit in these horrifying acts. Torture survivors spend the rest of their lives coping with the severe mental, emotional, and physical repercussions of the trauma of torture, and they require (and more than deserve) all the help we can give them. On a more personal level, I worked on behalf of Freedom from Torture back in 2015 and it left such an impression on me that I introduced SCR to the charity.

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Why do we support this charity?

Freedom from Torture helps survivors in all aspects of their lives to find their way back to safety, security, and community. Freedom from Torture’s commitment takes seriously the life-changing effects of PTSD, and they provide a wide range of support for survivors, individually and at a policy level. From therapy and support groups; writing reports on torture; campaigning against governmental policy that disallows financial stability; supporting survivor activism; assisting in asylum claims and immigration to the UK; to providing medical help: rebuilding lives is the foundation of their mission.

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What impact will SCR and you make by supporting this charity?

£3 could help a survivor travel to a medical assessment; £20 could buy seeds for one of their gardening groups; and £50 could fund a survivor’s first therapy session. Supporting Freedom from Torture is about helping the material conditions of survivors, but it is also a practice in affirming and empowering agency, resilience, and shared humanity: values that we strongly believe in at SCR. We look forward to contributing to Freedom of Torture’s goals, and we invite you to join us in any small way you can.