A WEBSITE that raises money for charity through children’s birthday parties has named the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys as its final charity cause.
PartiesAroundtheWorld.co.uk, which was launched last year by Brighouse-based businessman Carl Hopkins and Leeds-based entrepreneur Deirdre Bounds, has linked up with EST, a charity dedicated to offering riding therapy with donkeys to children with special needs and disabilities.
PAW hopes to raise much-needed funds for the trust through its website, which allows guests at children’s birthday parties to make donations towards a charity or cause instead of buying material gifts.
Parties Around the World aims to take the stress and hassle out of organising a child’s birthday party by offering personalised and automated invitations, RSVPs and thank-you cards in addition to the online gift-giving facility.
A total of 12 “child-friendly” causes are represented on the PAW website – ranging from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to Born Free, the foundation that aims to protect threatened species and keep wildlife in the wild.
Guests who choose the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) as their charity of choice, will help the trust provide donkey-riding therapy to more than 750 children with special needs and disabilities at purpose-built centres around the country.
Deirdre, who in 2007 sold her ethical travel company i-to-i.com for millions of pounds, was inspired to launch PAW after holding a birthday party for her own young son and seeing the dozens of unnecessary gifts he received that would probably never be played with.
Carl Hopkins, whose business interests include business angel service Kloog and agencybods.co.uk, has starred in Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire when he gave away £42,000 to help good causes in the once-thriving colliery town of Easington in the north-east.
