New Site Charities

MSE_Martin

Congratulations to the new site charities....

• Capuk
• Help For Heroes
• Re_Cycle
• Samaritans
• Shelterbox

Thanks very much for all who voted. These five site's will receive one third of the sites charity money. The remaining two thirds will go to the MSE Charity which helps a whole range of charities in itself.

All the charities in the shortlist who didn't come in the top four will get a smaller donation (on top of the charity fund).

THE VOTE RESULT...

Poll started 15 July 2008. Pick the site’s new charities.

Here’s the shortlist for the site’s charities, those that are selected could get up to £20,000 each, so please vote carefully.

Over 600 charities were suggested by site users (see the nominations, then the tough shortlisting job went to five regular forumites. Four charities below will join the automatic pick Re-cycle. The vote will close at 1pm Tues 22 July. For more info see the MSE Charitable Fund guide.


You can only vote for one charity. Please pick the most relevant and effective.

BLISS... for babies born too soon, too small, too sick. Link: Bliss 8% (3060 votes)

CAP UK... personal help for those needing debt counselling. Link: Capuk 12% (4146 votes)

Carers UK… caring for carers, practically, emotionally and financially. Link: Carers UK 8% (3024 votes)

Citizens Advice... providing free information and advice. Link: Citizens Advice 5% (1804 votes)

Foal Farm… restoring sick and unwanted animals to health. Link: Foal Farm 3% (1217 votes)

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People… transforming lives. Link: Hearing Dogs 3% (1254 votes)

Help for Heroes… direct support for our forces’ wounded. Link: Help For Heroes 22% (7770 votes)

iT4 Communities… Helps charities so they can do more good. Link: it4communities 2% (668 votes)

NCH... helping vulnerable children and young people achieve their potential. Link: NCH 6% (2271 votes)

Samaritans… providing confidential emotional support to the UK. Link: Samaritans 11% (3898 votes)

Shelterbox… giving emergency aid worldwide. Link: Shelterbox 18% (6511 votes)

St Giles Trust… helping reduce crime and social exclusion. Link: St Giles Trust 1% (422 votes)


Total Votes: 36045

More about the result.... technicals and details

Four of the five charities were picked based upon the vote result, the other recycle was an automatic pick. The fourteen charities in the vote were shortlisted by a panel of regular site users after over 600 charity nominations were received.

The voting took place over a week. Sadly towards the end there were some suspicious voting patterns, as some over zealous people may've tried to push their chosen charity. While lobbying on other sites, and the charities themself wasn't prohibited and is therefore acceptible, deliberately trying to rig technology to vote more than once isn't.

We monitored these, the IP addresses used and the distribution of votes over time and while we do believe this may have impacted the actual number of votes cast, we don't believe it impacted which the top four charities overall are.

As ultimaely the vote is only indicative rather than binding on the site, we are therefore sticking with the top four charities as voted for. Though sadly we may need to look at this system again for next year.

It's also worth noting that in the original nominations process it was noted that the money would go to the top two big and two small charities. Yet to delineate which are "big" and which "small" within the list selected is very difficult so for clarity again, we're sticking with the top four. A smaller donation will be made to all the other charities shortlisted (on top of the fund).

Overall I'm delighted the site is going to be able to help the five charities, all of which are worthy causes, and of course the MSE Charity as well.

Martin

SuperChap

Woo hoo! Congrats to the four charities. A difficult choice as they're all so worthy!

fatbelly

Delighted for the four chosen charities.

Particularly pleased to see the one I nominated (Shelterbox) make it through

Slightly embarassed by the suspicious voting for them

And sorry particularly for Bliss and Carers who got overtaken in the later stages.

gomann

So many good causes.

Thank you, Martin, for what you do to help so many.
Enjoy that warm glow inside ... you deserve it.

nomis131276

I work for CAP UK and we're all so excited to be included in this, it was sad to see so much back biting in the forums though. We worked very hard to get our friend to vote for us, making it a bit of a challenge for us and had a laugh seeing who could get the most friend to vote. I also know our website throughput has been increased and in some respects thats more important because we want people to understand what we do, We often get referral from CAB and other advice agencies because of the level of service and expertise we have. Thanks again:rotfl:

mountainchrisriver

vote rigging for charities... whatever next...

gomann

mountainchrisriver wrote: »

vote rigging for charities... whatever next...

Mug a street collector?
No ... that's been done [far too often to be funny, actually].
Perhaps a nice Nigerian bank link direct to martin's coffers?

... it was sad to see so much back biting in the forums though.

Nomis, that was tranquillity personified compared with stuff I've seen on other websites. If you believe I was to blame for ruffling the smooth waters, please remember what I [and subsequently MSE] was concerned about.

fatbelly

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Sadly towards the end there were some suspicious voting patterns... While lobbying on other sites, and the charities themself wasn't prohibited and is therefore acceptible, deliberately trying to rig technology to vote more than once isn't.

We monitored these, the IP addresses used and the distribution of votes over time and while we do believe this may have impacted the actual number of votes cast, we don't believe it impacted which the top four charities overall are.

In other words, 'Gomann was right...but let's move on, guys'

southernbelle

So glad that HfH is there.

nomis131276

gomann wrote: »

Mug a street collector?
No ... that's been done [far too often to be funny, actually].
Perhaps a nice Nigerian bank link direct to martin's coffers?


Nomis, that was tranquillity personified compared with stuff I've seen on other websites. If you believe I was to blame for ruffling the smooth waters, please remember what I [and subsequently MSE] was concerned about.

No not at all, I understand your concern. Its a shame there was a need for it though

nomis131276

What's more if anybody has a real interest in what CAP does and would like to come and have a tour of CAP HQ in Bradford just holla