MDI's Big Give Christmas Challenge

Feeling generous? City-based dance organisation MDI will have just five days next week to raise £2000 in donations from members of the public in the next round of The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2011.  The donation challenge follows on from MDI’s earlier task of asking businesses to pledge to help raise the financial resources to fund their dance and health programme across the city in Alder Hey Hospital and in dementia care homes.  MDI's programme Move on Up was selected for the scheme by Big Give bosses who were impressed with their outreach work, which also won them a MOBO for community engagement in 2010. The Big Give is a philanthropic project supporting more than 8000 charities, supported by the Reed Foundation. To carry on with the challenge, MDI is looking for donations of any amount -- from 50p to £500 -- from businesses, trusts, foundations, dance lovers, philanthropists and members of the public.  Anyone donating more than £100 will receive recognition both online and in print used to publicise the dance and heath scheme.   Donors have the opportunity to have their cash doubled by The Big Give if they donate as close to 10am as possible throughout next week (December 5 - 9), which is when The Big Give release the additional funding that will be used to double donations until it’s all gone. After that, donations will still be accepted but cannot be doubled.  Rachel Rogers, project development manager at MDI said; "The Big Give Christmas Challenge has been quite successful for us thus far in terms of pledges so we’re excited for this next part of the task. MDI's dance and health programme is so important for the organisation and for people who do not usually have access to this type of dance activity – which can make a huge difference to their quality of life. "We really want to continue with all of our valuable work, particularly projects linked with dementia and the children in Alder Hey Hospital, and this money will go a long way towards funding these worthwhile projects." To donate, you can complete an online form between December 5 - 9 (as soon after 10am as possible in the hope of the donation being doubled), HERE.  MDI are happy to offer additional information about the project aims and beneficiaries in more detail so give them a call on 0151 708 8810 and ask for Rachel. Alternatively, you can email rachel@mdi.org.uk.