Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

We all work for Research Media and our corporate Charity of 2016 is Plan UK. To kick start our fundraising efforts we've been divided into teams and set an 'Apprentice' style challenge to raise as much money as we can by the end of January as possible.

We - John, Iain, Katie, Rich, Ro, Steph, Tom and Baz - are Team Midas! We are also being supported by our Emerald colleagues John Brown-Kenna and Tracy Samuels.

Team Midas plans to raise money by Losing Our Hair! 

The male members of the team have proffered various areas of their body for hair removal. Tom is having his head shaved, as is our friend John Brown-Kenna - who we have roped in from Emerald! John, Iain and Barrie are all having a leg waxed, and very bravely Rich his having his chest waxed!!

The Great Hair Loss (as it's becoming known in the office) is happening on Friday 29th January. To this end we're asking you, our family and friends, to donate what you can in support of our impending pain and humility in support of a great cause.

February is going to feel a lot colder than normal!

We are also having a January Clear Out. We're collecting unwanted CDs, DVDs, computer games, mobile phones and books in order to trade them in to raise valuable pounds. If you have anything of this nature that you wish to donate please get in contact with a member of the team who will arrange collection of your unwanted goods!

Across the pond our colleague Tracy Samuels in Boston is undertaking a Sponsored Silence in support of our fundraising efforts and you can contribute donations for her on this page too.

Plan UK is a global children’s charity. They work with children in the world’s poorest countries to help them build a better future. For over 75 years they have been taking action and standing up for every child’s right to fulfil their potential by:        

• Giving children a healthy start in life, including access to safe drinking water      
• Securing the education of girls and boys        
• Working with communities to prepare for and survive disasters        
• Inspiring children to take a lead in decisions that affect their lives    
• Enabling families to earn a living and plan for their children’s future

They run a flagship campaign which focusses on education for
girls called ‘Because I am a Girl’. Across the globe, girls’ rights are threatened by poverty, gender inequality, violence, poor education, unfair policies, ingrained attitudes, conflict and disasters. Plan UK speaks out in support of every girl’s right to live safe from violence, to go to school, to take key roles in their communities, to marry who they want when they want and to have their voices heard.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.