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  1. For wildlife lovers, how about a membership to the Orangutan Foundation?

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    This week is Orangutan Awareness Week - don't forget to wear orange on Wednesday for Orange for Orangutan Day.  So it's a great opportunity to let you know that if you're looking for a gift membership for a wildlife lover, you could give them a membership to the Orangutan Foundation.

    The UK registered charity is based in the UK and they work in collaboration with The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (BKSDA) to manage their programmes in Indonesian Borneo, in Central Kalimantan.

    Their mission is:

    "to save orangutans by protecting their tropical forest habitat, working with local communities and promoting research and education."

    But as they point out, it's more than that - they also recognise the role orangutans have to play in the biodiversity of the region.  Conservation is more than protecting a species - it's about protecting nature for all of us and our wellbeing.

    They are helping to conserve:

    • 393,800 acres of habitat in the Tanjung Puting National Park, home to 4,400 critically endangered orangutans and they also managePondok Ambung Tropical Forest Research Station there, which studies the park's fauna and flora, which includes monkeys and crocodiles. 
    • 600 critically endangered orangutans in 158,000 acres of habitat in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, one of the few protected areas where orangutans who've been rescued are released back into the wild

    What are the threats to orangutans?

    Their habitat is being destroyed by our demand for palm oil, not aided by the expanding bio-fuel market.  Orangutans and most of the biodiversity supported by tropical rainforests cannot co-exist with oil palm plantations.  Illegal logging, forest fires and illegal mining are also destroying the rainforest.   Fires kill and orphand displace many orangutans;  they are caused by the dry debris from logging, the use of fire by palm oil companies and the El Nino effect which has caused longer than usual dry seasons.  

     

    Give a Membership to the Orangutan Foundation and help orangutans 

    Memberships are really important to charities like the Orangutan Foundation.  They form a secure and ongoing support base for the work they do, and that means they can help and reintroduce orangutans back into the wild and also protect their rainforest habitat.  This year, the Orangutan Foundation is 30 years old and to celebrate, new members can receive a free copy of the charity's limited edition 30th Anniversary Booklet.  

    How is the Orangutan Foundation making a difference to orangutans?

    • Habitat Protection and Re-Forestation 
      If the forests are not safe, neither are the orangutans.  The Foundation supports the training, equipping and deployment of fire-fighting teams in areas of critical orangutan habitat. The use of guard posts and patrols to protect a wildlife reserve and national park have been very effective.  

    • Translocating and releasing orangutans
      Orangutans found isolated in remnant patches of forests or in oil palm plantations need rescuing.  Many are released in the wild.  A veterinary clinic can provide care. 

    • Education and awareness 
      To encourage children to have a greater interest in the natural world and help them to understand the importance of looking after it.

    • Scientific research
      This enables key conservation decisions to be made on important habitats

    • Capacity building and sustainable livelihoods
      It helps to develop the capacity of Indonesians to play a role in the conservation of the orangutan. The work of the charity also encourages sustainable practices and livelihoods that generate an income without destroying the forests. 

    The Orangutan Foundation runs its own programmes in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

    Memberships support this work, and you'll find there are a number of different memberships available, mostly for one year but also for lifetime. There are memberships for Junior, Family, Individual, Student and Senior Citizens, Patron, Life and Corporate.

    Members receive a subscription to the bi-annual newsletter, Red Ape.  This keeps you up to date with the work the charity is doing.  Junior and family members also receive a copy of Pongo, the junior newsletter.


    Join today and support the work the Orangutan Foundation is doing.

    By the way, other gifts for an Orangutan lover may be

     

     

     

  2. Special offer: Afternoon Tea with a Glass of Champagne for Two at The Harrods Tea Rooms

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    If you're looking to treat someone to a Afternoon Tea in London, with a glass of champagne, you may be interested to know that Red Letter Days have a special offer on for an Afternoon Tea with a Glass of Champagne for Two at The Harrods Tea Rooms!

    Afternoon Tea with a Glass of Champagne for Two at The Harrods Tea Rooms
    Was £164.00, now £140.00.
    Find out more and buy this gift here!


    The Harrods Tea Rooms has been serving Afternoon Tea since 1896.  Tuck into your tea as you listen to the gentle sounds of the piano. 

    Devour fresh sandwiches with a variety of fillings, an assortment of sweet patisseries, and - of course -  traditional scones served with clotted cream and Harrods jam. 

    There's a selection of teas, chosen by an in-house Tea Tailor - and you can top all this off with a glass of Champagne. 

    What a way to experience Afternoon Tea, away from all the London crowds! 

    So what do you need to know?  Red Letter Days says...

    • This voucher is valid for two people.
    • It's available week round, year round, excluding the Christmas period.
    • Bookings are available from 12pm–7pm on Monday–Friday, with last seating at 5pm, 11.30am–8pm on Saturdays, with last seating at 6pm and 12pm–6pm on Sundays, with last seating at 4pm.
    • All dates are subject to availability.
    • The minimum age is 18 and you need to let the venue know of any dietary requirements upon booking

    See the range of experiences at Harrods available through Red Letter Days here 

    Alternatively...how about...

    A Prosecco Cream Team for Two People at The Harrods Tea Rooms?
    This was £58 and it's now £49!

    Dine on fruit and plain scones with clotted cream and Harrods' signature jam
    Enjoy a refreshing glass of prosecco each...
    Find out more from Red Letter Days...

    How about Afternoon Tea at The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe at Harrods for Two?
    £140.00

    By the way, Red Letter Days also have a Luxury Afternoon Tea for Two multi-choice voucher for £59.99 (it's normally £65)  - there are over 60 locations to choose from!  Use our code AHW2024RLD and you can enjoy an extra 10% off this special offer - the code is valid to 31st December 2024.  Some products are excluded (such as the Afternoon Tea with a Glass of Champagne for two at Harrods, as described above). Find out more about the Luxury Afternoon Tea for Two voucher here.

     

  3. Memberships for cat lovers...young and older!

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    If you’ve got a little one to buy for who adores cats and kittens, you could look at giving them a membership to the Little Paws Club.

    It’s ideal for children because they can learn and discover all about our feline friends.  The national cat charity Cats Protection run it, and it’s for children aged between 5 and 7 years old.


    Give the young cat lover in your life a membership to the Little Paws Club

    You get a welcome pack with exciting goodies, a monthlymagazine, Cat Snaps, stickers, colouring pages, a poster and a membership certificate.

    We need to do all we can to encourage young people to have an interest in and care for animals – they will be their guardians of the future, and it’s never too early to start!

    Pounce on more information from Cats Protection here.

    By the way, they do an Adult Membership as well.   You can do it as a gift for someone who loves cats and wants to lend a paw – it’s a great way to find out about the incredible work Cats Protection does and what volunteers do.  I'm a member and I love to receive The Cat magazine with all its news and features - the photography is wonderful and it reminds me of how much the charity does to help our feline friends.  And a membership is a great way to help Cats Protection help care for cats!

     

     

  4. Gift membership card to the National Allotment Society

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    It’s National Allotments Week from 7th to 13th August 2023.

    The National Allotments Society (NAS), which organises the week, is a charity which works to support the needs of all allotment holders in the UK.   The membership scheme it runs is vital because it raises funds to make sure that allotment gardening has a future.

    The NAS has used this period over the last 20 years to get people involved in the world of allotments! 

    The week is also a great opportunity to grow the seeds and spread the words about the benefits of allotment gardening for everyone – individual people, communities and the planet!

    Some benefits of allotment gardening for people include:

    • Mental health – there’s a report on the website about how allotment gardening can help mental health
    • The chance to connect with nature
    • The opportunity to meet people with a like-minded interest
    • The benefits of sharing – your knowledge, left over produce and more!
    • The ability to grow your own produce
    • It’s a good healthy activity outside in the fresh air!
    • A sense of achievement

    There's a short film on the joys of allotment gardening called Plotting for the Future, and you can watch it here.

    In 2023, the theme of National Allotments Week is Soil Health.   Good soil health improves the yield when you’re growing your goodies, but actually is also contributes to the environment and biodiversity.   So this coming week, the NAS wants to educate us all about the benefits of caring for our soil – and the animals living in it.

    What does the NAS do?

    Well, it does a number of things:

    • it campaigns against government legislation which threatens allotments
    • it works with local authorities to make sure that they reach their statutory obligations
    • it educates plot holders with growing advice
    • it supports schools into growing allotments
    • it’s the voice of allotmenteers, as they are called, around the UK

    Needless to say, to do all this they need support – and this is where their membership programme comes in.

    Give a National Allotment Society Gift Card here.

    Why not give a NAS Gift Membership Card?

    Membership fees are listed here and there is also an NAS Gift Membership Card which gives lucky recipients a number of benefits you can find here – click on these links to gift a membership.  You’ll see when you go through to these links that you can also gift a magazine subscription, if you prefer.

    More information about allotments

    The  NAS website has lots of helpful information on allotments including hens on allotments, wildlife on allotments and bee-keeping and there’s also information on how to get an allotment in the first place.

    There’s also tips and advice on growing including monthly jobs, water used on allotments, designing an allotment for children, and how to plan an allotment.

    Visit the National Allotment Society’s website here.