FAQs

We support people in desperate need in Kashmir, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Afghanistan and the UK. We focus on getting seasonal aid to those who need it the most. Orphans, widows and single-headed households, the elderly and refugees face difficult times in the winter so we focus our efforts on delivering aid to them. Our partners on the ground co-ordinate the delivery of aid to ensure it gets to the people who so desperately need it as quickly as possible.

Our Winter Emergency packages include life-saving items that help those people who are homeless or living in inadequate shelter at the harshest time of year. We focus on providing people with the things they need to better endure the bitterly cold months, particularly blankets, food packs, warm clothing, and shelter. Exactly what is distributed and where depends on the situation and the local availability through our partners.

This varies from country to country, depending on the specific needs at each location.  Typically, a food pack could contain the following: rice, flour, oil, sugar, lentils, pasta, canned tomatoes and tea.

This varies depending on the country. The majority of refugees have camp dwellings, with minimal facilities.  These are often dangerous and unequipped for harsh weather.  Beneficiaries in Pakistan may have homes, but the standard of living is so low that there is even a scarcity of blankets. 

Yes, your donation may be used towards providing heating.  Together with our partners on the ground, we assess the needs of communities and availability of heaters on the local market. Where providing heaters is a suitable option and we can best address the needs of people in need through providing heaters, we will do so.

We transfer funds rather than goods to offices and partners overseas. We have offices in Pakistan and work with well-established partners at other locations. This way, our response is quick and efficient and also supports the local markets. Teams on the ground have a good understanding of needs and cultural tradition, available resources and local markets, placing them in a strong position to engage with communities and deliver what is most appropriate to meet their needs.

Our partners undergo a robust due diligence process and are requested to submit proposals and regular reports.  The benefits of working with partners are extensive and include strengthening their own capacity to better contribute to long-term development and increase the sustainability of work that we do with them.

Unfortunately, we cannot accept such in-king donations both for logistical reasons. It is also more efficient for clothes and other items to be sourced locally; items sourced locally are often more appropriate for the needs of communities while supporting the local economy.

You can select which country you would like your donation to go to in the drop-down box, or tell us when you call. However, the support that we provide is always guided by need and principles of efficiency and effectiveness, thus we may redeploy your funds to one of the other countries on our Winter Emergency list where we believe that your donation can make most difference also based on the amount that you give. For example, a £10 donation could go towards a winter blanket, while £50 could provide a family with food for a month.

Winter Emergency is usually in operation delivering aid from December through to March, and during this period you will see information about our work on our website and social media pages, and through emails and letters. Donations can be made to the fund at any time of the year by calling 03000 11 11 11.

Yes, small payments made regularly can make a big difference – this is the Penny Appeal way. You can set up an affordable monthly Direct Debit to make contributions to the Winter Emergency fund throughout the year. This allows us to work with communities so that they are prepared well in advance to better withstand the effects of severe weather. Automatic, monthly payments are the most efficient way to contribute to Penny Appeal’s work. Regular commitments allow us to plan ahead and ensure we have a reliable source of income to provide support to people who need it most.

Please get in touch with us before cancelling your monthly payment as we could reduce the amount so that you can still help us provide life-saving aid. It also helps if you tell us first so that we can update our records.

We only use secure systems with banking standard safety features to make sure that your payment and financial data cannot be compromised. All online payments are securely processed via WorldPay Ltd, PayPal or SmartDebit and no financial data is retained on our servers.

It really helps us if you can Gift Aid your sponsorship or donation – it increases the value of your donation by 25%.If you are a UK taxpayer, selecting to 'Gift Aid' your donation (either by checking the box online or ticking the box on a paper donation form) will make it worth more to us at no extra cost to you.

In order for Penny Appeal to reclaim the tax you have paid on your donations, you must have paid income or capital gains tax (in the UK) equal to the tax that will be claimed by all the charities that you donate to (currently 25p for every £1 you give) in the same tax year. 

The tax reclaimed will be used to help fund the administration costs of the charity so more of your actual donation can go directly to those in need. 

Gift Aid can be added to your donation if you are donating your own money. We regret that Gift Aid cannot be reclaimed if you are paying donations you collected from others, even if everyone was a UK taxpayer. Neither can it be reclaimed on donations made by companies. Other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. Gift Aid can not be claimed on payments for any ticketed events.

Please notify us if you are no longer eligible, wish to cancel this declaration, change your name or home address or if you no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains. 

By ticking the box you agree that you are eligible to claim Gift Aid as explained above and that we can treat this donation, any donations made in the last 4 years and future donations as Gift Aid and that  you understand that if you pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year it is your responsibility to pay any difference.