A Malvern charity that helps disabled children and their families is in the running for a share of £125, 000 - all it needs is your help!

We asked our readers which of our local causes should be selected and you suggested lots of great charities.

An editorial panel has now selected Malvern Special Families, which helps disabled children and their relatives all over Worcestershire.

Our parent company’s charitable arm, The Gannett Foundation, is providing the cash to support local charities across the country and there is £20,000 up for grabs in our area.

During November you are invited to collect tokens from our newspapers which can then be sent to collection points across our region or posted. The first token to collect is

published on page 24 of the Malvern Gazette on Friday, November 5.

There are seven charities competing for a share of the £20,000 in our area - the more tokens collected for the respective charity, the bigger the share of cash awarded.

Each token collected will then be used to allocate cash to the nominated charity – so if your favourite charity collects 50% of all to tokens collected, it will receive 50% of the £20,000.

Newsquest is sharing the £125,000 cash pool across its seven regions.

The Charity

Special Families was set up in 1987 by a group of parents to help their children enjoy their lives in spite of difficult circumstances.

Chief executive Gareth Jones said: "Our aim is that if any child has not been told they cannot do something, we help them to do it.

"It doesn't matter what it is - we try and find a way to do it. Whether it is canoeing or playing sport or whatever.

"It is obviously a challenge as there is a broad range of ages and disabilities, so we have to always think about what we are offering."

The charity is based mainly in Malvern, but runs activities and services across all areas of Worcestershire.

It is linked with Worcester's Fort Royal Community Primary School and Regency High School, and helps prepare children for their later lives.

Mr Jones added: "We try to prepare the children for everyday life, helping them with social skills, managing money and other life skills.

"The number of children we help has grown massively to more than 175. On top of this, we also help the parents and siblings and give them a break."

To see more of the work done by Malvern Special Families visit www.malvernspecialfamilies.org.uk

How to vote

Just collect the tokens published in the Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter - as well as the Worcester News, The Shuttle, and the Evesham & Cotswold Journal - during November and pop them in a ballot box or post them to us.

Ballot boxes are now set up at:

  • Morrisons (Kiosk), Roman Way, Malvern WR14 1PZ
  • Co-op, Worcester Road, Malvern Link WR14 1AA
  • Jon Quality Hair, Worcester Road, Malvern Link WR14 2JU
  • Co-op, Barnards Green Road, Malvern WR14 3LY
  • WHSmiths, Bellevue Terrace, Malvern WR14 4PZ
  • FatFace, Church Street, Malvern WR14 2AE
  • Waitrose (customer Services), Edith Walk, Malvern WR14 4WR

Alternatively post your coupons to Cash for Charities, Malvern Gazette, Redhill House, 227 London Road, Worcester WR5 2LG

The other charities

The other charities competing for a share of the £20,000 are:

  • Swindon Domestic Abuse Service - a 24-hour helpline for victims to call and receive help from a trained advisor. Its goal is to support and empower male and female survivors of domestic abuse through a range of services, including in its refuge which can accommodate 22 families, as well as raise awareness of the issue and help inform government policy.
  • Wiltshire Air Ambulance has been run by a charitable trust since 2015 and saves lives on a daily basis as paramedics and pilots set off from its Semington HQ to help injured patients around the county and further afield. Last year, WAA was called to a record 1,238 incidents. At the same time fundraising income fell by £500,000 due to cancelled events.
  • SeeSaw: Helping grieving children to see a better future. SeeSaw provides grief support for children, young people and their families in Oxfordshire. Through appropriate support, SeeSaw can help to reduce the emotional, psychological and mental health consequences of bereavement.
  • Asylum Welcome: Help and support for those fleeing torture, hardship and oppression. Asylum Welcome offers information, advice and practical support to asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants living in Oxfordshire. It help adults, young people and families to feel safe, respected and understood as members of our diverse community.
  • Marlow Youth & Community Centre is an independent group offering support to those youngsters in need in Buckinghamshire. The team are coordinating a new careers development support project. This is to help secondary school leavers transition from education to employment and helping them make the next major step in their lives. The project will initially be launched with Great Marlow School and then expanded across the county, but funding for educational equipment and tutors will be required.
  • Stroud Beresford Group is an independent charity that has been offering accommodation advice and support to families affected by domestic abuse for over 40 years.