Charities Sue Ryder Care

Charity Shop 1a Castlegate, Knaresborough

We have updated our name (from The Sue Ryder Foundation) to help us meet increasing competition for funding, by clearly communicating the charity's work and emphasising our values, which have not changed. The new visual identity is designed to give the us a more modern image which reflects the professional nature of our work and will help us reach a new, younger audience, to add to our existing supporter base. The new identity has now been applied to the healthcare and fundraising elements of the charity, supported by an awareness building advertising and publicity campaign. Our shops are also being updated to ensure that the public face of Sue Ryder Care mirrors the dynamic, people-focused nature of our work.

The introduction of the new Sue Ryder Care identity will underpin increased emphasis on public awareness of the highly professional services we provide. This and a greater focus on fundraising will help us to seek out and meet today's most urgent needs and to meet them with all the skill and commitment for which Sue Ryder Care was created.

Our professional and volunteer staff have always formed the heart of the charity and will continue to do so as we proceed into the new century

Our Vision

To inspire and support people with disabilities and life threatening diseases in seeking their fulfilment in all phases of life.

Our Mission

• To recognise the unique value of each individual by helping them to meet their needs as a whole person, in a professional and dedicated manner.
• To provide supportive, nursing and social care for those in need, their families, carers and friends, residentially and in the community, both in the UK and overseas.
• To create an open and caring environment rooted in Christian values that welcomes and respects people of all faiths.
• To work in the community, for the community, with the community

The Founder

Sue Ryder, our Founder, served with the Polish section of the secret Special Operations Executive during World War II. She met people of extraordinary courage and saw the human suffering of war. When peace came, she began relief work for the millions of sick, homeless and destitute across the continent. She went on to work in other parts of the world, confronting poverty and disease. The charity was established in 1953, with the creation of our first Nursing Home in rural Suffolk.

Sue Ryder has been decorated both by the Polish and Yugoslav Governments. In Britain, she received the OBE in 1957 and she was appointed a Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1976. She holds the honorary degree of Doctor of Law from five English Universities. In 1978 she was created a Life Peer and as Baroness Ryder of Warsaw she sits on the Cross Benches in the House of Lords. In 1959 Sue Ryder married Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, VC, wartime bomber pilot and founder of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation Homes for the disabled. Their two charities are quite separate, but in 1958 the Ryder-Cheshire Mission for the relief of suffering was formed to undertake joint projects which do not fall within the scope of either.

Sue Ryder's strength and determination has underpinned nearly five decades of wonderful achievements and helped us transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

The Sue Ryder Care Centres

Sue Ryder Care supports people with a wide range of disabilities and life threatening diseases, as well as their families, carers and friends both in this country and abroad. We work in the community, for the community, with the community. Our services are geared to fill key gaps that exist in the health service, with each Sue Ryder Care Centre specialising in the care most needed by their local community.

The range of services include long-term and respite residential care, day care centres and home care.

There are now just over 80 Sue Ryder Homes in 20 countries, 20 of them in the United Kingdom. The Homes exist to give disabled and sick people of all ages the care and attention they cannot get elsewhere. Some Care Centres specialise in providing care for patients suffering from particular diseases and disabilities, such as Cancer or Huntington's Chorea: others provide care for a wide category of patients. Sue Ryder Care Centres are funded partly by Social Services and Health Authorities, but these cannot cover the full cost of the care we offer. The rest is met by legacies, donations, fundraising and income from our 500 shops.

The Sue Ryder Shops

A large part of the funds are raised from the shops which sell a wide range of donated goods - bric-a-brac, books, nearly new clothing, etc.

Some shops stock a selection of the gift range and Christmas cards. Care is taken over the pricing of goods and expert opinion is sought for the pricing of valuable items. The shops aim to keep up a high standard of appearance and have four broad functions:

1. to raise greatly needed funds for our work
2. to make better known the needs of the sick and handicapped in Britain and overseas
3. to bring people together from all walks of life
4. to serve the community

Manageresses and voluntary helpers derive much pleasure from working in the shops and endeavour to create a friendly atmosphere. The work is hard but enjoyable, interesting and often amusing, and many friendships are made among both helpers and customers.

Our local shop in Knaresborough is at 1a Castlegate.

How you can help

There are a number of ways that you can make a difference to Sue Ryder Care:

• Giving money By deed of covenant, leaving a legacy in your will, or by making a cash donation at a shop, Care Centre or online www.suerydercare.org
• Giving your time Volunteers form the backbone of Sue Ryder Care. If you can give a regular half day a week or more, please contact your local shop or Care Centre.
• Donating goods Donating items for sale at your local Sue Ryder Care shop - such as china, glassware, jewellery, pictures, books, CDs, toys or clothing - will help to raise funds for our work.
• Buying from our shops Every time you make a purchase from a Sue Ryder Care shop, or online you are contributing to the funding of the charity.
• Supporting Sue Ryder Care events Our Care Centres hold regular public events to help fund their services. You can help by attending.
• Telling your friends Spreading the word about Sue Ryder Care's work will lead to greater public awareness and generate further much needed support.
• Create a link to the Sue Ryder website www.suerydercare.org By creating a link to Sue Ryder Care from your web site you can help us to achieve prominent listings on search engines, so people can find us more easily on the Internet