Running until the end of May, V-Day is the latest initiative from the rather lovely (and equally scary) retail expert Mary Portas to get us all doing our bit to transform charity shops across the UK, following the success of her Living and Giving shop chain concept.

Designed to inspire us all to give something back the initiative differs from the traditional idea of structured, time fixed volunteering, instead allowing you to do it on a more relaxed and flexible basis where according to Save The Children:

“You might help to find treasures amongst the donations. You could be using your skills to manage other volunteers or putting your creativity to the test by designing eye-catching window displays”

And on top of getting a real high by giving something back you could also get a qualification out of it as Save The Children, the charity that Portas has been working with, are offering fully funded NVQS if you’re able to give a certain amount of time a month.

You can find out more about the V Day campaign set up by Mary Portas at the Save The Children website and see the concept in action in Mary, Queen of Charity Shops: Revisited which is available on BBC iPlayer until 10pm May 3.

Sometimes you can think that compassion and love in the world has died but when you see people come together to help people they don’t even know following the earthquake in Haiti it really does restore your faith in humankind.

And that help has come in so many different formats – the Hope For Haiti concert being one of the biggest, alongside the Haiti Everybody Hurts single in the UK and the We Are The World 25 track in the US.

But there are also some incredible things being done at grassroots levels, such as the “We Shall Love Again” t-shirt produced by Edward Chiu. Simple but very effective, these tees feature a simple image of a brick wall with the words “We shall love again” written across it and are currently being sold for £10 each with ALL profits going directly to the Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

Available to buy in a range of stores across London, including Wholesome in Shoreditch and no-one in Kingsland Road, this tee can also be ordered internationally by getting in touch with Edward Chiu direct.

Photos by Edward Chiu.

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Stonewall has announced that Laura Doughty who was previously Director of Fundraising and Communications has been promoted to Deputy Chief Executive.

Acting to reflect the growth that the gay rights organisation has seen recently, Laura’s promotion also shows a real commitment by the charity to expand the work Stonewall does, as well as the impact it has.

Speaking about her promotion Laura said “This is a hugely exciting time to be Deputy Chief Executive of Stonewall. I look forward to working with the Stonewall team, the lesbian, gay and bisexual community and all our key stakeholders to ensure that we achieve equality in every aspect of our lives – at home, at school and at work.”

Want to do something to help the survivors of the Haiti Earthquake that is not only going to help financially but also help to keep the cause in the mind of the people around you?

The new Haiti t-shirt from Threadless is guaranteed to do both.

Designed by Thomas De Santis and Ivan Tarrazo Sanchez from the Dominican Republic this tee is all about helping out the people of Haiti with 100% of the proceeds of the sale going to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

Available for both men and women this tee features the words “Men anpil chay pa lou” (which translates as  “Many Hands Make the Load Lighter”) with the letters produced in the style of buildings with Haiti people around them doing their work.

In talking about what lead them to create the design, Thomas said, “Our inspiration (for the tee was) the amazing Haitian street art. It provides a true sense of daily life and community through the use of gorgeous colors.”

Ivan adds, “We hope that with the money raised with the tee we raise awareness as to the importance, not only of immediate assistance, but of the creation of the infrastructure needed to respond in similar crises.”

Declining the printing award that usually is awarded to winning designers by Threadless, insteas wanting it to be given to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund shows just how much Thomas and Ivan want to help, and they’re not the only ones.  Shirts Our Business, one of the main printers for Threadless are also offering their printing time and ink for this tee completely free.

If you’re like us then we bet you’ve said more than once that you’d like to do something to raise a bit of money for Worlds AIDS Day, but have you ever done anything?

No? Well don’t feel too bad, most of the people we’ve spoken to have thought the exact same thing but never actually done it. However one person who is sure to have you feeling guilty (she definitely did us) is Shannon Roux of Sandy Springs, GA, who at the age of eleven wasn’t willing to just let the day past.

Deciding that she wanted to do something to help increased awareness of AIDS, Shannon got together with her friends at Charlie’s Port, a local performing arts organization, and Riverwood International Charter High School, and under the guidance of Charlie’s Port Artistic Director Mary Claire Dunn, helped design and create a red World AIDS Day Charlie’s Port t-shirt.

Now getting to that point would be impressive enough for most of us, but not for Shannon and her friends. They instead went on to sell the tee to over 400 people, and then on World AIDS Day on the 1st December got everyone who and bought one to go to the football field of Riverwood International Charter High School wearing it. Once there they then all gathered together to form a living red AIDS ribbon to spread a very important and visual message that the issue of AIDS cannot be ignored.

Raising $1000 from the t-shirt sales for the Elton John AIDS Foundation this may not be the largest donation the charity will see, but Shannon did proves that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about showing that if you put your mind to it you really can make a difference, and not just in a monetary sense as we’re pretty sure that it’s going to be something eleven year old Shannon, and everyone involved, is going remember this project for a long time to come, and with that will come a continual reminder of the need to increase awareness about AIDS.

Elton John’s clothes are following their owner out of the closet this weekend to be sold as part of their annual Out The Closet event.

Staged four times previously, the fundraiser sees both Elton John and David Furnish sell off items from their designer wardrobes with all money raised going directly to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Raising a massive £400,000 in 2002, the pop up shop will open tomorrow in Covent Garden, London and will stay open for a week, with items ranging from £10 to £2000.

Labels available in the sale include Prada, Versace, Dior, McQueen, D&G and Jean Paul Gaultier and as well as clothes, there will also be luggage items, sunglasses and other accessories on offer.

The shop will be restocked daily until stock runs out with a clearance sale on any unsold stock occurring on Saturday 19th December. Open to everyone, this event also tends to bring out the A List shoppers including everyone from Elle Macpherson to Elizabeth Hurley and Natalie Imbruglia.

Speaking about the event, Elton John said “Out The Closet has become an amazing fundraising opportunity for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. We always get a fantastic response from the public – I think the idea that the items we all buy and enjoy can help someone in dire need, particularly at this time of year, really strikes a chord. I’m so grateful for everyone’s support in making this happen.”, with his partner, David Furnish adding “The new stock in Out The Closet represents the largest clear out that I have ever had, and it’s exciting to think that my clothes will draw a whole new demographic into our shop. For the first time we have sunglasses in-store and other accessories which will make great Christmas gifts”

One of the world’s leading non profit organisations, the Elton John AIDS Foundation works to alleviate the physical, emotional and financial hardship of those living with, affected by or at risk of HIV/AIDS. Started primarily to help those in the UK, EJAF has expanded it’s work across the globe in the last 16 years and is now of the largest AIDS charities in the world.

The Out The Closet store opens tomorrow at Out The Closet, 6 – 8 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London,WC28AA.

Unless you have small kids then there really is no excuse to be watching this Children In Need melody, well except it’s for charity, which is good enough reason for us to be featuring this very cool musical melody on Queeried. Have to say we’re a bit disappointed that Paddington Bear is such a diva …

So go on, do your bit for charity and order your copy from iTunes now. Yes it will be the oddest track on your iPod (we hope), and you probably will run into a tree in shock when it starts playing but you’ll be making a child’s life somewhere in the UK a whole lot better, and we know you’re the caring kind.