City’s search for deserving local causes to become their nominated charities for the 2010/11 season today steps up a gear with the announcement of the CITC Giving shortlist.

Seven charities or not-for-profit organisations have been selected by a panel of club officials to be put forward to a vote to select the projects which our fans and staff would most like to see the club support. The winning organisations will be the recipients of a monetary grant with which to provide a specific service or outcome to the community which they serve, as well as benefiting from profile-raising player appearances, signed merchandise and a variety of additional benefits.

Details of each of the seven shortlisted organisations are listed below, along with details of the project for which they have applied for funding. Please show your support of the work the club is doing in our local community by selecting the organisation you would like to support from this list. Only one vote will be accepted per email address and the voting process will close on Thursday 19th at 5pm.

The seven shortlisted CITC Giving organisations are:

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity raises funds to ensure continued excellence in treatment, care and research, enhancing the lives of thousands of children each year. They would like to produce an animated DVD for patients of all ages. The aim of the DVD is to prepare children and parents in an entertaining and informative manner, and to describe to the family what they are expected to encounter during their stay. No other hospital in the UK has ever made such a DVD.

The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT)

CAFT provide holidays and daytrips to approximately 3,000 terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children each year. CAFT would use the grant to provide week-long holidays for 45 children from the Manchester area at the Adventure farm. During their stay the children will take part in a bespoke programme of activities including: Arts & Crafts, Rebound Therapy, Music, Multi-sensory play, Sports and Animal care.

St Ann’s Hospice

St Ann’s Hospice works to improve the quality of life for those with life-threatening illnesses, while supporting their families and carers.

Volunteer drivers for St Ann’s Hospice currently use their own vehicles to collect and return patients where possible, but due to the specific nature of some of the illnesses, specialist transport must be provided.They would like to use the CITC Giving grant to buy a specially modified van to use as an ambulance.

Community Transport Manchester

Community Transport Manchester provide low cost, accessible passenger transport to voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, bringing people and opportunities together helping to transform lives and build better communities.  Driver licensing regulations mean that younger drivers cannot drive many of their vehicles due to their gross vehicle weight. Some youth groups aretherefore restricted to using community transport drivers, which increases the cost to them. Community Transport Manchester would use the grant to buy an appropriate vehicle for young people to drive.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association provide mobility and freedom to blind and partially sighted people.  They also campaign for the rights of people with visual impairment, educate the public about eye care and fund eye disease research. Guide Dogs would like Manchester City to sponsor at least one dog for the first year of its training.

4CT Limited

4CT is a charitable company that works in partnership with a range of voluntary and statutory agencies to improve the quality of life for residents of Manchester. They would use the grant to set up a group called 8-2-88. 8-2-88 would pull together local residents but focus on children (aged 8-12) and older people (aged 50+) to set up and run activities for each other. The aim is to reduce misperceptions and negative stereotypes across the generations by allowing participants to organise their own activities together

Dr Kershaw’s Hospice

Dr Kershaw’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care for adults, serving a population of 230,000 people from Oldham and surrounding areas. Dr Kershaw’s would like to use the grant to purchase at least one Nimbus Contour bed. These are specialist electric beds which are an absolute necessity for patients.

VOTING HAS NOW CLOSED

CITC Giving is the new charitable-giving arm of the club’s CSR policy. Proactive local charities and not-for-profit organisations were invited to submit an application for the club’s support for a project which they feel will enable them to make a lasting and positive impact on the community in Greater Manchester.

The club will be fundraising for their chosen charities throughout the year, with a variety of events and activities to be announced in the coming weeks and months. Fans and staff are also encouraged to hold their own events in support of the winning organisations, with the club providing support and publicity for these efforts through our own media channels.