Rosemary Conley’s Favourite Charities
In this section learn about some of Rosemary Conley’s favourite charities focussing on those with which she has had a personal connection.
STEPS Conductive Education Centre
Rosemary is Patron of STEPS
www.stepscentre.org
Steps is a Conductive Education Centre which provides specialist nursery services and support to children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other motor disorders and their families, enabling them to lead fuller, more active lives.
Young Enterprise Leicestershire
Rosemary is the President of Young Enterprise Leicestershire
www.young-enterprise.org.uk
This business and enterprise education charity assists around 225,000 young people every year to learn about business and the world of work in the classroom under the guidance of a network of 5000 volunteers from 3500 companies.
FareShare East Midlands
Rosemary is Patron of FareShare East Midlands
www.fareshare.org.uk
FareShare East Midlands redistributes surplus food to charities and community groups in Leicester, Leicestershire and the East Midlands, providing a lifeline to over 2000 people living in the community.
The Laura Centre
Rosemary is Patron of The Laura Centre
www.thelauracentre.org.uk
Opened by the bereavement charity COPE in 1991, The Laura Centre offers specialist bereavement counselling to parents whose child has died and to children or young people who have been bereaved of a parent or significant person.
Adullam Homes
Rosemary is Patron of Adullam Homes
www.adullam.org.uk
Adullam Homes works with some of the most vulnerable and excluded people in society and supports homeless people, young people leaving care, ex-offenders, people living with HIV/AIDs, domestic violence victims, vulnerable mothers and their children, recovering drug and alcohol addicts, those living with mental health problems and young men involved in gun and gang culture.
Ripple Effect
(Formerly Send A Cow)
Rosemary was Patron of Ripple Effect from 1988 – 2025
www.rippleeffect.org
Ripple Effect started as a development charity working with poor African farmers to promote self-sufficiency. Origionally known as Send A Cow, they did just that – sent cows to farms in Africa. More recently they have worked to bring smallholder farmers together to learn new skills and share knowledge. They help farmers to improve their livelihoods and thrive so they can feed their families nutritious food, and also grow a surplus to sell so they can invest in their farms, send their children to school and build sustainable agri-businesses.
Mike’s Christmas Present 2019
If you’re struggling to know what to buy a loved one at Christmas or for a birthday, why not consider supporting Send a Cow by buying an animal in Africa that will transform the lives of those less fortunate?
Living Below The Line
Several years ago, the charity Send-a-Cow set us a challenge to live ‘Below the Line’ on £1 a day for two days – typically the daily budget for an adult living in rural Africa. Filmed on my phone, this is how I started to create my first day’s menu, (with an unexpected visit from my lurcher, Waise, mid-way!).
Later I cooked my main meal using lots of vegetables and a little rice. I managed to use each tea bag six times and my cheapest source of protein was my pint of milk – which made me realise how very valuable it would be for an African family to have their own cow. Living on £1 a day
Rosemary actively supports numerous other charities and community organisations however she regrets that she is unable to accept any further invitations to become Patron due to time constraints.