SKT Welfare – Spreading Kindness Together – is an international charity based in the north of England in a small, unsuspecting city called Dewsbury. From humble beginnings and roots, SKT Welfare has grown into an international charity raising millions of pounds each year, to support thousands of vulnerable people in scores of countries. At SKT Welfare, we believe in doing work with integrity, transparency and preserving the dignity of those we serve
Our world is suffering in new ways each day and countless people are suffering, facing war, famine, fires, floods, drought, and tsunamis among countless other disasters. In the last 10 years alone, 2.6 billion people have been affected by natural disaster, which is 1 billion more than the previous decade, where 1.6 billion had been affected. The effects of climate change are hitting hard and hitting the most vulnerable people around the world the hardest of all. Moreover, a staggering 1 in 5 children today are living in a warzone. When natural disasters occur in poor communities, they devastate those already struggling to survive, without the infrastructure or the means to rebuild their lives. When poor communities are hit by disasters, the effects are immediate and long-lasting. It becomes even more difficult when we consider remote locations, where aid-workers cannot easily reach, and in times of natural disaster, this often becomes even harder.
Over the last 11 years, we have responded to crises all over the world including conflict in Palestine, drought and famine across Africa, earthquakes in Pakistan, war in Shaam and conflict in Yemen.
As well as responding to disaster and conflict, we build long-term projects to bring about change that will last for generations. We tackle water scarcity and thirst and provide water solutions so that people not only have clean and safe water to drink, but so that they can built their lives. With water, comes life and opportunity. We provide food and help build livelihoods so families can generate income for years to come. We keep people safe in homes, in shelters, and in family centres, because we know that by keeping people safe, we give them strong foundations.
The backbone of our organisation is our dedicated and selfless volunteers, who over the last 11 years have given their time to develop and grow our organisation, distribute aid, and raise vital funds to save countless lives.
One of the major focuses of our work is inside Shaam, where we run our very own bakery and hospital. The Al Huda Bakery provides freshly baked bread free to over 10,500 displaced people in Shaam every single day. The bakery relies on the support of volunteers who help with baking and distributing in the displacement camps inside Shaam. The Al Huda hospital is the only medical facility for over a million people in Shaam, providing free healthcare. The hospital is fully equipped with specialist services including ITU, labour wards, operation theatres, CT scans, ultrasounds, as well as highly qualified, expert doctors. The hospital has been hit during attacks several times, and has moved locations within the country and even gone underground. Almost 10 years of war has left millions in urgent need of support, as schools and hospitals have been targeted, leaving the country with virtually non-existent infrastructures.
The Al Huda hospital was made a reality due to the continued dedication and support of selfless volunteers. 83 ambulances were driven to Shaam from the UK, as part of 3 convoys. Convoys sent vital medical equipment, food and aid supplies for the people of Shaam. Volunteers travelled for weeks at a time, crossing borders and taking equipment that would well and truly, save lives.
Every few months, a group of dedicated volunteers travel out to one of our project locations in Turkey, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. They fundraise before they go and hand-deliver the aid they fundraised for. Volunteers travel for a week at a time and spend days packing food parcels or winter packs for hundreds of families who would otherwise struggle with nothing. While on social media we may only see the highlights of a few days of their trip, but in reality, volunteers give up so much. They sometimes spend weeks and months prior raising funds and preparing for their deployment, where they work long and tiresome days, while immersing themselves in a new way of life and understanding the suffering of those they are helping.
Our 100% Donation Policy means that every penny you donate is used in the delivery of humanitarian projects and directly related costs. Indirect and administrative costs are covered by either direct donations themselves or by using Gift Aid.
