Tag: Charity

Christmas Volunteering

Christmas: Volunteering is needed now more than ever

“It’s Chrisstmaasss!” For many this festive time of year is to relax and enjoy time with friends and family; but, for many, Christmas is a time of sadness, loneliness and stress. 2021 has been another tough year for charities, and those that they help. At Christmas time, charities rely on volunteers, donations, or fundraisers to help them through this festive season. With at least 3.5 million people not looking forward to Christmas this year for a myriad of reasons, It’s time to unleash your inner elf, and start volunteering or fundraising in your local community.

Befriending Services 

According to Age UK, more than 2.5 million older people have no one to turn to for help and support. The charity’s network of local groups means there are a number of opportunities available for you to engage with- they aren’t limited to just Christmas, but maybe Christmas is the best time to start.

These opportunities also include their befriending scheme, both face-to-face and through telephone calls. Partnering with The Silver Line, Age UK offers free phone friendship services, meaning you’re able to comfort someone over the phone, from your own home. At many Age UK branches, you can become a befriender volunteer and visit an older person in their home or accompany them to doctor’s visits or the theatre. You can hear more about the befriending services through Rose and Sarah’s story here.

Age UK isn’t the only charity who offer these types of befriending services, Independent Age and Royal Voluntary Service offer similar services, open to volunteers just like you.

Befriending services are across the country this Christmas. No one should feel lonely.

Crisis at Christmas

Charity Crisis has been helping those take their first steps out of homelessness since 1967. Christmas donations of just £29.06 helps provide a place that’s safe to stay at, hot meals- including a Christmas Dinner, companionship and year-round support such as training and education to help someone end their homelessness for good.

Crisis this year has setups in London along with multiple other regions across the country, including our very own Manchester. In London, Crisis will be providing accommodation during the Christmas and New Year period to those who would alternatively be spending Christmas on the streets.

They’ll also be opening their day centres in the capital along with their other sites across Britain delivering hot meals and providing advice, health and wellbeing services. For those who may still be cautious to volunteer due to the pandemic, Crisis will be continuing to provide their volunteering opportunities in a socially distanced way. If you’d like to know more about Crisis, and the ways you can help this Christmas, have a look here.

Crisis at Christmas: Together we will end homelessness.

Local Community Based Organisations:

Local volunteering opportunities are just a few clicks away, and you’re likely to find an opportunity that fits you perfectly. If you’re struggling to find opportunities, head to our TryVolunteering site, or look for national schemes set up specifically for this time of year.

Why not look at opportunities that focus on helping young people within your local community. For those less fortunate, it can be a confusing and frustrating period. With around half a million people, including 200,000 children being pushed into poverty by the universal credit cut, volunteering, fundraising and donations may be needed more than ever.

Become a Secret Santa and raise money to help bring food, love and warmth to vulnerable children this Christmas. Last year, Santa’s across the UK reached 604,000 young people and their families. Supporting these children is now more important than ever- start your Santa journey today, here. 

What Are You Waiting For This Christmas? 

Volunteering this Christmas doesn’t just have to help those in need, there can be benefits for you too. Volunteering, fundraising and even making a small donation can make you feel good and  positively impact your mental health. You might even learn a new skill along the way! 

So, what are you waiting for? Start helping to make a difference to those in need, so everyone can enjoy Christmas this year. 

Celebrities That Do Great Charity Work…Part Two

In our last ‘Celebrities That Do Good Charity Work‘ blog, we only mentioned a few celebrities that do charitable work. But there were (and are) so many more we wanted to let you know about. So here you have it, a part two showcasing celebrities that use their time and money towards charitable causes. And maybe, this might encourage you to take up some volunteering opportunities…. 

Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher also donated $4 million to Ellen Degeneres’ Wildlife Fund.
  • Alongside Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher founded Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children. The charity works mainly to address the role of technology in the sexual exploitation of children. So far the organisation has helped to identify over 20,000 children in danger since 2014.
    Furthermore, their Spotlight feature (a data-analytics program) has assisted the authorities, reducing agents’ investigation time by over 55% in 2020. 
  • Ashton also helped in the set up of The Native Fund. The foundation is committed to raising funds and organising volunteer efforts to assist the people and communities of Iowa in times of need.
  • In April 2020, during the height of the pandemic, Kutcher and his wife Mila Kunis started making their own wine for charity! It’s called ‘Quarantine Pinot Noir’ and 100% of the profits go towards charities providing Covid-19 relief.

Taylor Swift

Swift donated $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville for the education centre – their biggest ever donation!

Taylor Swift is known for her deeply personal lyrical storytelling, but between all that love and heartache she finds time to give to causes that mean a lot to her personally and to her fans. 

  • In 2007, she launched a campaign called Delete Online Predators to fight internet crime against children.
  • She held a “Speak Now Help Now” benefit concert in 2011 for victims of tornadoes in the United States Southeast region. The concert raised more than $750,000. 
  • During Kesha’s much publicised legal battle with producer DJ Luke, she supported her fellow artist by giving $250,000 to help pay her legal fees. After this, she faced her own legal battle against David Mueller for sexual harassment in 2017. She won the case for a statement $1 and vowed to help organisations that aid victims of sexual harassment/assault. She has done so, making “generous” donations to both the Joyful Heart Foundation (for survivors of sexual assault) and RAINN (an anti-sexual assault organization).
  • She also gives back to her fans directly, supporting them in a number of ways. For example, she donated $50,000 to a fan battling cancer on GoFundMe, helping pay her medical bills.

Jackie Chan

Many of us know Jackie Chan for his work as an actor, as a stuntman, a producer, film director, or even for his martial arts. But we can now add ‘big charity giver’ to his list of achievements…

  • In 1988, he founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation. A foundation that aides Hong Kong’s residents by offering scholarships, medical services, and assisting in natural disasters and illnesses. 
  • Then in 2002, he founded The Dragon Heart Foundation. This foundation is driven to fulfil the needs of the less fortunate populations in China.
  • Jackie Chan has also stated that he plans to leave his estimated $370 million fortune to charity, rather than his son, Jaycee.

Feel inspired?

Are you feeling more inspired thanks to our quick rundown of charitable superstars? Check out our website as a starting point to see the clients we work with, and what new volunteering opportunities they have available for you today.

“Volunteer Management Software for non-profits? I don’t need that!”

Volunteer Management Software. A scary term which sounds completely crazy to those who have religiously used Excel to manage their volunteer workforce. So, I get it, it can be frightening going from years of working on hundreds of excel sheets to just one piece of tech. But, what if I showed you how easy it can be? 

So let’s take a look at some of the most common sayings non-profits have when talking about volunteer management software. 

What even is volunteer management software?

Volunteer management software is an online system which allows your organisation to manage all of your volunteers in one simple space. With TeamKinetic, our system allows you to recruit, manage and retain volunteers through various methods. You can create volunteer opportunities, events, rewarding systems and much more. 

I’m no good with technology!

With volunteer management software you don’t have to be tech savvy! Most software nowadays is very straight forward and is made to be user friendly, otherwise, no one will use it. So, there is no need to be nervous about using this particular software. TeamKinetic have easy to read tutorials which guide you through your site to help get you started and understand the different areas. We also hold training sessions so you and your staff can gain an advanced knowledge of the software. 

We have a limited budget!

We understand this so we offer not only a free trial but also a free version! This allows organisations with limited budgets to use our software and have unlimited active opportunities and unlimited volunteers. Giving your organisation the chance to manage your volunteers FREE of charge!

We don’t want to change!

Change can be hard but sometimes it’s for the best. Today, many young people are becoming more interested in volunteering, especially for non-profits. The youth and technology go hand in hand so in order to attract the younger generation you will need to start heading down the tech route. But don’t fear TeamKinetic is here. Research shows our software is effective at recruiting younger volunteers. This could be down to our digital tools that let you share to social media or the fact the younger generation prefer that digital approach. This is a great way to start building up a variety of volunteers whilst still retaining past volunteers. 

Other departments take priority when it comes to new software!

Every non-profit relies heavily on their volunteers, so, having a good system to allow for the proper management of your volunteers must be a big priority. However, we understand that perhaps you feel you don’t have the time to set up the software and that your time could be better spent doing other things. That’s fine! We understand – that’s why we try to make the setting up process as easy as possible! At TeamKinetic we have tutorials which can be followed when setting up a site and even training with our team to help configure that new system to meet your organisations requirements. 

We are a small organisation – We won’t need it!

No matter how small, organisations need this type of volunteer management to be able to better manage their volunteers. Having a system which ultimately runs itself means less time creating and maintaining Excel documents and more time promoting your volunteer service and helping volunteers. TeamKinetic is host to many small organisations, so we know our volunteer management software is flexible for all companies. 

TeamKinetic for Non-profits

At TeamKinetic we want to ensure that your organisation is reaching their full potential when it comes to volunteer management. You can recruit and retain volunteers, create opportunities and events, give rewards and gain feedback, and many other features. Our software gives you the chance to have all of your volunteer management in one convenient space. And for a limited price. 

We hope that your hesitations about trying out volunteer management software have disappeared, but, if they are still lingering call us on 0161 914 5757 we are more than happy to talk you through our software in more detail! 

Alternatively, take a look at our website to find out more and start your FREE trial today! Or, read through our social media pages for more tips and tricks – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube

We hope you enjoy our system!

Conquering Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis is one of the UK’s most famous natural landmarks, and is the tallest mountain across the British Isles! It is a long and strenuous climb that takes around 7-9 hours, guaranteed to leave you with stiff legs the next day! But it also leaves you with a big feeling of accomplishment.

This mountain is a lofty 1,345 meters high. To put this into perspective the London Eye stands at 135 meters high and Big Ben at 96 meters high. They don’t call it the tallest mountain for nothing! And our TeamKinetic Software Engineer, Rolf Herbert, is about to climb it in aid of Macmillan.

Rolf’s Ben Nevis Adventure…

On the 27th September our software engineer is taking on the Ben Nevis challenge! Rolf is taking this challenge on with 30 team members, with only a few having real experience for such a challenge!

“Macmillan is a superb charity that helps so many people in a positive way, it helps celebrate and appreciate what you have even when you are at risk of losing so much. Sharing an adventure with friends in a stunning location, whilst raising some money, seems an apt way to help” – Rolf Herbert

About Macmillan…

At Macmillan Cancer Support, they understand the many ways in which a cancer diagnosis can affect your life. But from the moment you’re diagnosed, through your treatment and beyond, Macmillan are right there with you, offering emotional, physical and financial support.

They take the time to understand you as a person, so that they can provide the support, tools and inspiration you need to find your best way through. They do it like this because they understand that everyone’s cancer journey is unique. 

Macmillan Cancer Support is a group of millions of supporters, professionals, volunteers and campaigners. And together, they make sure you are treated like a person- not just a patient- and get the support you need to live life as fully as you can.

Read how Macmillan are helping people today…

Best of Luck Rolf!

Everyone here at TeamKinetic applauds Rolf for taking on this challenging climb to raise money for a brilliant charity! We wish you the best of luck and we can’t wait to hear all about it (and make sure you wear some good shoes)!

If you wish to support Rolf on his endeavour for Macmillan, follow the link below.

Celebrities Who Do Great Charity Work

Celebrities are some of the richest people in the world, whether they be actors, footballers, or singers. Today, we take look at the celebrities who really care. The ones who donate their money and time to causes they’re truly passionate about.

Here are a few of the celebrities doing great work, and maybe it can inspire you to follow in their footsteps…

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie speaking to Syrian refugees, celebrities who volunteer, charity, volunteer management, volunteering, volunteer management software,

Angelina Jolie has always been associated with being charitable, and today is no exception! Despite becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood, she still used her time to help others…

  • Since 2001, she has embarked on field missions around the world and met with refugees in more than 20 countries.
  • In 2003 she set-up the Maddox Jolie Program that is today known as the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP). The foundation is dedicated to eradicating extreme rural poverty, protecting natural resources and conserving wildlife. They even donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders.
  • 2016 saw her set up the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict which aims to ensure that children and young people affected by conflict, internal displacement, and refugee status are not denied their fundamental human right to education.

David Beckham

David Beckham. celebrities who volunteer, charity, volunteer management, volunteering, volunteer management software,
  • Has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2005 and travelled across the world to see the work that they do. Beckham has visited Swaziland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and the Philippines.
  • In February 2015, to mark his tenth year, UNICEF and David launched ‘7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund’. The 7 Fund states that they are “tackling bullying, violence, child marriage and missed education, and making sure children – especially girls – get a true chance to realise their potential”.
  • The 7 Fund has also supplied polio vaccinations, drilled wells and brought clean water to schools and communities. They’ve also provided HIV medicine to pregnant mothers and given life-saving food to malnourished children.

Miley Cyrus

Miley often speaks out on social issues too – here she is at the Women’s March in 2017.

From rising to fame as Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana to creating media frenzies with her provocative live performances, Miley has had quite a journey in the public eye! But through it all, she’s kept her charitable spirit…

  • In 2009, she started a program for Youth Service America called ‘Get Ur Good On‘. Its purpose was for youth to support each other in their missions to do ‘good’ in their communities. Get Ur Good On Grants awarded 100 $500 grants to support projects that addressed critical community needs such as poverty, education, and environmental sustainability.
  • In 2014, she founded the Happy Hippie Foundation. The foundation provides homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable groups with consistent support services, education and employment opportunities.
  • Finally, in 2018 Miley, and her then-husband Liam, donated $500,000 to Malibu Relief after their home burned down due to the California wildfires. They noted that they wanted to give back to the place that “created so many beautiful memories for themselves and others”.

Feel inspired?

Do you now feel inspired to take part in some charity work to help make a difference but don’t know where to start? Check out our website as a starting point to see the clients we work with, and the volunteering opportunities they have on offer.

Happy International Day of Charity

Every year, charities all over the world are using their resources to help support and provide hope to people in need. Now, today is the day we show our appreciation to all charities out there for the amazing work they do on a day-to-day basis. That’s why today’s blog post is all about saying THANK YOU and showing our appreciation of our charity clients!

First up…

British Blind Sport

British Blind Sport prides itself on making a visible difference through sport as we know that taking the first step into participating in a sporting or recreational activity can change lives for the better

– Alaina MacGregor, Chief Executive Officer

British Blind Sport is an amazing charity that helps the blind and partially sighted people get active and play sports. They encourage adults and children to participate in activities of all levels, from grassroots to the Paralympic Games. They believe that sporting opportunities should be available to everybody. It has been proven that sport can enhance the lives of people with visual impairments by improving their health and increasing their social interaction.

And you can help today in so many different ways. Have a look today to see how you can make a real difference through British Blind Sport by clicking here.

Dreams Come True

Dreams Come True are the only dreams granting charity that fulfils the dreams of children and young adults with such a wide range of medical conditions, locations and ages.

Dreams Come True exist to make the dreams of children and young adults come true; everyone has a dream, but the unfortunate reality is that some have less time to realise their dream. This is why Dreams Come True believe that having one moment where children can forget about the troubles they are currently facing, is a moment that they and their families get to treasure forever.

However, they can’t make any of this happen without support of others. Find out how you can help Dreams Come True today by clicking here!

Groundwork London

Groundwork London have the vision of a city where all communities are vibrant, healthy and safe. Where londoners feel empowered to come together and overcome the challenges they face, wherever they live, and whatever the circumstances or background. However, London continues to face many serious challenges. When these challenges are combined with reductions in public funding and services, it’s usually those who are most disadvantaged that are affected the most. That is why Groundwork designs projects to support these individuals and communities.

Every year they make an incredible impact on people and places in London. Last year they worked with communities across London to create and improve close to 1.9 million square metres of public parks, playgrounds, housing estates, community gardens, nature reserves, roof gardens and many more of London’s valuable public open spaces. 

They offer amazing support and advice, which you can find out about now by clicking here.

Into Games

Into-games is a wonderful charity which supports people finding rewarding careers in the games industry. Their projects connect education and industry while providing guidance for learners from primary school upwards. They do this to ensure that a career in the games sector is more accessible to a wider range of young people.

With Into-games, you can find a career, build a game, go to an event, get a mentor, and find opportunities with just a click of a button! Find out for yourself here.

Pankhurst Trust

The Pankhurst Trust was formed in 2014 as a merger between The Pankhurst Trust, which ran The Pankhurst Museum, and Manchester Women’s Aid. 

They aim to promote the equality of women, to help women suffering or at risk from domestic abuse, and to secure The Pankhurst Museum for public benefit.

This incredible charity work to ensure the powerful story of the women who won the vote continues to inspire us all to challenge gender inequality, and to ensure that those suffering domestic violence and abuse get the confidential help they need.

You can get involved today with The Pankhurst Trust by volunteering, fundraising, or donating.

Seashell Trust

The Seashell Trust is a charity dedicated to providing a creative, happy and secure environment for children and young people with complex and severe learning disabilities which include little or no language abilities. they have expert specialist teachers, care staff, onsite therapy team, assistive technologists, swimming teachers and sports coaches. All to allow their students to learn to express themselves, engage with the world, become more independent and live safe, creative and fulfilling lives.

You can start to work or volunteer for The Seashell Trust today by clicking here!

Willowbrook Hospice

Willowbrook Hospice is an independent charity established by local people to build and raise a specialist palliative care unit. Since the hospice opened in 1997, they have cared for over 9000 patients. During this time their services have grown so much that they now receive approximately 1000 patient referrals a year.

The volunteers at Willowbrook Hospice are an essential part of their team. They have event been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. You can join their award winning team today by clicking here. Or read about upcoming fundraising events or how you can fundraise yourself by clicking here.

So, we wanted to say…

From everyone at TeamKinetic, we thank you for the amazing work you all do every day of the year. We love working with you and providing you with volunteer management software to make running your organisation and volunteers that bit easier!

On another note, some of you reading this may not be using TeamKinetic, and might want to know what the big deal is? 

From £19 per month, TeamKinetic can help you to:

  • Expand your volunteer force with no limit on the number of volunteers you can have.
  • Create individual volunteer profiles.
  • Provide instant real-time reports.
  • Create and manage multiple opportunities.
  • Expand your volunteer reach through Facebook and Twitter.
  • Keep your volunteer’s personal data safe

But don’t just take our word for it, start your FREE trial with us today or simple book in for a demo by emailing chris@teamkinetic.co.uk

Reducing The Scare For Social Care

How is COVID-19 affecting social care charities and what they can do to manage volunteers during and after the pandemic.

English and American notes with masks

COVID-19 has impacted us all in different ways. For charities, this impact has resulted in a significant loss of income with ‘only 60% of the public [saying] they’ve given to charity in the last 3 months, down from 69% in January this year’. Social care charities have been particularly hard hit. As not only have they seen a reduction in income but people are more reliant on their services during this pandemic.

Pandemic to TeamKinetic

As lockdown has started to ease many organisations are starting to explore how their volunteers can return to their roles. For social care organisations this comes with some specific risks that need to be carefully assessed and managed before volunteers can return fully. Here at TeamKinetic we have been looking at how our technology might be useful in managing and mitigating some of these risks. 

PPE

Many roles involve close personal contact for your volunteers so appropriate PPE is necessary. It is essential for volunteers to wear their PPE if their is a potential of working in close proximity or going to people’s houses. Although we cannot provide this, we can make it easier for you to make your volunteers aware of when to wear and how to wear. This can be done through training which can be made mandatory before a volunteer joins an opportunity. The training can include information on where volunteers would need to wear PPE and also demonstrations on how to wear them correctly. 

House visits may be a possibility for some of your volunteers, so risk assessments can also be uploaded on to each opportunity. 

Recruiting New Volunteers

64 – 75 year olds are the age group most likely to volunteer but since the pandemic started there has been a huge decrease in this number, with this age group more at risk if they catch the virus. Volunteers will be less likely to return to their volunteering roles because of this, meaning there will be less people available to undertake the essential work your organisation needs to do. 

You may be worried about recruiting new volunteers but with our software the on boarding process is simplified. Once a volunteer registers there profile will be available to view and they can begin to complete any training for join opportunities. This then allows you to track their training or provide additional online support, all of this done through the web. 

Our research also demonstrates TeamKinetic is more effecting at recruiting younger volunteers. This could be down to our digital tools that let you share to social media or the fact young volunteers like a digital approach. 

Spending Money More Effectively

At a time when there may be a shortage of cash, it’s important to invest it in technology that can offer significant return on investment. Volunteers have never been more important. So, investing in a good volunteer management software will increase your volunteer retention and should lead to significant efficiencies in how you deploy and manage your volunteers workforce. “This sounds expensive though” you say, but what if I told you there is a more affordable software? 

TeamKinetic Can Help

TeamKinetic volunteer management software is free for 30 days. Starting a free trial is easy, just go to our website to get started! Our system can help you create volunteering opportunities, recruit volunteers, and unite you with your community. 

For example, the introduction of our community task dashboard makes it even easier to create COVID-related volunteering opportunities to help the vulnerable people in your community.

Don’t hesitate to reach out on social media! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. You’ll see examples of the features we have to offer and some of the people we already work with.

If you have any questions call us on 0161 914 5757 or visit our website to chat to us online.

International Friendship Day

Happy International Friendship Day! A day to reflect and appreciate the friends you have. But this is also a day to create new friendships, and a great way to achieve this is through volunteering. But as a volunteer manager, how can you help your volunteers create friendships?

Research shows that one of the most common motivations for volunteers is the desire to meet new people and to make new friends. Volunteering can strengthen ties to communities and expose people to others with common interests; making creating new friends easier than ever.

Similarly, 70% of employees say friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life. Whether your work is paid, or unpaid, it is proven that you are likely to perform better when working with friends. Research also shows that 50% of employees with a friend at work feel a stronger connection with their company. This makes your organisation better and stronger.

Therefore, for volunteer managers, it is suggested that your volunteers are working in a friendly environment where they have the opportunity to make friends. If your volunteers become friends, that helps volunteer retention and therefore creates a stronger volunteer workforce for your organisation.

My Volunteering Experiences…

Here I am, in my two most favorite volunteering experiences (i’m the one with short blonde hair). This was where I volunteered for Once Upon a Smile at a bucket collection, and created a fundraising event for the RNLI.

My volunteering journey only started last year, during my second year studying Events Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. We would always receive emails about new volunteering opportunities that could help us engage further with the course.

I was extremely nervous to start volunteering as I can be quite a shy person. Despite this, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and start volunteering. I only started to volunteer so I could start making industry contacts and gain experience. Over time it then became so much easier to make friends when volunteering! This was from developing upon my social skills from meeting people with similar interests. Never did I think it would lead to some of the amazing friendships I have since made.

Volunteering allowed me to meet many students from my course who I had previously never spoken to (we had a VERY big class). This made the experience even better as I was able to engage with other people from my course who I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. These people later ended up becoming some of my best friends at university.

From my personal experiences, I can definitely say my volunteering experiences were improved by making friendships. It made volunteering even more enjoyable and made so many volunteers happier to know they are working with their friends. Having friendships made me feel connected with the company I was volunteering for, making me feel more confident within my roles.

So What Could Volunteer Managers Do – and How Can We Help?

We all know it is standard practice for volunteer managers to introduce volunteers to one another before their duties begin. This allows volunteers to get a sense of who they are working with before moving on to starting their duties. Similarly, you may also want to consider using a platform where your volunteers can communicate. This then gives volunteers the opportunity to communicate with people they have met during an opportunity, allowing friendships to flourish.

You might now be thinking, what could we possibly do to help? With TeamKinetic, volunteers can use the chat room function to talk (or ask questions) to their friends from the same opportunities. This encourages communication between volunteers and increases the likelihood of volunteers signing up to the same opportunities together. As a result, this feature of communication therefore allows the creation of those vital, long-lasting friendships through one easy to use system. Volunteers can also share opportunities to other volunteers through TeamKinetic. This feature is then further increasing the likelihood of friendships between volunteers being made within your organisation.

Also, did I mention it is FREE?! If you now want to find a system that allows you to manage your volunteers effectively whilst also helping volunteers create those vital friendship, you can simply start a FREE trial today! For more information and to start your FREE trial today, visit our website or call 01619145747.

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