In 2017, we launched our innovative scheme to provide a more structured approach to our social impact. We called it the High Five Initiative.
We chose the High Five as a symbol of congratulation, celebration, and gratitude because the High Five Initiative will celebrate some of the amazing work that is being done in communities all over the world - near and far, big and small.
Through the High Five Initiative, Yogamatters is supporting and encouraging five great projects over a period of five years, projects which are all transforming lives, renewing hope and working for a better future, both here in the UK and around the world.
These projects have been specifically selected as fantastic examples of Yogamatters’ values in action:-
Brighton Yoga Foundation provides an annual free-entry Yoga Festival in the city of Brighton & Hove and year-round community yoga outreach activity. It works to give opportunities to experience the physical and mental benefits of yoga to those who have never personally encountered it or who may feel excluded from it, by embedding yoga provision in schools across the city and establishing low cost community yoga classes in local yoga studios. The foundation has set up a yoga mat provision service, runs a regular yoga teachers’ forum and is producing an online directory of yoga studios and teachers.
Edinburgh Community Yoga is based on the belief that the far-reaching benefits of yoga and meditation should be accessible for everyone, no matter their state of health or economic status. The ECY Outreach project offers affordable community yoga classes in low income areas and works with local organisations to reach as many people as possible including women in prison, adults in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, veterans, women affected by trauma, in-patient psychiatric services, NHS staff in high stress environments and people with long term health conditions.
Mind will not give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. As well as providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, Mind campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Yoga, Pilates and meditation are recognised to have benefits for both physical and mental health and Mind supports initiatives across the UK that promote mental health and wellbeing in this way.
Prison Phoenix Trust supports prisoners through the practices of meditation and yoga, working with silence and the breath. The PPT trains qualified yoga teachers for prison and helps to establish regular prison classes for prisoners and for prison staff around the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The trust commits to offering personal correspondence about prisoners’ meditation and yoga practice and to sending free books and CDs out to prisoners who request them.
Ashok Tree Foundation is committed to building bridges across generations for change by providing an education to the young at the Sita Devi Charity School in India and services to the elderly and needy, which help communities to become stronger through the development of healthy bodies and minds. Health & wellbeing are the common thread in the foundation, from the students in the school to the elderly who are fed, from the yoga students in a community class in London to the animals they look after or nature itself.
*Donation Terms and Conditions
To support various charities, we offer you the chance to donate to charity during the checkout process. All donations will be passed to charities at least four times a year.
Occasionally, Yogamatters will pledge to match donations in the checkout. For such fixed periods, we will match donations made during the full period.
Unless noted elsewhere at the time, Yogamatters will pledge to match up to £1000 in checkout donations for each fixed period.
No refunds are possible on donated amounts.
