Please dig deep to support War Child (www.warchild.org.uk) which is a remarkable charity that supports some of the world's most vulnerable children living in 4 conflict affected countries. Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda and the Democractic Republic of Congo.

I will be doing a 'two-mile high' Tandem Skydive!Show your support primarily for the charity but for my stupidity with a whopping donation.

The charity War Child  protects children's rights and works with the most excluded youth in conflict affected areas to achieve sustainable development that can break the conflict poverty cycle, such as

Child Soldiers - There are estimated to be 250,000 -300,000 child soldiers worldwide, facing all the horrors of war. Note that 40% of these are girls. We work to re-integrate these children back into their societies and provide counselling and vocational training to break the future cycles of conflict and poverty.

Street Children - There are estimated to be almost 150,000,000 street children worldwide. We operate drop in centres for food and shelter, night ambulances and vocational training.

Internally Displaced People (IDPs) - We provide shelter, protected environments where vocational training and normal life routines can flourish.

Children in Prison - We provide legal aid and support to children incarcerated under adult laws and children incarcerated with the accused (i.e. woman with babies in Afghanistan). We also provide day care and safe play areas so the children can experience some stability in a far from stable environment.

Please see below a shopping list displaying some examples of where your money will go.

£7 can purchase a learning and teaching kit consisting of note books, painting book, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, crayons or paints, chalks and story books £10 can purchase one toilet and hygiene kit for one girl in prison consisting of sanitary napkins, tooth paste, washing detergent, soap, hair brush, tooth brush, shampoo, towels, hair removal creams, underwear.£50 can provide access to education for one girl for a year.£125 can teach livelihood skills like tailoring, calligraphy embroidery or carpet weaving for one girl for one year.

The Democratic (DRC)

£1.30 can feed a street child for one day (three meals). £1.50 can provide a street child with transport to visit their family.£10 can provide a street child suffering from malaria with a doctor’s consultation and malaria medication.£10 can buy a street child a school uniform so they can attend school. £50 can provide a street child with enough school books and stationery for one year in primary school. £50 can buy the tools needed by an adolescent street child to become a mechanic or electrician.£100 can provide primary school fees for a street child for one year. £150 can provide 9 months training for an adolescent street child to become an electrician or a mechanic.

£3 can buy a school uniform for the dry season (shorts/skirt, shirt/blouse, flip flops). £10 can buy essential primary school materials for one child for one year. £30 can buy essential secondary school materials for one child for one year. £20 can buy a school uniform for the wet season (as above plus a warm jumper and shoes).  

£20 can buy a summer season school uniform for one child for a year.£30 can buy the necessary school stationary for one child for one year.£30 can pay for transportation to school for one month.£45 can buy a winter season school uniform for one child for a year. £2,890 can pay for one teacher’s salary for one year.

The people who suffer in war are the children and this can be seen clearly today. Populations in long protracted conflicts such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and post conflicts/conflicts like Uganda and the DRC are over 50% children. These people need  your support to break the conflict related poverty cycles that will cause such damage to individuals and societies in the future.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.