Do more. Do it faster. Meet The iPhone 3GS. With new features like a remarkable video camera, Voice Control and more, it’s the best iPhone yet. With 32GB, there’s also room for your favourite music and movies.

Thats right people, Vodafone have finaly released the iPhone to their customers. There are currently 5 models available;

• The Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB White
• The Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB Black
• The Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB White
• The Apple iPhone 3GS 16GB Black
• The Apple iPhone 3G.

With prices starting from £30 per month and loads of contracts to choose from weather you are ready for an upgrade or just thinking about a change there is sure to be something to suit your individual needs

Chech out all the latest deals now

Tags: Apple, Apple iPhone 3G, Apple iPhone 3GS, Compare Mobile Phones, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Home Electricals and Computers, iPhone, Mobile Phone, Vodafone

A new NSPCC report today (Mon 27 July) shows ChildLine counselled a record 58,311 boys last year, more than double the number five years ago.

The report – What Boys Talk About to ChildLine – found bullying was the top problem, with 12,568 boys calling about it in 2007/08. The report also reveals that 6,403 boys rang about physical abuse and 4,780 about sexual abuse with 1,803 saying they had been raped.
Other key findings show:

Those calling ChildLine about feeling lonely, sad and isolated has increased five-fold from 334 five years ago to 1,817.
Over 6000 rang about serious emotional stress within the family.
The number calling about sexuality has increased more than three fold from five years ago to 3,510.
There were 5,362 calls concerning the facts of life (1) – also three times the figure five years ago.
Those boys who called ChildLine about sexual or physical abuse most commonly named a parent as the perpetrator (2) .

ChildLine gets more calls from girls but the trend is beginning to change with one in three now coming from boys compared with just 20 per cent five years ago. This improvement is to be welcomed but more needs to be done.

One 14- year -old boy who called said: “My dad hits me with a belt as punishment. This happens once or twice a month and leaves marks for days.”

And a 17- year- old told ChildLine: “I was sexually abused by a relative when I was a child. I have very vivid memories of being raped. I still feel angry that it ever happened.”

Another boy aged 15 explained to counsellors: “Boys at school strangle, punch and kick me, I feel lonely and angry with the teachers who seem to do nothing and I feel suicidal. I’ve never told anyone before.”

Head of ChildLine Sue Minto said: “Desperate boys call ChildLine because they feel they have no one to turn to. It’s heartbreaking to hear their stories of rape and violent beatings, often by their parents. They sometimes suffer in silence for months before they tell anyone. By the time they call us they can be suicidal

“There’s still the stigma that boys don’t cry but it may be there’s no longer so much pressure to be macho. Our counsellors are trained to help boys express their emotions – we want to encourage more of them to speak out about their abuse.”

ChildLine counsellor Alex Gray said: “Sometimes, you have to work hard to get boys to talk about what’s really troubling them. But once they do they’re surprised that someone’s there listening to them.”

Sue Minto added: “Not all the boys tell us whether they have spoken out about their problems before. But for nearly half of those who did it was the first time they were speaking out. We strongly urge boys who are struggling with their problems to call us on 0800 1111.

“Since ChildLine joined with the NSPCC in 2006 the helpline has been expanded and answers more calls from children and young people than ever before. Even so ChildLine is still unable to answer one in three calls but boys and girls need us more than ever and we urgently need public support to help save young lives and to be there for more children.”

In response, the NSPCC is urgently calling on the public to donate to its Child’s Voice Appeal. The charity needs to raise an extra £50 million over the next three years, in addition to £30 million already pledged by the UK Government so ChildLine can try to answer every call for help.

Tags: Charities, Child Abuse, child protection, Child Safety, ChildLine, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!)

New NSPCC research published today reveals young witnesses often have to wait more than a year to give evidence in Crown Court cases in England and Wales. Most of the children interviewed for the study (87 per cent) gave evidence in sex abuse or violence cases.

In response to the findings, the NSPCC is calling for the UK Government for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to enforce its policy of fast-tracking criminal cases involving young witnesses and monitor delays.(1)

The research shows that Crown Court trials in England and Wales involving child witnesses take on average two months longer than other cases.(2) And more than one in three children surveyed said their hearings had been rescheduled at least once.

The report Measuring Up?, co-funded by the NSPCC and Nuffield Foundation, is the largest, most in-depth study yet conducted of young witnesses’ experiences in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Researchers interviewed 182 children, aged five to nineteen, parents and witness support professionals.

NSPCC lawyer Barbara Esam said: “Court appearances are naturally stressful for anyone, let alone a young child who might be giving evidence about abuse they’ve suffered. These excessive delays only add to that pressure and interfere with justice. Speeding up young witness cases has been government policy since 1988 and is frequently re-stated but has still not been achieved.

“Our research shows that on average there is a 13 month gap between a child reporting an offence and the start of a Crown Court trial. (3) One parent of a ten-year-old said their child was bedwetting in the run-up to each of three rescheduled dates. The first trial should have been March but did not take place until December.

“This is a crucial issue and was at the centre of a recent Appeal Court case where the judges re-iterated that these trials should be fast -tracked.(4) The child is usually the only witness for the prosecution case against a defendant, particularly child sexual abuse cases. If the courts do not act quickly to reduce court delays, this risks undermining evidence from children which will in turn undermine the criminal justice system.

“Policies for the judiciary, courts and prosecutors say cases involving children should get priority listing but this research shows such trials actually take longer to get to court. If the situation can’t be improved then at the very least there should be videoed cross-examination to avoid courtroom ordeals like that suffered by the child raped by Baby Peter’s step-father.”(5)

One in five young witnesses reported feeling intimidated in the run-up to the trial.(6) And almost half (45 per cent) of those interviewed who attended court had seen the defendant when entering, leaving or waiting in the court building.

One parent of a 17-year-old witness said: “We had to walk past the defendant and his family to go into court, they were hissing and laughing at us.”

Young witness Carol, 15, said: “We were not kept apart [from the defendants]. On the first day, we were in the same main area as all the defendants. We complained but we also saw them on the second day.”

To eliminate these problems the NSPCC is calling on the UK Government for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to make sure remote link facilities are available for young witnesses to give evidence away from the court room. The children’s charity pioneered the first such facility in Exeter in 2002.

Barbara Esam added: “Giving evidence away from the courtroom helps children feel more secure and relaxed, and enables them to give their best evidence. All children should have this option open to them, particularly if they are at risk of intimidation.”

Measuring Up? Evaluating implementation of Government commitments to young witnesses in criminal proceedings by Joyce Plotnikoff and Richard Woolfson is available to download from www.nspcc.org.uk/measuringup

Tags: Charities, child protection, Child Safety, Children, Court, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), NSPCC

NSPCC supporter Sian Salter will stand on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth this Friday (31 July) to promote the Child’s Voice Appeal for the NSPCC Helpline and ChildLine service.

Sian – a nutritional therapist and mother of two from London – will take her stand on the Fourth Plinth from 1–2pm on Friday. She will be dressed in the Child’s Voice Appeal image of butterfly ‘ears’, as part of Antony Gormley’s One & Other exhibition.

Sian says: “The second anniversary of Baby Peter’s death is on Monday. I was shocked at his brutal torture and death at the hands of callous carers like everyone else. But tragically, he is not the only one. In my own life I have come across cases of child abuse that have saddened me deeply. People should phone the NSPCC when they have concerns about a child.

“I want to use this opportunity to do something to help stop child cruelty. This is why I am supporting the NSPCC Child’s Voice Appeal.”

Every hour, on average, ChildLine counsels 80 calls from children. To mark this, Sian is asking NSPCC Facebook fans to post her 80 short messages of support on the wall below.

Sian says: “Going onto the plinth is a daunting prospect. But it is nothing compared to the courage a child needs to pick up the phone to ChildLine.

“I will carry a banner onto the Plinth telling everyone: The hardest thing for an abused child is to speak out. Help give them a voice. I’ll spend my hour sticking 80 butterflies onto the banner for each child who ChildLine listens to in that time.

“All the brave children who phone ChildLine have no-one else to talk to. If 80 people post their messages of support here, it would be like each child has a friend cheering them on. That would mean such a lot.”

The NSPCC launched its three year Child’s Voice Appeal last year to raise £50 million to maintain and grow its helplines, text and online counselling services. This is needed in addition to £27 million that the Government has pledged. Visit www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk for more information or to make a donation.

Sian is the third person to go onto the Plinth in aid of the NSPCC Helplines. The NSPCC may distribute messages of support left for her here through other channels.

One & Other is commissioned by the Mayor of London in partnership with Sky Arts. Watch all the action live from the plinth every Friday at 7pm on Sky Arts 1/HD and online at www.oneandother.co.uk.

Adults concerned about a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000. Any child with a worry or a problem can call ChildLine on 0800 1111.

Tags: Charities, Child Abuse, child protection, Child Safety, ChildLine, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!)

Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks are celebrating the birth of not just one, but two baby western lowland gorillas. On 8th April at Howletts, near Canterbury, 13 year old Boma gave birth to a male, named Nkoumou bringing the number of gorillas at the park to 51. He is Boma’s first born but has two half siblings, both 3 years old – Kisane and Masindi. Father to all three is Djanghou, born at Howletts in December1993 with Nkoumou’s mother, Boma arriving from St Martin La Plaine Zoo in France to join the group. Djanghou’s group, totalling ten, can be seen at the old gorilla house at Howletts near the Pavilion.

Commented Lorna Wanless, Head of the Gorilla section at Howletts:

“We are delighted to welcome another Western Lowland Gorilla to Howletts. We are fortunate to be able to care for and work with so many of this endangered species and pleased to see that mum and baby are showing real signs of bonding.”

Just last weekend, sister park, Port Lympne, near Hythe, saw the arrival of another baby gorilla, born to 22 year old, Mumba who already has two male offspring – Djumbah, aged 13 and Ja Ja, aged 10.

Father of all three is 27 year old Djala, who was rescued from the Congo and has sired 26 babies to date. Commented Head of Gorilla Section at Port Lympne, Phil Ridges:

“We knew that Mumba was pregnant but the gestation period did seem to go on a little longer than anticipated. Everyone was pleased to see that Mumba had a successful labour and both mother and baby are doing very well.”

With no more than 100,000 Western lowland gorillas left in the world, they will be extinct by 2020 if the number continues to decline at its present rate. This is mainly due to deforestation, the Ebola virus and the bush meat trade as they continue to be widely eaten in Central Africa. Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks play an important role in the successful breeding of captive gorillas with the two parks housing 77 Western lowland gorillas between them, the largest collection in human care. The Aspinall Foundation continues to expand its colony at the Kent parks as well as returning captive-bred gorillas to Africa via its rescue and rehabilitation programme in the Congo and Gabon.

A special offer allows visitors wanting to see both baby gorillas to make a second visit to the park of their choice by retaining and using their original entry ticket giving a £4 discount on any subsequent visit. ENDS

Press Information:

Tricia Corkhill, Media Relations Manager

Tel: 01303 234134 / 07989 858973

E-mail: triciac@totallywild.net  website: www.totallywild.net  

May 2009

Notes to Editors:

Photographs of Nkoumou and Boma should be credited to Dave Rolfe
Nkoumou is the name of a vine in Gabon.
Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks were set up by John Aspinall with the aim of protecting and breeding rare and endangered species and returning them to safe areas in their native homeland. World leaders in conservation, the parks have so far retuned to the wild, Przewalski’s horses, black rhino, Sumatran rhino, Cape buffalo, ocelots, pythons and gorillas.
Objectives are to halt the extinction of rare and endangered species and to provide the most natural environment possible for the animals; to continue to be world leaders in animal husbandry and breeding and be a partner and catalyst to conservation efforts at home and overseas. The Foundation aims to increase public understanding of animals and their welfare and the issues involved in their conservation. The ultimate objective is to re-introduce the animals back to their wild habitat where possible.
Gorillas live in the band of forest that spans the equator from Nigeria to Uganda. Most of the Western gorillas live in the lowland forests of Gabon, Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Central African Republic. Wild gorillas live in troops of a single adult male and several females with their young moving around a range of no more than 15 square miles.
Gorillas spend about 30% of their day eating, 40% resting and sleeping and 30% travelling. Led by the more mature silver-back who keeps the peace and protects the group, gorillas travel around a large range foraging for food in the wild. To enrich the lives of the gorillas at the parks, keepers drop food through the roof of the enclosures dropping into deep straw encouraging them to exercise. They eat fruit, nuts, seeds, raisins, vegetables.
The gorilla is the largest of the great apes with a male weighing up to 215 kilos and measuring up to six feet. Females weigh about 90 kilos. Unlike the chimpanzee whose facial skin turns black only at maturity, the gorilla is black from birth. They walk on all fours with knuckles to the ground, semi-erect as their arms are longer than their legs.
Females first breed at around 10 years old with males ready to breed at 15. Gestation is from 8 to 9 months. They give birth to a 4 to 5 pound baby every 5 years who would be dependent on the mother for three years, although attached to her for around 4 months, riding on her back and clinging to her fur.

Tags: Aspinall foundation, Charities, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Pets

London commuters did a double take this morning as an unlikely cast of famous women recreated one of the most iconic movie posters of all time, in a live billboard ad to launch Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009 series.

The five women – including actress and TV presenter Lynda Bellingham and larger-than-life comedienne Amy Lamé – recreated the infamous police line-up image from ‘The Usual Suspects’ poster to kick off the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, which highlights that every woman is invited to take part in the Race for Life series, whatever their age, shape, size and fitness level.

Entitled ‘The Unusual Suspects’, the unlikely group of famous faces was completed by Casualty actress and breast cancer patient Rebekah Gibbs, Ruth Lorenzo from X Factor, actress Laila Morse, and ‘Green Goddess’ and breast and skin cancer survivor Diana Moran. Together with a group of women from around the UK, the ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassadors appeared in the live billboard advert, positioned in London’s Paternoster Square, in a bid to underline that the 5k event is achievable for all women, especially as participants can either walk, jog or run the distance.

All the women who took part in the live ad have their own connection to cancer, with the group including survivors of the disease and those with close relatives who have been affected by cancer.

Now in its 16th series, Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event. Women are invited to walk, jog or run 5k at over 230 Race for Life events taking place across the UK this summer. The charity is hoping that 680,000 women will come together and help raise over £60 million to fund the charity’s life saving work into all forms of cancer. Cancer Research UK’s work has saved millions of lives in the UK and across the world.

As part of the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, the charity has also set up a website where participants can learn more about the ambassadors and get hints and tips to prepare a Race for Life, which includes advice from Diana Moran and a regular training blog from Amy Lamé. The ‘If I can do it…’ site can be found at www.raceforlife.org/ifICanDoit .

Amy Lamé said: “It was great fun being part of the live advert with all the other women, and we want to show people that 5k is a perfectly achievable distance for every woman. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2009 is for every woman, because it’s not about how fit or young you are, it’s about taking part and raising money to beat cancer. Sadly many of my family members, including my mother, sister, aunts and grandmother have all been touched by cancer and I can’t wait to participate this year and I say to every woman out there – if I can do it, so can you!”

Janine Edgar, ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassador, aged 29 added: “I wanted to become an ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassador because I battled bladder cancer whilst pregnant with my first child, Jonty in 2006. Amazingly, I managed to walk a Race for Life whilst undergoing my chemotherapy treatment in 2007 and also took part when I was pregnant with my second child, Eloise in 2008. The great thing is that 5k is an achievable distance for all – you really don’t have to run it. I have been one of my local event’s highest fundraisers and each year I take part I try to raise as much money as possible. I would really encourage other women to take part this year – I’m living proof that anyone can do it!”

Each Race for Life event covers a distance of 5k and Cancer Research UK is encouraging women of all ages and levels of fitness to participate. To sign up for a Race for Life event and for more information on the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, go to www.raceforlife.org/ifICanDoit

Notes to Editors

Unusual suspects celebrities and ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassadors:

Lynda Bellingham, actress, aged 60
Rebekah Gibbs, actress, aged 35
Amy Lamé, comedienne, aged 38
Ruth Lorenzo, singer, aged 25
Laila Morse, actress, aged 63
Diana Moran, keep fit TV presenter, aged 69

Unusual suspects real-life women and ‘If I Can Do It…’ ambassadors:

Jacki Allman, breast cancer survivor and daughter Karen is breast and leukaemia survivor, aged 63, Northumberland
Irene Milburn, double breast cancer survivor, aged 67, Leeds
Janine Edgar, bladder cancer survivor, aged 29, Suffolk
Jean Mudie, breast cancer survivor, aged 60, The Wirral
Mavis Ingram, colon cancer survivor, aged 67, Cardiff
Katie Gallienne, currently 8 months pregnant, lost her daughter Olivia, aged 2 and a half to leukaemia, aged 32, Hampshire
Jessica Miller, bone cancer survivor, aged 13, Hampshire
Jacqueline Thomas, breast cancer survivor, aged 52, Surrey
Margaret Cameron, breast cancer survivor, age 71, Glasgow

About Cancer Research UK:

Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to beat cancer
Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer
Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients
Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make
Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer
For further information about Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk

Tags: Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK, Charities, Gifts, Race for Life

Jade Goody’s close friend and actor lead 15 fellas ‘In her shoes’ to pay a tribute to the women in their lives
The ‘stiletto’ shoe was on the other foot in London today as a group of men joined Jade Goody’s close friend Kevin Adams and actor Christopher Biggins to pay a light-hearted but touching tribute to the inspirational women in their lives, by strapping on a pair of high heels for a walk of empathy in support of Cancer Research UK’s women-only Race for Life 2009 series.

United by their cancer experiences and in support of the women in their lives taking part in the Race for Life series, the men looked hot to trot as they got in touch with their feminine sides. Under the expert guidance of fitness trainer Adams and Biggins – both of whom have recently lost close friends to cancer – the men donned skyscraper heels to take part in the one-of-a-kind ‘In Her Shoes’ event in Regents Park, London.

As part of the Race for Life ‘If I Can Do It…’ campaign, which demonstrates that women of all ages, shapes and sizes can participate in the 5k event, and in support of their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and friends who take part in Race for Life, the group proved that if they can walk around a running track in a pair of four inch heels, women everywhere can walk, jog or run 5k at their local event.

Kevin Adams said: “Jade’s passing has affected so many people and with so much needing to be done to beat cancer, Race for Life is a great way for all women to get involved and raise money to support the important work of Cancer Research UK. Although a group of men strapping on a pair of high heels is unconventional, it’s a way of getting across a serious message in a funny way, and it’s something Jade would have had a good giggle about.”

Christopher Biggins added: “So many people have been touched by cancer and I’m no exception – I’ve just lost two of my closest friends to cancer and my father is currently undergoing treatment for bowel cancer. I’m no stranger to squeezing into a pair of high heels but it’s nice to do it this time to show support for every woman who is helping raise vital funds to help beat cancer by taking part in this year’s Race for Life.

“Most of the other men were slightly apprehensive at the prospect of putting on a pair of women’s shoes, but if they’re willing to do this in support of their loved ones for Cancer Research UK, then I hope it persuades women everywhere to sign up for their local Race for Life event today!”

Now in its 16th series, Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event. Women are invited to walk, jog or run 5k at over 230 Race for Life events taking place across the UK this summer. The charity is hoping that 680,000 women will come together and help raise over £60 million to fund the charity’s life saving work into all forms of cancer. Cancer Research UK’s work has saved millions of lives in the UK and across the world.

Fellow ‘In her shoes’ participant, Ian Read from Surrey, said: “Cancer Research UK is a very personal charity to me, and I am doing this for my wife Nicky who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. I looked at the experience she had been through, and the hope that the work of Cancer Research UK can give, and I knew that I wanted to do what I could to bring attention to Race for Life. And if strapping on a pair of high heels is the best way I can do that, then so be it!”

Each Race for Life event covers a distance of 5k and Cancer Research UK is encouraging women of all ages and levels of fitness to participate. As part of the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, the charity has also set up a website where participants can get hints and tips to prepare a Race for Life, which includes training tips from Diana Moran and a regular training blog from Amy Lamé. The campaign also includes the ‘Shop for Life’ initiative, a fun way for women to train for Race for Life whilst shopping at the same time.

To sign up for a Race for Life event and for more information on the ‘If I can do it…’ campaign, go to www.raceforlife.org/ifICanDoit

Notes to Editors

About Cancer Research UK:

Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to beat cancer
Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer
Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients
Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make
Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer
For further information about Cancer Research UK’s work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7009 8820 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.uk

Tags: Cancer Research, Cancer Research UK, Charities, Gifts, Race for Life

Anna Payne is a campaigns manager in the fundraising department of the British Red Cross. She also volunteers as a member of the emergency response unit. Here is her personal experience of the British Red Cross response in Zimbabwe during December 2008.

As the Christmas party season stepped up a gear, I found myself cancelling my plans and packing my bags for Zimbabwe with a very different Christmas and New Year ahead of me. As I was on call that month for the emergency response unit (ERU) I’d been keeping a close eye on the escalating cholera crisis in Zimbabwe so I was both excited and nervous when we got the go ahead for the unit to deploy.

I was there for a month with three colleagues from the British Red Cross mass sanitation unit supporting our colleagues at the Zimbabwe Red Cross with their cholera response programme. The unit’s remit is essentially to prevent the spread of disease through practical techniques, such as latrine building, and promoting hygiene messages – with the capacity to help up to 20,000 people.

Over 30,000 cases had been reported prior to our arrival in Harare and deaths were on the increase. Due to the economic conditions in the country, sewage systems were falling to bits and the health service was struggling to cope. In fact the main thing I remember from my stay was people’s daily struggle to survive and provide for their families in a country where supermarket shelves were empty, water and electricity were in short supply. Soon after we arrived the printing of a $10 trillion Zim dollar note was announced. By the time we left this wouldn’t have bought a loaf of bread.

Units from Norway, Japan, France, Austria, Finland and Spain all arrived with us to support our Zimbabwe colleagues so once we got the Ministry of Health go-ahead the units divided up to make sure the Red Cross was covering all the affected areas in the country. My team headed south to the Midlands Province with the Norwegian team and set up a base in Gweru, a small city four hours from Harare. From there we made contact with our local Red Cross and Ministry of Health and began visiting the areas where outbreaks were most severe.

We travelled long distances to find remote hospitals or communities where the basic infrastructure had broken down and they could no longer treat cholera patients adequately. In these places we found just a few dedicated staff or community leaders working tirelessly – with no running water, limited medicines, frequently no electricity and often going without food themselves. We set about replacing the basic cholera treatment facilities they had – often little more than blankets laid out in a field with drips strung up to trees – with tents, beds and medicines. We also organised hygiene education – making sure people knew about hand washing and food preparation – and built latrines and washing points to support community health.

Since the fundraising target for the appeal remains far short of what is needed to help this desperate situation, it was more important than ever that we helped people in simple and effective ways. Christmas and New Year passed in a whirl of activity as we made sure we reached as many people as possible. By the time the next team came to relieve us in mid-January we had given out hundreds of tools, soap, disinfectant and other equipment and trained hundreds of people in good hygiene to avoid spreading disease.

Thanks to the amazing people we met I felt very sad to leave this beautiful, troubled country but hopeful that we were helping our Zimbabwe Red Cross colleagues towards better times.

Tags: British Red, Charities, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Red Cross

FARM-Africa works with farmers, herders and forest communities in eastern Africa. The community in the Nou Forest, Tanzania, depends entirely on the forest for survival, often cutting down trees to burn for firewood or to make space for crops.

FARM-Africa has been helping people to explore new ways to earn a living which protect rather than destroy the forest. Our long term participatory forest management approach has enabled community members to increase their income through improved management of resources.

FARM-Africa provides bee hives and training to families in the Nou Forest, giving them an alternative, sustainable way to survive without damaging their environment. The honey harvested is an excellent food source, and can be sold at market and used for medicine too.

If you are looking for an exciting alternative gift a FARM-FRIENDS bee could be just what you are looking for.

For just £10 you receive two gifts in one, a cute model bee and a pack of ‘happy families’ cards explaining some of the ways your donation is helping African farmers work their way out of poverty.

Tags: Charities, FARM-Africa, FARM-FRIENDS, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!)

The number of suicidal children counselled by ChildLine has tripled in the last five years to an average of nearly 60 a week the NSPCC reveals today (23 March 2009).

One in 14 is in immediate danger or needs urgent medical care.

Last year, nearly 3,000 children phoned ChildLine1 because they were feeling suicidal. Some said they had attempted suicide, while others made attempts while on the phone to a counsellor.

Head of ChildLine, Sue Minto says: “It is heartbreaking to listen to children talk of wanting to consider suicide. For a suicidal child, ChildLine can literally be a lifeline. Our counsellors are trained to deal with suicide calls so they can assess the danger and how best to help.”

Since ChildLine joined with the NSPCC in 2006, the helpline has been expanded and answers more calls from children and young people than ever before. Even so, ChildLine is still unable to answer one in three calls.

In response, the NSPCC is urgently calling on the public to donate to its Child’s Voice Appeal.(4) The charity needs to raise an extra £50 million over the next three years, in addition to £30 million already pledged by the UK Government, so that ChildLine can try to answer every call for help.

Sue Minto says: “Children need ChildLine more than ever. We desperately need public support to help save young lives and be there for more children.”

Read more:

Tags: Charities, Child Abuse, child protection, Child Safety, ChildLine, Gifts, Gifts For Others (And Yourself!), NSPCC