Nottingham City Council Leader Councillor Jon Collins has encouraged Nottingham people to give generously to support the victims of the Burma Cyclone.

Cllr Collins said “Nottingham people were very generous in responding to the 2004 Tsunami. Burma got off relatively lightly then but with perhaps 50,000 plus dead and up to one million homeless and without safe water this is as bad for Burma as the Tsunami was for any one country in 2004”.

We’re not setting up our own appeal fund because the nature of Burma’s government will make it very difficult for independent initiatives to have a speedy impact. I think the best thing for people to do is to donate to an established aid agency. With 40% of the population of the worst affected areas being under 16 I think Save the Children would be a good choice.

Of course people can give to Save the Children directly via their website www.savethechildren.org.uk or by post (address below) but if they prefer they can make a donation at The Council House and we’ll pass it on straight away. Don’t forget to use gift aid because then for every one pound donated (by a taxpayer) the Treasury will add 28 pence.

These terrible catastrophes hit our news screens from time to time but after a few days the news agenda moves on even though the need for aid remains the same so I would encourage people to act now and give today.”

Save the Children
Freepost NAT7383
Witney
OX29 7BR
UK

Picture credited to Piers Benatar/Save the Children