LETTERS: Tips for dog owners to save costs in recession

Dear Editor - In recent weeks, Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, has been very saddened to hear of a number of instances in which people are struggling with the costs of owning a dog, especially when the pet needs veterinary treatment.
Sadly, we have seen an increase in the number of dogs needing to be re-homed because people have lost their jobs and homes in the credit crunch.
Dogs Trust recognises how important dogs are to people’s lives and appreciates that many are struggling to keep them.
We are keen to stress that owning a dog does not have to be expensive and there are many ways that you can keep the cost of ownership down including:

• Bulk buying food for your dog
  
• Feeding dry biscuits rather than tinned food
  
• Maintaining pet insurance premiums if you can - insurance may seem expensive, but potential veterinary fees will be more so

For dog owners forced to move into rented accommodation, Dogs Trust will also be launching a ‘Lets with Pets’ campaign this spring to encourage landlords and letting agents to accept tenants with pets.
Dogs Trust is always available to offer advice and assistance where it can.
Anybody struggling to care for their dog in the current economic climate should contact us at 020 7837 0006.

Clarissa Baldwin
Chief executive officer
Dogs Trust
17 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7RQ

Sam's three-year marathon quest to support charity

YOUNG chef Sam Sheasby has signed up for not one, but three incredible challenges to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care in Somerset.
Sam, aged 23, who lives in Minehead, works in a residential care home which is supporting him on his first challenge by enabling him to have two weeks off work in October to take part in the Kosice Marathon, Slovakia.
He will cycle more than 1,200 miles to France, where he will also run the Reims Marathon.
Sam will be covering his own event costs with the help of private company sponsorships so that money he raises can go directly towards nursing care in Somerset.
The £5,000 Sam hopes to raise for his marathon-to-marathon cycle challenge in 2009 will be acquired from a raffle he plans to hold in March, and sponsorship from family, friends, and colleagues.
Sam hopes to continue to fund-raise during the following two years with his second and third challenges.
Sam’s 2010 efforts will see him take on the Marathon de Sables, a running event across the Sahara desert, during which he will run the equivalent of five full marathons in as many days in exhausting heat.
It sounds impossible, but Sam intends to then go one step further and take on the extreme Polar Challenge in 2011, an event previously completed by world famous explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who lives on Exmoor and who has raised more than £10 million for charities.
Sir Ranulph, who is supporting Sam on his forthcoming challenges, said: “As an adventurer I know how hard it is not only to plan and complete extreme challenge events but also to try to raise the much needed funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care, my own chosen charity.
“I fully support Sam in all that he is trying to achieve through his running events and Polar expedition for this very worth while cause, and I wish him all the best”
Sam chose to raise funds for Marie Curie because his late grandfather was nursed by the charity, and this enabled him to pass away in his own home.
All monies raised during Sam’s three-year campaign will be kept locally to provide nursing care to others in the community who have terminal cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.
Sam said: “I am excited about all three challenges, but am taking each event and its specific training one step at a time.
“I will be getting married in February and starting a new college course after my return from the Marathon 2 Marathon challenge, so life could not be busier.
“I am a local lad, having grown up in Porlock before moving to Minehead two years ago.
“I am hoping the community will support my fund-raising efforts for Marie Curie Cancer Care.”
Anybody who wants to support Sam or to give a raffle prize should call Amy Llewellyn in the Marie Curie Somerset fund-raising office on 01460 271230 or visit Sam’s online sponsor page at www.justgiving.com/m2m.

Hospital teddy bear fund-raising supports moon bears charity

STAFF in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, have helped to raise almost £500 to save moon bears from a life of caged torment on bear farms in Asia.
The money has gone to the charity Moon Bear Rescue, which works to rescue farmed bears in China and give them a better quality of life.
The hospital’s speech and language therapy team in partnership with Moon Bear Rescue Somerset organised a teddy bear picnic and auction in December.
Staff and friends gave teddy bears and made cakes to be auctioned to raise money for the Asiatic moon bears.
Esther Corrick, deputy head of Musgrove’s speech and language therapy team, said: “We were all thrilled at the outcome of the auction and cake sale as we raised £473.
“This money will go to Moon Bear Rescue to help them in their campaign against bear farming in China and Vietnam.
“Thank you to everybody who was so generous with their time, enthusiasm, and support.”
Anybody who would like to become involved in the Somerset support group should call Lee Gibbons on 01278 741648.
More information about Animal Asia Foundation, which the group supports, is available on website http://www.animalsasia.org/.

• Our photograph shows (left to right) back row - Karen Dockings, Anne Baker, Lee Gibbins, and Rick Tillet; and, front - Laura Codrington, Helen Bernades, and Esther Corrick. Photo submitted.

ENTERTAINMENT: Seize The Day to play Monksilver hall

THE UK’s premiere political band, Seize The Day, will be playing at the EMN Hall, in Monksilver, next month.
Seize The Day are inspired by life and the urge to preserve the environment for our children, and their visit to Monksilver on Saturday, February 7, is being arranged by arts organisation Under One Sun.
Co-ordinator Jamie Robertson said: “Seize The Day comprise eight very talented musicians who do not just ‘talk the talk’, but ‘walk the walk’, giving their time and support to grassroots campaigns for a better environment for all, and to wider struggles for peace and justice.
“Their compelling performance will have everybody singing, dancing, and maybe even getting more active in changing the world for the better.”
The band will be on stage at about 9 pm and tickets are £8, or £13 inclusive of a Fair Trade supper from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm.
A raffle is being run by the West Somerset Peace Group with the proceeds going to Medical Aid for Palestine.
Tickets are available from Toucan Wholefoods, in Minehead, or by calling 01643 706101.
They can also be obtained from Taunton Tourist Information Centre (01823 336344) or by logging on to http://www.wegottickets.com/, or by sending a cheque to Under One Sun, 12 Hill St, Stogumber TA4 3TD.
If not sold out, gig-only tickets will also be available on the door.
More information is available by calling 01984 656727 or visiting http://www.underonesun.org.uk/ or http://www.seizetheday.org/.

• Our photographs show (TOP) Seize The Day and (BELOW) lead vocalist Shannon Smy. Photos submitted.
  

Supermarket staff and customers help raise £2 million for cancer care

STAFF and customers of the Somerfield store in Minehead have helped the supermarket firm to raise more than £2 million to improve the lives of people living with cancer.
The total has been raised since Macmillan was voted as Somerfield’s charity partner in March of last year.
The Minehead store, in The Avenue, contributed £1,131, which will be put toward the cost to the charity of employing a head and neck cancer nurse specialist in Somerset.
Somerfield head of press and charity Pete Williams said: “We are very excited to have raised £2 million for Macmillan.
“We set ourselves an ambitious target at the start of the partnership and I am very proud to see us exceed it.”
Macmillan provides practical, emotional, and financial support to people affected by cancer.
The money raised by Somerfield stores will help to fund a range of cancer services throughout the country, providing valuable support in local communities.
It has been collected through fund-raising in-store, sales promotions and gift items such as the Little Book of Treats, and a collection of recipes from supporters and celebrities across the UK.
Somerfield involved all of its 42,000 employees in its fund-raising efforts across its 850-plus network of stores nationwide and hoped also to raise awareness among its 10 million customers of the work and services provided by Macmillan.
Mr Williams said: “From big picnics to sponsored head shaves and cycling challenges, the support we have had for Macmillan has been incredible.
“It has been fantastic to know that every penny raised will help support people living with cancer in local areas.”
Macmillan Cancer Support chief executive Ciarán Devane said: “This is a phenomenal achievement and is a testament to the commitment of Somerfield staff and customers to improving lives in the local community.
“We are grateful to everybody involved.”
With more than two million people living with cancer in the UK, the money raised by Somerfield will help Macmillan with its commitment to reach everybody affected by cancer by 2010.

Bird charity backs Minehead reef as greenest option for Severn Estuary tidal power

A CORNISH company’s plan to build a ‘tidal reef’ from Minehead to Wales has won the backing of charity the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
Engineering firm Joseph Evans and Sons Ltd, of Launceston, has proposed a 12-mile ‘Severn Tidal Reef’ (illustrated, right, and below) as an alternative to a 10-mile barrage from Weston-super-Mare to Cardiff.
The RSPB asked engineering consultancy Atkins to look at the feasibility of a ‘greener’ alternative to the barrage.
Now, the Atkins study has shown a reef a would be less damaging to the environment, would generate more power than a barrage, and would also be cheaper to build.
It found a reef would hold back about 6 ft 6 in of water without altering tidal patterns as much as would a barrage.
The Cardiff to Weston-super-Mare barrage is claimed to be able to generate 17,000GW of clean energy each year, equivalent to nearly five per cent of the UK’s electricity needs.
However, the research for the RSPB concluded the reef would produce 20,000GW of electricity while also costing about £2 billion less to construct.
Both the barrage and the reef would generate electricity as water flowed through turbines, but the reef would not hold back the full height of the tide as would a barrage.
The reef would also generate electricity for longer periods than the barrage, making it better able to meet peak demand times for electricity.
The RSPB said it preferred a reef because it would keep intact most of the estuary’s bird feeding grounds, while its slower-moving turbines would reduce danger to migrating salmon and eels.
Evans and Co owner Rupert Evans said: “It is much more in tune to the way the estuary works.
“Its construction would mean far less road traffic because of rail connections, and would require less material and cost significantly less than other tidal options or nuclear power.
“It is a compromise which works, it is considerably more efficient than tidal stream turbines but does not have the environmental impact that great monolithic barrages have.”
RSPB conservation director Mark Avery said: “The Government must crack the problem of how to use the Severn’s tidal power without harming its wildlife.
“We already know a Cardiff-Weston barrage would cost far more than almost any other form of green energy and seriously damage sites protected by law.
“A tidal reef could reign in that damage, cost the taxpayer much less, and be built more quickly.”
Professor Rod Rainey, who prepared the report for the RSPB, said: “We believe this scheme could be more powerful but less costly than other plans being put forward, particularly the Cardiff to Weston barrage.”
The Government and the Welsh Assembly began a feasibility study into harnessing the estuary’s tidal power in January, and consultation is expected to begin next year on which projects should be shortlist.
Ten schemes are being looked at, which include conventional barrages, tidal fences, tidal lagoons, and a tidal reef.
A group of 10 environmental organisations has been opposing the idea of a barrage because they believe renewable energy could be generated more cheaply using other technology.

Dress down council staff raise funds for Children in Need

DISTRICT council staff in West Somerset dressed down to raise more than £70 for Children in Need on Friday, November 14.
Council chairman, Councillor Eddie May, acting head of paid service Adrian Dyer, and corporate director Bruce Lang, clubbed together to offer prizes for staff who made the best -or worst - of the dress down theme.
Visitors to the council offices in Williton were surprised to be welcomed by the likes of witches, bath-time belles, and men dressed in shocking pink, but it was taken in good heart because it was for a great cause.
Councillor May, who selected the prizewinners, said: “It is great to see the staff having some fun and dressing down to raise funds for such a worthwhile charity.
“They really entered into the spirit of the day and while it was difficult to choose the winners the ladies really made a special effort, so they deserved to win.”
Councillor May is pictured with the prizewinners.

Charity calls for patient re-testing amid fears over asthma and COPD misdiagnosis

PATIENTS in West Somerset aged 35 years and older and who have asthma or the progressive illness chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should be re-tested, according to a leading charity.
The British Lung Foundation is calling for the re-testing following evidence of confusion over diagnosis and treatment of the two respiratory diseases.
A nationwide survey of 776 GPs carried out for the charity by Doctors.net.uk revealed more than three-quarters of doctors in the Westcountry found it challenging to differentiate between asthma or COPD, causing misdiagnosis and distress among patients.
Other survey findings of Westcountry GPs showed:

• Five per cent of GP practices lacked appropriately trained staff to carry out spirometry testing
  
• Less than a third (31 per cent) of GPs were trained to carry out spirometry testing themselves
  
• The Westcountry had the highest percentage of GPs, at more than one-quarter (28 per cent), who said there had been no change in the quality of COPD diagnosis under the QOF system
  
• Less than two-fifths (39 per cent) of GPs said the QOF system should reward GPs for clarifying whether a patient has asthma or COPD

A separate UK-wide patient survey carried out by the charity showed that nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) had been told they had both asthma and COPD, a far higher figure than should be the case.
The BLF said it was vital a diagnosis of COPD or asthma was clarified and that the GP contract should reward this next year.
BLF spokesman Dr Keith Prowse said: “It can be difficult to differentiate between an asthma and COPD diagnosis but the long-term aims of asthma and COPD treatment are different, and it is vital that people with either disease have an accurate diagnosis.
“In asthma, the aim is to restore full lung function and if it is not treated properly the inflammation can cause scarring in the lungs and permanent damage.
“In COPD, the management of the disease is quite complex and treatments such as pulmonary rehabilitation are crucial.”
BLF chief executive Dame Helena Shovelton said: “Patients get understandably distressed and angry when they realise they have been misdiagnosed and not given the most appropriate treatment.
“We are calling for everybody age over 35 with an asthma or COPD diagnosis to be re-tested, and for this to be made part of the GP contract next year.”
COPD is the umbrella term for a number of lung conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
It is a progressive, irreversible lung disease which kills more people every year than breast, bowel, or prostate cancer, and is both preventable and treatable.
Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can slow the progression of the illness.
Dame Helena said: “The UK faces a chronic lung disease time bomb.
“COPD is already the fifth biggest killer in the UK and it is the only major cause of death whose incidence is on the increase.
“COPD is caused by smoking or by exposure to environmental pollution and to hazards at work such as dust, fumes, and gases.
“In a very small number of people it is caused by a genetic deficiency.”
The British Lung Foundation is the only UK charity working for everybody affected by lung disease, including COPD.
It provides support via a telephone helpline, booklets on lung diseases and related issues, a comprehensive website, BLF community nurses, and a Breathe Easy support network for anybody affected by lung disease.
The charity’s helpline can be contacted on 08458 50 50 20 or by visiting the website http://www.lunguk.org/.

• Our photograph shows BLF celebrity supporter,Olympic gold medalist rower James Cracknell. Photo submitted.

Daniel lobbies MPs for better school support for diabetes

A MINEHEAD youngster was among more than 200 children and young people who were today lobbying of Parliament to ask MPs to improve support for pupils with diabetes in schools.
Daniel Mote, aged 12, travelled to London as part of a group of 36 youths from the Westcountry to join the Diabetes UK lobby.
The leading health charity is expecting at least 100 MPs to attend the lobby to hear about the inequalities in support for children with diabetes at school.
Although some children are excellently supported to manage their diabetes at school, others are not so lucky.
Some face a heart-breaking struggle, including no access to snacks during class, not being allowed on school trips, and being kept out of lessons unnecessarily.
This can have a directly damaging effect on their quality of life and education, as well as health.
Diabetes UK South West regional manager Jan Tyrrell said: “For every child with diabetes who does not receive appropriate support at school, a whole family suffers.
“We already know that the health and well-being of 83 per cent of children with diabetes is in jeopardy because they are not achieving recommended blood glucose levels, and we must do everything we can to help them.
“Schools have a vital role to play in changing this frightening statistic - and with an estimated 2,000 children being diagnosed with type one diabetes every year in the UK, action must be taken now.
“Diabetes is a serious condition that, if not managed effectively, can lead to long-term complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputation.
“Short-term complications of the condition include hypoglycaemic episodes, known as ‘hypos’, can lead to unconsciousness and hospitalisation if left untreated.
“However, effective diabetes management from the time of diagnosis can reduce the risk of these complications.
“This is why giving children the right support to control their condition from an early age is vital to protect their short- and long-term health.
“The Government needs to ensure that pressure comes from the top down to implement existing legislation so local authorities, primary care trusts and schools can work together to have effective policies in place to support children with diabetes – and actually adhere to them.
“Inspections and monitoring will play a vital part in this.
“It is appalling that some children with diabetes in the South West are not getting the support they need to live a full school life.”
To coincide with last week’s World Diabetes Day, Diabetes UK released ‘Making all Children Matter’, a report which looks at the current situation for children with diabetes in schools in England and what needs to be done to ensure they have the same opportunities as every other child.
A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.diabetes.org.uk/makingallchildrenmatter.

Police renew appeal for information about missing family

PEOPLE living and working in West Somerset are being asked to help in the search for a missing mother and her five daughters.
Police today released new CCTV stills of the family (pictured) and renewed their appeal for more information on their whereabouts.
Natalie Bracht, aged 35, left her home in Sunderland on May 17 with her daughters – who are aged between five and 13 years - when she learned they might be taken into care.
Northumbria Police and Sunderland City Council's Children's Services were this week been granted a High Court order for public identification of the five girls as part of their efforts to trace Natalie and her daughters.
Det Chief Inspector Ian Bentham, who is leading the search, said: “Following the decision at the High Court to allow the identification of Natalie’s five daughters, we can today release for the first time these CCTV stills without obscuring the girls’ faces.
“They were taken on Saturday, May 17, at 6.20 pm, at King’s Cross Railway Station, in London.
“In them, Natalie is seen wearing a flowing white robe and head scarf while some of her daughters also seem to be wearing headscarves.
“We do not know how Natalie and the girls are dressed now - they may have altered their appearance several times – however, we are asking people to keep an eye open for them.”
The search for Natalie is being conducted nationwide.
Anybody with information can call Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043, or contact the Missing People charity on 0500 700 700 or email seensomeone@missingpeople.org.uk.
All calls and emails can be dealt with in the strictest confidence.

LETTERS: Help available for disabled entrep

Dear Editor - Do you know somebody who is disabled would like to run a business and needs support?
This week, November 17 to 23, is National Enterprise Week.
Ready to Start is an employment initiative run by Leonard Cheshire Disability in partnership with Barclays which backs disabled people to begin their own business.
Ready to Start supports more than 1,000 disabled entrepreneurs across the UK to unlock their hidden potential and start a business.
Self-employment is a workable option for disabled people, particularly as they still face unacceptable barriers to entering the job market and are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty.
Ready to Start provides disabled entrepreneurs with a business buddy, distance mentor, free computer equipment, software, training courses tailored to their needs, start-up advice, and information about relevant trade bodies and business associations to help them network locally.
Schani Cave is a disabled man who has set up in business as a pilates and dance instructor.
His business dream became a reality thanks to some invaluable backup from his Barclays Buddy, Daniel McLaren.
If you know somebody who is disabled, with designs on running a business and would like to know how to make a start, visit http://www.readytostart.org.uk/ or call 08456 717173.
Jane Fletcher
Leonard Cheshire Disability Director Innovative Projects.

LETTERS: Support scheme for disabled entrepreneurs

Dear Editor - Do you know somebody who is disabled would like to run a business and needs support?
This week, November 17 to 23, is National Enterprise Week.
Ready to Start is an employment initiative run by Leonard Cheshire Disability in partnership with Barclays which backs disabled people to begin their own business.
Ready to Start supports more than 1,000 disabled entrepreneurs across the UK to unlock their hidden potential and start a business.
Self-employment is a workable option for disabled people, particularly as they still face unacceptable barriers to entering the job market and are more likely than non-disabled people to live in poverty.
Ready to Start provides disabled entrepreneurs with a business buddy, distance mentor, free computer equipment, software, training courses tailored to their needs, start-up advice, and information about relevant trade bodies and business associations to help them network locally.
Schani Cave is a disabled man who has set up in business as a pilates and dance instructor.
His business dream became a reality thanks to some invaluable backup from his Barclays Buddy, Daniel McLaren.
If you know somebody who is disabled, with designs on running a business and would like to know how to make a start, visit www.readytostart.org.uk or call 08456 717173.
Jane Fletcher
Leonard Cheshire Disability Director Innovative Projects.

Visitor centre staff supporting charities for Christmas

STAFF in Minehead’s new Visitor Information and Interpretation Centre (VIIC) (pictured) have teamed up with local representatives of 12 charities to support good causes during the Christmas season.
West Somerset Council tourism portfolio holder Councillor Michael Downes said: “The new centre on the seafront is proving popular with visitors, and we hope that local people will also support the staff’s tradition of selling charity Christmas cards.
“Unlike some outlets, every penny raised goes back to the charity concerned.
“As a coastal town with a strong maritime history, the visitor centre is continuing to support the local RNLI to show appreciation for the fantastic service it provides all year round.”
Minehead Lifeboat Station press officer Matt Thresher said: “It is great to have the support of the VIIC staff on the seafront.
“Our volunteer crews often pass the centre on exercise or rescue launches.
“Local goodwill and support are essential because we get no central funding and depend on fund-raising activities like these.
“I am pleased that the community spirit is alive and well in Minehead.”
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and St Margaret’s Hospice are among the other deserving charities being supported by VIIC staff.
The centre also offers local gifts and a wealth of information on up-and-coming seasonal activities, such as Dunster by Candlelight, along with all the latest coach and travel information.
Councillor Downes said: “Information on things to do and places to go is also available through the interactive touch-screen display units.
“Local people and visitors are welcome to use the centre to find out just how much West Somerset has to offer.”

LETTER: Help drum up support for charity

Dear Editor - We, at the Meningitis Trust, are delighted to have the support of top band the Fratellis, who are helping us to raise vital funds to continue our work.
The band pledged their support after a loyal fan of theirs, Calum Macleod, lost his life to meningitis, aged just 12.They have donated several valuable items, including a signed guitar that Jon Fratelli played in the Chelsea Dagger video, to be raffled off in aid of us.
We are asking for people to dig deep and enter the raffle, knowing that regardless of whether they win, they will be making a huge difference to the lives of many people who are struggling to cope with the impact of meningitis in the UK right now.
The raffle will be drawn on December 8, which would have been Calum’s 14th birthday.
With tickets costing just £2 each, Calum’s family hopes the raffle will raise over £50,000 for the trust.
Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.meningitis-trust.org/Fratellis/fratellis-raffle.html.Meningitis can affect anybody, of any age, at any time.
It can strike in minutes and kill within hours.
We are hoping the raffle will not only help to raise funds for us, but will also raise vital awareness of meningitis.With as many as 500,000 people living in the UK who have had either viral or bacterial meningitis and up to one adult in every four knowing of somebody who has had meningitis, our ongoing work is much-needed.
However, we are completely reliant on voluntary donations to continue our work, so fund-raising such as this raffle is vital to our future.
Sue Davie
Meningitis Trust
www.meningitis-trust.org

LETTER: Acomplia drug withdrawal shows pointlessness of animal testing

Dear Editor - Just four years ago, Acomplia was hailed in the national press as a wonder slimming pill.
Now, it has been withdrawn by the authorities because of a high risk of serious psychiatric disorders leading, in some cases, to suicide.
This catastrophe, once again, underlines the pointlessness of animal tests during drug development.
Acomplia was passed as safe on the basis of those tests even though the physiology and mental make-up of rats and dogs is completely different from people’s.
But even if rats did suffer Acomplia-induced anxiety, depression, and suicidal feelings, how would the lab researchers know?
Animal Aid has just published a major thoroughly-referenced critique of the drug industry, which includes an exposé of the scientifically fraudulent use of animals and the industry’s sharp practice during the trialling and marketing of drugs.
It is available free on request.
Kate Fowler-Reeves
Animal Aid
The Old Chapel
Bradford Street
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1AW

LETTER: Think about animals before buying 'pink' in breast cancer awareness month

Dear Editor - Anybody who has picked up a magazine or walked through a shop recently, knows that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
It is hard to miss the displays of pink products that benefit breast cancer charities.
But before you buy, ask yourself if your donation will really help women in relevant ways, or will you simply be funding the same useless animal experiments that have been going on for decades?
The basic model of cancer research has not changed much since the 1970s: Grow cancer cells in a laboratory, inject them into mice, attack the resulting tumours with the experimental drug du jour and see what happens.
But there is a world of difference between humans and animals in their metabolism, biochemistry, physiology, and genetic make-up, so the results seen in mice cannot be reliably applied to people.
Meanwhile, as we spend millions of pounds to cure cancer in mice, we are missing opportunities that could help real women in the real world - such as making breast cancer treatment more accessible and educating people about the role that diet plays in cancer prevention.
Sadly, new technologies that could truly benefit patients - like the three-dimensional model of human breast cancer recently developed by British scientists, made by growing cells from normal and cancerous breast tissue - remain the exception.
This October, we do not need more pink ribbons or pink T-shirts - or mice with breast cancer.
We need a commitment to funding programmes that will result in true medical progress, including better patient services, education, and vital research that does not rely on outdated animal models.
Toni Vernelli
Animal Aid
Bradford St
Tonbridge, Kent
TN9 1AW

£1 million community fund-raising challenge launches in college gardens

A CHARITABLE fund which aims to raise £1 million across Somerset by 2011 was launched at a reception in Cannington yesterday.
The Grassroots Grants Endowment Match Challenge is being organised by the Somerset Community Foundation, a Wells-based project set up in 2002 to provide a new, independent funding body to tackle poverty and disadvantage throughout the county.
Foundation director Justin Sargent said: “Our target is to raise £1 million over the next three years, which would attract an additional £500,000 from the Government.
“This is a unique opportunity for us all to build a major endowment fund for Somerset.
“It will provide much-needed long-term support to hundreds of local projects and initiatives that make such a difference to the lives of so many people.”
Clifford Hall, in Cannington College, was one of three venues across Somerset to host launch events for the effort to build a long-term community asset.
Mr Sargent said: “The events were enjoyed by all and a special thank you to those groups who helped to make the events a great success.”
More than 50 guests from the local area attended the Cannington event, including West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger and the West Somerset Business Network chairman, Sandra Wilson, from Dulverton.
They heard a talk by the college’s head gardener and were also shown around the college’s walled gardens.
Among the groups attending the Cannington reception was ALFFFA, a voluntary group providing Filipino and multi-cultural programmes and information to the community in the form of dance, song, music, food.
Also represented was the Sedgemoor Deanery Youth Project, which aims to care for and challenge young people, encouraging them to reach their full potential.
The local branch of Ups and Downs, a support group for parents and carers of children with Downs Syndrome, also took part. The charity provides face to face support, information and resources to help children reach their full potential both educationally and socially.
Mr Sargent said: “We are a unique charity in two respects. We are able to support a wide range of charitable causes across Somerset, which means we can respond to the specific and changing needs of each community, and we provide a flexible, professional and personal ‘donor service’ to a wide range of donors, enabling them to achieve their specific charitable goals within Somerset.
“At the heart of our approach is a strong belief in the importance of helping communities respond to their local circumstances in their own way.”

• Our photograph shows some of the representatives who attended the launch of the foundation’s Grassroots Grants Endowment Match Challenge held in Cannington College. Photo submitted.

New appeal supports ChildLine base for Westcountry

‘LET no cry go unheard’, is the rallying call of a local fund-raising appeal being launched today which, if successful, will massively increase the capacity of the NSPCC’s Exeter-based South West ChildLine service to help children in distress.
The fund-raising drive and expansion plans are key elements of the well-known child protection charity’s most prominent appeal since it launched the Full Stop Campaign in 1999.
Called the Child’s Voice Appeal, it aims to raise £50 million nationally over the next three years to continue to run and grow its listening services - like that provided by the ChildLine base at Exeter - and also by its national helpline for adults with concerns about a child.
A launch event is due to take place in Exeter city centre at 3 pm today where thousands of bubbles will be released into the air.
The NSPCC said its plans involved building on the existing telephone services and recruiting and training more volunteer counsellors to respond to children in need of help.
Services will eventually also include counselling online and by text.
Last year, the charity answered two-thirds of calls to ChildLine and three-quarters of calls to the adult helpline.
The Government is providing £30 million towards the development of the NSPCC helplines over the next four years.
An additional £50 million raised by the public through the Child’s Voice Appeal is needed to continue running the existing services and to get the development off the ground.
The local proposals, which would cost £2.6 million to implement, could see as many as 150 counsellors based in Exeter.
It is currently the smallest of the 15 existing and planned UK ChildLine bases with around 30 trained volunteer counsellors available for shifts supervised by five experienced, paid staff.
Nationally, the expansion would allow:

• Growth of the NSPCC Helpline nationally by more than 60 per cent to counsel 18,000 more adults who have concerns about a child
• 500,000 more calls every year put through to ChildLine volunteers
• Young people to choose how they access help - by phone, online, or by text, wherever they live

Last year, the South West base counsellors counselled 2,529 young callers about everything from feeling suicidal to family break-ups.
The average length of a call is around 20 minutes but hour-long calls are not uncommon. Many callers ring more than once.
At the moment, the South West base has two shifts operating at peak times for calls on three days a week.
Outside these times, calls are routed to other bases which may or may not have capacity to deal with the calls.
Calls are routed to the nearest base available.
ChildLine South West children’s services manager Cheryl Marshall said: “ChildLine is a vital service for children so they have somebody to turn to, whatever the worry.
“Donations really will really make a direct impact in providing this service as we can provide more counsellors to counsel children, as well as allowing us to develop other ways for young people to communicate with us.
“It is important to remember, too, the children and young people who are unable to contact ChildLine themselves, be it because they are too young, or too scared.
“Whatever the reason, we want adults who are worried about a child to be able to contact the NSPCC helpline.
“The support and advice they receive calms fears, solves problems - and even saves lives.”
To support the appeal launch, a new TV advertising campaign will screen from this evening which draws on the theme of voices being heard (image above).
For further information visit: www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk or call freephone 0844 892 0562 for support with fundraising.
In April last year, ChildLine South West was able to relocate from Newton Abbot to Exeter city centre premises capable of housing expansion of the service thanks to funding from the Children’s Promise, a project jointly developed by the New Millennium Experience and Marks and Spencer.
The new accommodation is shared with the NSPCC’s Young Witness Support Service which helps child witnesses who have to give evidence in court - mostly in sexual abuse cases.

LETTER: Thanks for making cancer care cards

Dear Editor - I would like to say an enormous thank you to everybody who has so generously spent time designing and making unique cards in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care this year.
Each year, Marie Curie Cancer Care runs the Create a Card for Cancer Care campaign in partnership with ‘do crafts’, the website and magazine for crafters.
We call upon our supporters to create one-off cards which are then sold in Marie Curie Cancer Care Shops across the UK for £1 each.
This year alone, we received a record-breaking 111,400 cards, and I would like to call on your readers to go along to their local Marie Curie Cancer Care shop and buy one of these bespoke cards.
All the money raised will help Marie Curie Nurses like me care for terminally ill people in their own homes, allowing them to spend their final days with the people they love the most.
Lorna Clarkson
Nursing Ambassador of the Year for England
Marie Curie Cancer Care

LETTER: Grow a tache to help fight male cancer

Dear Editor – I am writing as an ambassador for the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign with some tips for you men out there.
There's nothing that us ladies like more than a man who will put their money where their mouth is and have some fun for charity.
Everyman’s TacheBack campaign, a fund-raiser where men ditch their razors and grow a sponsored moustache throughout September, gives you boys the ideal opportunity to do just that.
All money raised goes to funding important research into testicular and prostate cancer, diseases which affect 37,000 men like you every year.
So, visit www.tacheback.com, get growing, and you might get more than just a moustache to be proud of - you might just manage to lure a lovely lady.
Happy growing!
Sarah Champion
Virgin radio presenter and TV star