I know you’re busy, but...

If you are fortunate enough to only have day-to-day worries in your life, spare a thought for the children and families who, without the support of these charities, would not be able to go on. Visit these websites to find out how you too can help. It's a small world, life is short, and you have so much to give. Thank you. Mr Dominic A Yeadon, Managing Director, TMB.

Jeans for Genes National Appeal
This national appeal where everyone is invited to throw out the usual dress rules for one day and jump into their jeans for just £1. It is organised by four national charities (GOSHCC, PiA, MPS and CGD below), raises funds for research into serious and often life-threatening genetic disorders affecting thousands of children. Funds also help to fund valuable advice and support services for families. The next Jeans for Genes day is Friday 3rd October 2003. http://www.jeansforgenes.com

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSHCC)
With 32 medical and surgical specialties, GOSHCC offers the widest range of paediatric expertise in Britain. Children are referred to the Hospital from all over the UK and from abroad with the rarest, most complex and often life-threatening conditions. Every year, the Hospital cares for over 22,000 inpatients and 76,000 outpatients. For many, it is a place of last resort, but it is also a place of hope.
http://www.gosh.org

The CGD Research Trust (CGD)
CGD is a medical research charity whose members have CGD. The charity raises funds for research that will lead to improved treatments and a cure, provides moral support and a point of contact for the families, spreads knowledge about the disorder among the medical profession and increases public awareness. Public support, especially through the Jeans for Genes Appeal, allows the Trust to arrange family days when CGD patients and their families can talk to specialists and enjoy the rare chance to talk to someone else 'in the same boat'. Funds also enable it to fund vital research and bring together groups of doctors to gain new levels of understanding and achievement. http://www.cgd.org.uk

The Primary Immunodeficiency Association (PiA)
The PiA is a national support group for sufferers, which also promotes awareness and raises funds for research. It offers contacts for members through a national database and regional meetings, and provides information via its large range of publications and quarterly newsletter. It also helps its members to secure disability benefits, seek appropriate medical care and gain access to expert opinion on medication and therapy, and lobbies on behalf of members on issues such as seeking equal access to immunology services throughout the UK.
http://www.pia.org.uk

The Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (MPS)
The MPS is a national support group for individuals and families affected by an MPS disease, as well as those involved in their care. The Society offers support and advocacy to the families of nearly 1,000 children and young adults diagnosed with an MPS disease. Since it was first established in 1982, the MPS Society has funded over £1 million in research which has contributed to the finding of all the MPS genes and advancements in the development of gene therapy and enzyme replacement therapy – potential future cures.
http://www.mpssociety.co.uk

National Children's Homes
One of the UK's leading Children's Charities. Through more than 480 projects they work with over 98,000 vulnerable children, young people and their families to ensure they reach their full potential.
http://www.nch.org.uk

British Red Cross
Throughout the UK, the British Red Cross assists the statutory authorities in dealing with needs of individuals affected by major emergencies, such as train crashes and floods, ensuring that victims, survivors and their families are provided for in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. In addition the British Red Cross provides a number of local community services, designed to meet the needs of vulnerable people facing personal crises, like the temporary loss of a regular carer, or the short term need for a wheelchair. In meeting these needs our volunteers can develop and practice skills which will become essential in the event of a major emergency.
http://www.redcross.org.uk

Christian Aid
An agency of the churches in the UK and Ireland, Christian Aid works wherever the need is greatest, irrespective of religion. It supports local organisations, which are best placed to understand local needs, as well as giving help on the ground through 16 overseas offices.
Christian Aid believes in strengthening people to find their own solutions to the problems they face. It strives for a new world transformed by an end to poverty and campaigns to change the rules that keep people poor.
http://www.christian-aid.org

Barnardo’s
Barnardo's works with the most vulnerable children and young people, helping them transform their lives and fulfil their potential. They are the UK's largest children's charity, supporting 100,000 children and their families through more than 300 projects in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
http://www.barnardos.org.uk

Julia's House
A respite care facility in Poole, Dorset, for children with life limiting or life threatening conditions. They relieve critically and terminally ill children through the provision of a facility offering respite, day and palliative care, symptomatic pain control, counseling and information on cancer and other terminal conditions. The late and much missed Julia Perks was the inspiration behind this cause.
http://www.juliashouse.org