OK unless you have been without TV or radio for the last couple of days
you will know about this disaster in the Indian Ocean.
There is a main charity umbrella organisation now set up to take
donations - 1 alone would do a lot in food/clean water for someone
affected. It is Christmas, even if all you can spare is a 10......
0870 -6060 900

OR online visit www.dec.org.uk to donate online

*** Further announcement - banks etc will NOT be charging the usual clearing fees for donations made by credit card***
***Lastly it was announced today that the POST OFFICE will take cash or cheques
over the counter as donations***

Good luck Partridge
:>)

bunny

Thanks for posting the link to dec.org.uk.

I have sent off a donation this morning using that link.

The event is simply unblieveable and of Biblical proportions.

May we never forget our good fortune!

Our local Sainsbury's has a bucket at the end of each check-out desk.

Have now returned after two hours at Tesco. Been holding tins for various charities for over 25 years and never seen anything like it - had to use the bucket for coins and tin for notes. Collected comfortably over 1000. One (unprompted) message from the punters was that Tony Blair is doing himself no good by keeping low profile, hope he digs deep personally in the near future.

Pop your feet up Partridge after your hard work and I'll
get you a cuppa and a sandwich from the tea-rooms. :>)
Great to know people are still responding so generously,
yes Tony hasn't exactly rewritten the diplomatic guide with
steadfastly staying away on holiday has he!

Politically, I sit just to right of Attilla the Hun and would be glad to see the back of Bliar and the rest of his cronies. That said, he does have a right to enjoy his holiday in peace and I can't exactly see why he should feel a need to cut it short.

Hil: I knew I had someone sitting on my right hand and I'm delighted to discover it's you :))

If Blair cut his holiday short he'd probably be accused of publicity-seeking political opportunism. And what can he do to make things better, anyway?

Best keep him out of it and let the heartfelt response from the public speak.

I don't doubt for one minute that Blair hasn't got a hand on whats happening - and no im not a fan. I agree with MM that sometimes the public say it all and this time I feel this is whats happening - and my goodness with what gusto

Yes it's good to see isn't it!
So often all we hear is about the less positive stuff going on
and for once it's a real positive pulling together by people.
Will it last? Well I doubt it, last real public 'pull-together'
I think was Diana's death/funeral etc.
Sad it's always something tragic that brings out the best in people.

Keep the money comming please.

I have been in contact with friends and family in Thailand and all aid is desperatly appreciated.

Well done everyone.

Happy New year

Blair could immediately improve matters and world opinion of Britain by



































Resigning Now rather than later.

Having written the above I am also very impressed by the people of this an other countries coming together to give aid. I hope one of the gains from this horrific event (earth quake) is that people realise we all have more in common than is sometimes admitted and also that there will be genuine attempts to fund and organise the United Nations to be able help in other problem areas and, for the true advancement of those areas not for the gain of the states with largest power base.

To briefly mention methods of Contribution on-line and some benefits. I made a contribution to Medicin sans Frontiere (UK) online to their Indian ocean appeal and they pointed out on their web page that if it was not an anonymous contribution but from a UK Taxpayer, a donation of 25 would to them be worth 32-50 under gift aid charities arrangements. The web was quick, secure , and an acknowledgement was received automatically and transaction was debited to my account within 24 hours. So on-line I think is good.

I did much the same via the Oxfam site which similarly impressed me with the info given about Gift Aid - i received a nice email from Oxfam and overall the transaction went through very smoothly and securely. I read this today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4140823.stm ....I still feel numb.

Im making a donation this month and ready to carry on for the foreseable future as i get my wages. This has to be for the long term, i urge others to join me and many others.

Here is a link to the ICRC (RedCross) portal web site:-

http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/home.nsf/home/webfamilylinks

It has links to various other sites, including the tsunami affected areas:-

Importantly, it is now listing NAMES OF MISSING PERSONS - and their other personal details and it should be an excellent site to assist in re-establishing contact with loved ones.

It says, "Select the country or region which concerns you, and click on the appropriate link." and covers

Bay of Bengal (Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, India - and other local countries.)

Somalia, Haiti, Gulf 2003 (the Iraq conflict), Angola, Liberia - Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and 'All Other Countries'

What an amazing amount of money from Germany

Germany increases its aid pledge to tsunami victims from $27m to $670m - becoming the biggest contributor to the relief effort

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says the UK government will spend "several hundred million" dollars on relief and reconstruction efforts in the coming weeks

BBC News

Do we know if donations Gift-Aided (28% uplift by HMG (lower rate tax) is to be part of that which HMG says is to be paid by them (ie of the 350M) or can we expect that to be part of the individual contributors uplift?

No idea namreh3 - I've just updated the header - banks are NOT charging clearing fees
on donations made by credit card.

Well done folks, they need every penny and then some!

I already use gIft aid for monthly donations, and I would recommend anyone here using that method too for their favourite charities.

It saves you having to remeMber, and they claim tax back from Prudence!!!