COMMENT
Help Victims Of The London Bombings!

By Cliff D'Arcy
July 11, 2005

The bombings last Thursday affected all Londoners, most of all the 49 people who were murdered, the 25 missing persons and the seven hundred injured.

In the aftermath of the four blasts, people in the capital showed their remarkable resilience and courage, with the city already on its way to business as usual. However, people throughout the UK can show their support for the victims by dipping into their wallets and purses. And the good news is that the UK has one of the most generous systems of charitable giving in the world.

If you drop a pound into the collecting box of a registered charity, that's all it gets - one shiny quid. However, if you are a taxpayer and make the same donation through Gift Aid, each pound could be worth up to £1.67, thanks to tax relief from the government.

If you're a basic-rate taxpayer, every pound that you hand over attracts tax relief at 22%. In other words, £7.80 turns into £10 – an instant gain of over 28%. So, a £10 donation would turn into £12.82 (which is £10/78%).

By recording Gift Aid donations on their tax returns, higher-rate taxpayers can receive a further 18% tax refund from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). So, a £10 donation still means £12.82 for the charity, but the donor also gets a further £2.31 rebate from HMRC. Hence, a net donation of £7.69 (£10 less £2.31) turns into £12.80 for the charity – a 67% return. Magical, isn't it?

You can make a Gift Aid donation of any size - even a pound or less - and all you have to do is to tick a box or confirm that you're a taxpayer and wish to make a Gift Aid donation – it's as simple as that. Furthermore, most charities accept payments by cash, cheque, credit or debit card, direct debit or standing order.

The Mayor of London and the British Red Cross have set up the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund to raise money for the victims and their families. You can make an online Gift Aid donation to this charity here, by telephoning 08705 125 125, or by writing to London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund, c/o The Mayor of London, Freepost LON18968, Sheffield S98 1ZA.

Then again, I'd like to make an appeal on behalf of a lesser-known charity that desperately needs donations to keep up its crucial work. Since 1994, the Victims of Crime Trust (VOCT) has been providing personal support to the families of any individual who is the victim of murder or manslaughter. Among other things, it speaks up for victims, provides close personal and family support and counselling, legal advice, and social networking – invaluable support from other bereaved families.

Although there are over a hundred different support groups for criminals and offenders, the VOCT is one of only a few registered charities that provide comprehensive and professional support for the victims of crime. Sadly, because it is not a high-profile cause, the VOCT struggles to raise enough funds to meet its goals. From dealing with 37 cases in 1994, it now deals with around 250 cases each year, hence, its finances are stretched to breaking point.

The VOCT was founded by Norman Brennan, a crusading police officer of 26 years' standing who has had much first-hand experience of the impact of crime on victims, families and communities. Norman and the volunteers at the VOCT are striving passionately to raise £3 million pounds to build a dedicated resource centre to help anyone bereaved due to homicide in the UK. Some big-name charities earn three million pounds in just a few weeks, but this is a tall order for the VOCT.

You can make a Gift Aid donation to the Victims of Crime Trust online here, by telephoning 0870 842 8467 (2p per minute of your call will be donated to the Trust), or by writing to Victims of Crime Trust, FREEPOST SEA10862, Twickenham, TW1 3BR. Alternatively, a quick call to the VOCT's petition line on 0906 780 0999 will cost you a pound a minute, 74p of which is donated to the Trust.

So, if you've had a good 2005 so far and would like to help someone who's suffered a tragic loss, send a few quid to the Red Cross appeal or the VOCT. Your gift is worth so much to these organisations, especially after the taxman has chipped in!

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