MP Russell raises £3,000 for Palestine school children
July 21, 2009 12:00 AM
Bob Russell MP presenting his cheque
Over the past 18 months Colchester MP Bob Russell has raised £3,000 for the charity Book Aid International to buy books for Palestinian school children.
The money came variously from fees received for talks he has given and participation in opinion poll surveys - together with donations from Colchester schools, notably Kingswode Hoe and St Helena which each put on special events to support his appeal.
He is pictured handing over a cheque to Mr Robert Sarjant, Head of Programmes and Operations for Book Aid International which is based in London.
Since his election as MP in 1997, Mr Russell has raised around £15,000 for various good causes including the Mayor's charities, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Colchester Stars Cycle Speedway Club, the planting of the "Colchester Plantation" of 500 trees on the Island of St Helena, and paying for a Scout from the Island to attend Scouting's Centenary Jamboree in the UK in 2007.
Mr Russell said: "I attended a reception at the House of Commons in aid of Book Aid International and was extremely impressed to learn of the wonderful work they do to supply school books to children in various under-developed countries.
"I immediately volunteered specifically to raise money to buy school books for Palestinian children who are amongst the most impoverished in the world.
"My target was £1,000 and I had planned to stop at the end of last December, but following the wicked attacks by the military might of Israel against the civilian population of Gaza I decided to extend it - and seek financial contributions from others. The response was excellent, and I was able to push the total up to £3,000.
"This money will buy a lot of school books to be distributed to Palestinian children."
Mr Russell has now started a new fund-raising appeal. This is to help enable Girl Guides from St Helena, an isolated British Dependent Territory in the South Atlantic, to attend Guiding's Centenary celebrations in the UK in August next year.
Liberal Democrat Mr Russell is Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Island of St Helena Group, which shares its name with Colchester's Patron Saint.
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