The Christmas story has a dark side. The Wise Men called on King Herod to ask for directions to the birthplace of the new King.  Herod was afraid for his own throne and power  and so he ordered that every … Continue reading →

More than a million people each year die from malaria.  It’s a persistant scourge in many parts of the world but never seems to be newsworthy unlike diseases such as influenza variants or the Ebola virus.  The real tragedy of … Continue reading →

Anyone who has been to see Hot Aire! Concert Band (or its junior section, Fresh Aire) may have been lucky enough to watch the amazing Andrew in action.  Andrew is a young man with Down Syndrome who conducts selected pieces … Continue reading →

Throughout my childhood my grandparents’ house had a Barnado’s collecting box on the hall table for spare change.  This was because my grandfather was a ‘Barnado’s Boy’.  Having been orphaned in early childhood he was cared for by the charity … Continue reading →

Inn Churches is yet another charity from last year’s list.  It’s a local charity working with homeless adults in the Bradford area.  At Christmas time the charity uses churches to provide accomodation for homeless people but the work is not … Continue reading →

WaterAid is another of the charities on the list from last year.  Whilst we in Yorkshire take water for granted (and often complain about it falling from the sky), in too many parts of the world people are still dying … Continue reading →

The Cellar Trust is a small local charity which provides opportunities and support for people recovering from mental health problems to return to employment.  The trust runs training programmes and also operates several small businesses in which people can gain … Continue reading →

Jessie’s Fund was on my list last year and here it is again, for the same reasons.  It’s a small charity established in memory of Jessie, a musical nine-year old.  The charity provides music therapy and musical instruments for children … Continue reading →

Bradford Metropolitan Foodbank is a small, local, independent charity run entirely by volunteers. Bradford has always been a city with high levels of poverty, even in its heyday (Titus Salt built the village of Saltaire because he was shocked by … Continue reading →

On the second day of Christmas… Medicins Sans Frontieres work in many difficult situations providing doctors who, quietly and efficiently, get on with task of providing medical assistance.  At the moment, they are working in Syria and also in the … Continue reading →