I will never forget Sunday the 26th December, Boxing day, 2004. As usual when I wake up I turned on the TV news only see the horrific pictures unfold of the Tsunami that had just hit Sri Lanka. After hearing an appeal, for blankets, clothing, food, medicine etc and feeling compelled to do something I immediately went to the REM studios to put out an appeal for help, etc etc. I remember it as an amazing day. Within minutes of putting out the appeal people started to arrive in the studio in San Pedro with an assortment of clothing, blankets and ways to shelter, in fact so much arrived in the end we sent out two containers to the stricken land. It was around that time I met an extraordinary woman Joy Butler Markham who had set up the Manacare Foundation with the sole purpose to rebuild a school that had been totally destroyed during the Tsunami. She asked would I help her raise the funds. I was delighted to receive this email from her today.

Dear Maurice,

I am sure you will be interested to hear that the initiative you very kindly took nearly nine years ago regarding help after the dreadful Tsunami, has led to a full Hopes and Dreams Village. When the first sum of money was raised, by you at Sandro Morelli's restaurant in Marbella we had no idea what it would lead to.

We now have Doctor's Surgery, Nurses Surgery, Physiotherapy Department, seeing many many children take their first steps, we have Montessori School, Gymnasium Speech and Drama department with over 120 children participating, Music Lessons, English Lessons, two swimming pools, a creche, in sports we have a netball team, badminton team, cricket, and basketball teams. We are taking cerebral palsy orphans, and we have five other houses built for those with physical disabilities

Our sustainability programme consists of a Sewing Workshop, a Candle Making workshop, a Soap making workshop, and a jewellery making workshop... We make lots of toys, we make many things for the local hotels.

So thank you Maurice, without you this would never have happened, we are helping over 800 people down here, plus the families of those people.

Lots of Love from all of us in Sri Lanka

X Joy

Sir Cliff Richard visits the school seen with children teachers and Joy ( on the left) and Joy Fahey (right)


Manacare Foundation continues to need your help please get in touch manacare@aol.com or their website: http://www.manacare.org.uk/