A MASSIVE fundraising appeal has been launched by a Haslemere-based children's charity in the wake of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. The £50,000 appeal has been launched by the Kings World Trust for Children, which has suffered its own tragedy in the Asian tidal wave disaster. Three of its Indian charity workers and their families were swept to their deaths as the waves pounded their homes in the coastal region of south Tamil Nadu State on Boxing Day. The Kings World Trust operates near the Indian coast providing residential homes, an education and skills training for orphan and homeless children. Many people from Haslemere and Surrey go to India and work as volunteers. None of the trust's children was involved in the tragedy but the seas came perilously close to one of its homes. Blankets, medicines, food, water and clothes are now vital to save the lives of the survivors made homeless by the tidal waves, and Kings World Trust is working alongside the government emergency teams to supply these lifesaving necessities and to provide temporary accommodation. The trust has set itself a £50,000 target, and in the few days after the disaster has already raised £20,000. The charity's founder and trustee, Colin Wagstaff, told The Herald that kind-hearted Haslemere residents had offered the trust clothes, but it was cash to buy immediate supplies which was vital. "At the moment we are spending money that we don't have," he said. "We have spent £6,000 on blankets and £4,000 on rice and we need to spend much more for basic supplies. We need cash." Mr Wagstaff, who flew out to India on Wednesday to co-ordinate the trust's relief programme, told The Herald that the disaster has resulted in more children needing the charity's help. "In the longer term the trust will be providing a home to the many children and young people who have been orphaned or made homeless by this wide scale disaster in Southern India," he said. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the charity is asked to make it to KWTC (Disaster Appeal), 7 Deepdene, Haslemere, GU27 1RE or phone 01428 653504/722456 for further information.
