DALE Winton and I would like to thank all your readers who generously took part in the BT Friends and Family Chosen Charities campaign.

It invited Friends and Family subscribers to forego their discounts, which were then matched by BT and divided equally between five charities.

ChildLine was one of the benefiting charities and we have just received an amazing £240,000 which will help us to answer many more calls from frightened, despairing and distressed children.

The tragic fact is that although ChildLine saves children's lives and protects them from abuse and neglect many children cannot get through to us because we lack the funds to answer their calls.

Esther Rantzen.