DURING the past year the customers and staff of SPAR Stores, many of them your readers, have contributed to a fundraising effort which has so far raised £560,000 for ChildLine.

SPAR committed itself to funding ChildLine's night service. For some children, night-time is the only safe and private time to use the phone: others call when in the greatest danger.

The money raised has ensured that the night lines can stay open, and has also paid for calls made by children who contact us during the day.

I would like to thank customers and staff of SPAR who have helped to raise these much-needed funds. Without their support, many children would have nowhere to turn.

VALERIE HOWARTH, Executive Director, ChildLine, Studd Street, London.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.