Appeals

A photograph taken by the singer Bryan Ferry as part of a series for the cover of his album Boys and Girls (1985), which will be on show in an exhibition, in support of the charity War Child, starting on Wednesday 28 September at the Flowers East Gallery in Hackney, east London.

Photographs have been given by a number of well-known musicians, including David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Bob Geldof and Nigel Kennedy. War Child operates in former Yugoslavia and is aiming to open a therapy centre for war- traumatised children. The proceeds from an auction of the exhibits, to be held on 4 October at the Royal College of Art, London W8, will go towards their appeal target of pounds 1.5m.

War Child was founded in 1993 with the aim of raising funds to help child victims of war throughout the world. So far, its efforts have been centred on former Yugoslavia. Among its projects have been the setting up of a mobile bakery, which operates in east Mostar, supported by the Overseas Development Agency and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees; the supply of insulin and diabetic materials to children in Sarajevo, Mostar and the Maglaj area of North-west Bosnia, supported by the World Health Authority and the Red Cross; and the establishing of links between British and Bosnian children.

War Child now hopes to raise the money to open a therapy centre in Sarajevo, for work with children suffering from war trauma. A suitable building has yet to be found, but as most of Sarajevo's buildings are damaged by shelling and gunfire, the cost of repairs is estimated at pounds 1.5m.

The charity is appealing for money and building materials, or alternatively musical and arts equipment for the centre, and would welcome practical help or expertise from anybody trained in arts therapy. For further information, contact: War Child, 7/12 Greenland Street, London NW1 0ND, telephone 071-916 9276.

The exhibition runs from Wednesday 28 September to Sunday 9 October at Flowers East Gallery, 282 Richmond Road, London E8.

The London Cartoon Centre faces closure by Christmas unless it can find funds to cover its basic yearly costs of pounds 30,000. The centre, which is part of the Portobello Trust, has been open for 10 years, offering daytime and evening classes to aspiring cartoonists. Most of the 90 students attending each year have low incomes or are unemployed, of whom 30 per cent are successful in finding paid work as a result of the courses, numbering Marvel, DC, Fleetway and Dark Horse Comics among their employers.

The London Cartoon Centre, 14 Conlan Street, London W10 5AR, telephone 081- 969 4562 or 081-964 3290.

The Independent welcomes details of appeals from readers. They should be sent in writing (no more than 100 words) to Gazette (Appeals), The Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB (fax 071-956 9358). Please include a daytime telephone number.

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