Appeals

Evening Breakers, Canary Islands, a watercolour by Clifford Bayley on display at 'Our Environment in Watercolour', an exhibition being held by the Royal Watercolour Society (RWS) to raise funds for itself and the African Medical and Research Foundation (Amref). Artists from the RWS have painted 200 environmental subjects from all over the world: all will be for sale, with prices starting at pounds 275. The pictures are diverse: oil-wells burning during the Gulf war, African tribesmen, the English countryside and industrial scenes.

The Royal Watercolour Society was founded in 1804 by a group of young artists wanting to establish an annual exhibition for a medium which, they felt, had been largely ignored by the Royal Academy and other exhibiting organisations. Today, the society has about 90 members, both fellows and associates: elections for associate membership usually take place in the autumn and anyone is welcome to submit three framed works and a portfolio for possible selection. For further information, contact: RWS, 48 Hopton Street, London SE1 9JH, telephone 071-928 7521.

For the past 35 years, Amref, which is based in Nairobi, has been operating a flying doctor service mainly in East African countries although more recently it has extended its work to nine other African countries. Now running over 120 programmes, Amref brings emergency surgical and medical services, and training to remote hospitals and clinics. Its annual running cost is pounds 11m, some of which is funded by the governments concerned and overseas aid programmes. For further information, contact: Amref, 8 Bourdon Street, London W1X 9HX, telephone 071-409 3230.

The exhibition runs from Monday 14 to Friday 18 February at Christie's, King Street, London SW1. Tickets to the private view on Tuesday 15 February, at 6.30pm, are available from Amref.

The Partially Sighted Society is appealing for funds to help people suffering from serious loss of sight. Over 1 million people in Britain can see only a very limited amount, the majority of them elderly but many of working age. The PSS offers training with aids, and gives counselling to the newly afflicted.

The Partially Sighted Society, c/o GDBA, Redbridge House, 7 Manor Road, Woodford Bridge, Essex IG8 8ER, telephone 081-559 2779.

(Photograph omitted)