Gordon Brown makes climate deal

Gordon Brown has made his strongest statement yet on the importance of a binding global climate deal at Copenhagen this December – and thrown down the gauntlet to other developed countries to come forward with clear proposals to help developing countries cut their emissions and cope with the impacts of climate change. Click here to read the full article from the WWF

A message from one of our volunteers

Dear all Villa Maria volunteers,

On behalf of Alejandro and the team in Peru, I'd like to thank you for all your hard work and support over the years. As I'm sure you know the project in Villa Maria relies on support and donations from other volunteers and donors.
In an effort to continue developing our work in these communities, we are appealing to past volunteers who have first hand experience of the poverty and need of the people living in Villa Maria.

We know that times are tough economically, but we hope that you still feel able to make a donation to this important project, and to those children and families whose lives have been improved thanks to your help in the past.

Click here to support this project.

Your donation will be greatly appreciated by all in Villa Maria.

Thanks Very Much,

Sophie Shuttleworth
ex-Villa Maria volunteer

British Red Cross - How you can get involved.

At Quest4Change we are huge fans of volunteering and sometimes it easy to forget that as well as worthy projects in Africa and South America there are projects here in the UK that you could get involved in.
From working in your local charity shop to peer education the opportunities are endless. The British Red Cross do fantastic work and have a range of volunteer programs for people of all ages, and specific youth volunteer work for those aged under 25. So why not get involved with some volunteering closer to home, you'll learn vital skills which you can take with you to volunteer projects around the world.

Qi fact of the day

Qi fact of the day:
"It is impossible to tell the difference between male and female crocodiles by looking at them."

The Great Water Debate

Should water companies be allowed to cut people off? As a charity who support water projects in Africa we couldn't help but be interested in the debate on Radio 2 this afternoon - opposite sides arguing that people in the UK who cannot afford to pay their water bills should, or shouldn't be cut off. Our volunteers build Sand Dams so that Kenyans have access to clean drinking water, is it fair that a company should make money from drinking water in the UK?

With one company threatening to reduce water flow to customers who cannot pay their bills to a trickle, we ask is this fair?

World of Difference

You can make a world of difference with Quest4Change. Would you like to spend a year working at Casa Lar, home to 17 physically and mentally handicapped boy in Rio who are in desperate need of more support? Or spend a year with the children of Villa Maria Peru, teaching them, supporting them and providing them with activities to keep them away from the dangerous crime and drug culture of their shanty town? Or perhaps you would like to spend a year working with local communities to help preserve Swaziland's spectacular wildlife? Whatever you would like to put your skills into then this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

World of Difference is a competition run by the Vodafone foundation and this year they are offering 8 UK residents the chance to work for their charity of choice for a whole year whilst earning a salary of up to £25,000. Sounds to good to be true? Well it, isn't, however the application process is thorough and demanding so if you are interested you need to do some serious work on your application. The application deadline is 30th July 2009 and the World of Difference website has loads of information about how to apply and past applicants. Get in touch with Heather at Quest4Change if you would like to spend an incredible volunteer year on one of our projects.

Jane Goodall to join Inta Wari Yassi

Fantastic news for Inta Wari Yassi this week as Jane Goodall, a patron of the charity, has said that she will visit the animal sanctuaries in Bolivia for the first time.
Juan Carlos Antezana, the founder of Inta Wari Yassi who has previously been awarded the status of one of Jane Goodall's "Heroes" is thrilled by the news, as it not only means a lot for the charity but also for the Environmental policies for the whole of Bolivia. Volunteer with Inta Warri Yassi. Inta Warri Yassi's main aims are to rehabilitate animals that have either been confiscated or abandoned, and to protect the wildlife of the Bolivian rainforest. There are several species of monkey at the sanctuary as well as sloths, pumas, jaguars, toucans and parrots.