Our vision is to train doctors from around the world to work in war and disaster zones. Most doctors rarely see war injuries anymore; everybody has forgotten how blast injuries affect children, what gunshot wounds or the shockwave effects of big bombs dropping do to people. Our training equips local doctors with the skills and expertise they need to save more lives and a legacy that can be shared with others who are working on the ground.

Hello everyone!  My heart breaks when I see the families and children who have life changing injuries caused by barrel bombs and land mines . The BBC Children in need and Comic Relief have highlighted this, and I was drawn to the story of Mustafa, a six year old boy and his sister, who were badly injured when their home was hit by a barrel bomb in Syria in 2016 .Their mother and father were killed and their elderly grandmother is bringing them up. Mustafa nearly lost his life, spent a year in hospital and has one leg shorter than the other,he is still receiving daily physiotherapy for his arm and fingers. He still has shrapnel in his brain . In spite of all this he can  still smile , all he wants to do is play football with his friends and dress himself . He treasures a picture of his father , the only thing they managed to salvage from his home . He is now in Jordan , and still needs his grandmother to lie down with him till he sleeps. He  and his sister have  never known life without war. I follow  his story on world news by the BBC correspondent Caroline Hawley, and I urge others to watch it and donate to help these little children and thousands of others . The David Nott foundation was set up by Dr David Nott , a cardiac surgeon in London, who spent years of his own time travelling to war torn areas in the world helping to save lives. I  really wanted to do something for Mustafa, I continued to donate  money via the appeals on the BBC , but after hearing Dr Nott on the radio and reading his book , I was inspired to do something more positive. With my 70th Birthday looming , I decided I don’t need material things , no presents , but I would buy myself a tandem skydive , invite my friends and family to Perthshire, for the jump, and celebrate my 70 years by trying to raise as much money as I can for this cause. Followed by a picnic! And Birthday Cake ! It is not enough for me to just keep putting money in a box or by text on TV  appeals, when I see the Mustafa’s of this world  on the news almost daily .This way I am doing something which will make me feel that I have gone the extra mile. As well as the thrill of the experience of course!  What better way to celebrate my 70th!  I hope that I can raise enough money to train a doctor on how to treat and manage the type of injury caused by barrel bombs etc.,  It costs £1,000 to train just one doctor. I look forward to this challenge. I will be so grateful for donations to this charity , it is very dear to my heart, and maybe Mustafa and other little children will be playing football again. Please help me  to help them.