Recently, through the generosity of the Vodafone Foundation, we've benefited from the services of Phil Culmer, who has been on an internship with us as a Research and Marketing Assistant. Phil has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism; whilst he has found this a great handicap in getting employment, it also (for him at least - it's different for every autistic person) means that this sort of work is an area that suits him very well, and he has a lot to give in it.

We'd like to continue this, as we've found how beneficial it is to have a full time member of staff to work on these important areas, especially one who fits in them so well.

As Phil is based in Lincoln, and can't continue doing a weekly commute to London, we've decided that we'd like to set up a company in Lincoln to employ him (and possibly others in his position, as things develop), and to continue the work that he has started with our research and marketing.

To do this, we need £10,000 initial capital, to fund the company formation, and the setup of the office.

We then need a further £25,000 to fund the running of the company for the first year. This will pay for rent, phones, insurance, etc, and pay Phil's wages, and for this we'd get his services full time. Hopefully, in the course of this year, we'll be able to find others, both charities and commercial companies, who could also use the company's services, and also find other people in Phil's position, with a talent waiting to be enabled.

To see some of what Phil has done for us, have a look at our website at www.mother-and-child.org, which he has rebuilt. He also has a blog on the Vodafone World of Difference website.