What is Thatcham 0.23?
As long as 30 years ago the UK agreed a target to give 0.7% of its income in international aid. As a country we have never met this target. The closest we have ever got was 0.51% (half a penny in the pound) in 1979.

"The situation is absurd in many ways - at least 10 million people dying each year because the rich world refuses to spend 0.7 percent of GNP on aid! For Africa specifically, we would need around $70 billion per year to enable Africa to get on to the ladder of development. That's $70 per person per year from each of us in the rich countries. It's about 0.2 percent of our annual income. It's well under the annual cost of the Iraq War. Indeed, it's about 2 percent of the estimated wealth of the world's 1,000 billionaires. And consider that Wall Street and the City of London together took home Christmas bonuses of some $40 billion this past holiday season." Jeffery Sachs speaking on BBC Radio 4 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2007/)

The situation is a disgrace but as a community there is somthing we in Thatcham can do about it.

In 2007/08 the British Government is giving 0.47% of national income in aid. We can show as a community that we think the lives of people in the 'developing' world are important by making up a proportionate difference.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2003) the average household income in West Berkshire was £45,230. With just over 9,000 dwellings in the town we would need to raise £938,237.55 to make up for the shortfall (0.23% of income) in aid from our community. On average this is £104.03 per household, or 29p a day.

You can make a difference...
If you want to be part of making Thatcham the first 0.23 town (contributing 0.23% of our income to make up our household contributions to the 0.7% agreed United Nations target) and put pressure on our leaders to follow our example make a contribution now.

The list below shows how much you would need to donate 0.23% of your income before June 2008. If your household income is £5,000 per year then for 2007/2008 you would only need to donate £11.50. Of course, you can give more!

£5,000 = £11.50
£10,000 = £23
£15,000 = £34.50
£20,000 = £46
£25,000 = £57.50
£30,000 = £69
£35,000 = £80.50
£40,000 = £92
£45,000 = £103.50
£50,000 = £115
£55,000 = £126.50
£60,000 = £138
£65,000 = £149.50
£70,000 = £161
£75,000 = £172.50
£80,000 = £184
£85,000 = £195.50
£90,000 = £207
£95,000 = £218.50
£100,000 = £230

Thatcham 0.23. Let's do it.