Thank you for taking the time to sponser me for my moment of stupidity on the 30th July! I've always wanted to do a sky dive so I thought it would be a great idea to do it for charity.  I have paid for the skydive myself so please be assured that all monies raised will go to The Brighter Future Trust.

I found out about Brighter Future when I was travelling in Peru last year, I met Mayna, a lovely lady in her 70's who still travels to India regularly to supprt the centres but also campaigns tirelessly for funds and support.

I've copied some information from the website so that you can see in detail the important work that this organisation does in this rural area of India.  A little money goes a long way in India and from the newsletters and webite (http://www.brighterfuturetrust.org/about.html) you can see that every penny is well spent to try and give these people a better life.

My employer, Oberthur Technologies, have also donated £250 so this will make an enormous difference.

Thanks again for your support, rest assured, you will probably all hear my screaming! ;-D

Anna x

Giving to Brighter Future Trust through Brighter Future International Trust means that you don't have to worry about corruption, about paying bribes to get food and lorries to transport aid, or food lying around in warehouses eaten by rats or destroying the local economy, or to grease the palms of politicians. Your donations are paid into a British High Street Bank and transferred directly to a the Charity's Foreign Contribution bank account in Vizianagaram. Your donations are spent wisely by staff who know the true cost of the goods and services they buy, as some foreign or dollar rich organisations can be.

Brighter Future is the only charity caring for street children, railway platform children, TB and leprosy sufferers and those affected by HIV/AIDS in Vizianagaram and the surrounding district - covering a population of more than three million.

Brighter Future tackles the underlying causes of the ostracism, deprivation and poverty, with compassion and respect, empowering sufferers and their children to become active participants and not mere passive recipients.

Brighter Future encourages the disadvantaged to break out of the cycle of poverty that the disease of leprosy has traditionally heaped upon them.

Brighter Future offers the children of leprosy-stricken parents, orphans and other needy children a loving and caring home, an education and vocational training to enable them to face the future as normal citizens.

Brighter Future works to prevent worsening disability through education, medical and custodial care.

Brighter Future helps the elderly and severely disabled to love with dignity.

Brighter Future is working in the backward areas of Andhra Pradesh in southern where drought and typhoons are common. There is 45% unemployment in this mainly agricultural area.

Some of the projects:

The Rainbow Children's Home was opened in 2004 to offer the children of leprosy sufferers, orphans, homeless children found begging on railway stations and others in need, a secure home among loving carers, with a chance to go to school and train for an occupation.

Bapuji Leprosy Colony was adopted by Brighter Future because it had no help of any kind since 1999. The old houses were leaking, there was no reliable water supply, the patients did not get any medical care for their deformities and ulcerated limbs and they were forced to go out begging in all weathers, into the local villages and temples, to get food. There are 18 leprosy patients at Bapuji Colony.

Prem Nivas Home and Hospice is the first and only home for HIV positive children. The area is centred on the trucking towns of Salur, Bobbil and Parvathipuram. In Salur alone, there are 500 adults and 217 children living with the disease. These districts have a population of over three million people.

Vocational Training - In an agricultural area where there is 45% unemployment, it is important to provide alternative occupations. One girl is training to be a tailor, four boys learned to make holdalls and satchels and another is learning desktop publishing and another is studying commerce. We have started a revolving fund to enable our bag-makers to buy the necessary materials to start their own business