Anglo Pacific Helps Raise Awareness of Bereaved Children's Charity 20th Anniversary

MALAGA, SPAIN, January 25, 2012 (Press-News.org) 2012 is an important year for Winston's Wish as it signals 20 years since this vital support service for bereaved children was set up. Anglo Pacific, the UK's largest independent international removals company, has backed the charity for four years and intends to do its bit in making the anniversary a financial and educational success.

Liz Caines, HR Director at Anglo Pacific, comments, "Akin to many businesses, Anglo Pacific relishes the opportunity to give back and share some of its good fortune and success by supporting a charity. Our allegiance with Winston's Wish began in 2007 when Channel 4's three-part series, The Mummy Diaries, featured a woman known by our Director's family. The moving documentary showed the heart-wrenching yet heartwarming journeys of ordinary but terminally ill mothers who would go on to leave their children without a parent. It showed how Julie Stokes, a clinical psychologist from Winston's Wish, helped the children come to terms with the tragic situation and hold onto the memories and that special mother-child bond. Anglo Pacific recognizes the exceptional work of Winston's Wish and wants to help ensure that this specialist bereavement provision is available to as many children and their families as possible."

To date Anglo Pacific has raised more than GBP15,000 for the charity and hosts various events throughout its working calendar to fundraise from fancy dress to dress down, Easter bunny raffles to the Three Peaks Challenge tackled by four staff including Managing Director Stephen Gray. Last December Anglo Pacific held its traditional Christmas Fun Day raising over GBP900 via a raffle and bake sale. In traditional Fun Day style, Father Christmas (AKA Anglo Pacific's semi-retired Trade Manager) distributed Secret Santa gifts insisting that everyone - Directors included - sat on his knee.

Kate Acutt, Corporate and Trusts Manager for Winston's Wish, explains the importance of companies such as Anglo Pacific, "Incredibly a British child loses a parent every 22 minutes and the charity needs to raise GBP1.7 million each year to offer its childhood bereavement services. Winston's Wish relies almost entirely on voluntary donations, such as those from Anglo Pacific, alongside various trusts, foundations, community groups, clubs, associations and schools. It's a big ask each year but we are privileged to have ongoing support and are hopeful of a record-breaking 20th anniversary year."

The next event on the Winston's Wish fundraising calendar is the Firewalk Challenge to be held in Gloucestershire in February. Firewalk professionals will give two hours of training to equip volunteers with the courage and skills necessary to literally walk across hot coals. The heroic challenge for "brave soles" has a target of GBP20,000 and even the Charity's Chief Executive has her name down to be a red hot hero.

To find out more about Winston's Wish, in particular the Firewalk, visit http://www.winstonswish.org.uk/firewalk and to sponsor Fiona, Winston's Wish Chief Executive, visit http://www.justgiving.com/fionafirewalkchallenge. To make a donation to Winston's Wish by text, just text the word 'WISH11' followed by an amount (GBP1,GBP2, GBP3, GBP4, GBP5 & GBP10) to 70070. Contact Anglo Pacific on 020 8965 1234, email info@anglopacific.co.uk or visit http://www.anglopacific.co.uk.

About Anglo Pacific: As the UK's largest independent international removals company, Anglo Pacific handles around 20,000 baggage shipments and overseas removals annually. A known market leader for Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada and South Africa, Anglo Pacific has been established for more than 30 years and has an unrivalled reputation for friendly, professional and reliable container shipping services. What's more, as a fully bonded member of the British Association of Removers, clients' belongings could not be in safer hands.

About Winston's Wish: Winston's Wish was conceived by Founder Julie Stokes when she visited North America on a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship. Inspired by the services she saw there, Julie returned to the UK and set up Winston's Wish in 1992. It is Winston's "wish" that every bereaved child should receive the help that they need to cope with the death of someone important in their lives - whether the person was ill for sometime or death totally unexpected. The Charity creates an atmosphere where children can share their thoughts and feelings and meet others.