Lisa B and Yasmin Le Bon team up for Romanian orphans

From The Times

June 17, 2009

Lisa B and Yasmin Le Bon team up for Romanian orphans

The model friends have launched a charity for Romanian orphans — and are offering a £2,000 net-a-porter.com voucher

Lisa Armstrong

These days a model without her own charity is a bit like a Hollywood actor without an alpha dentist on speed dial. Aware of this, old friends Lisa B and Yasmin le Bon were initially wary of launching another charity on to a crowded scene. However in the end, Lisa’s trips to Romanian orphanages overcame any lingering squeamishness about charity fatigue: “No heating, severe winters, not even the basics such as nappy rash creams — there are children with running sores, children who are never held, 50 of them to two nurses who are paid $60 a month and have frankly given up . . .” she says. It is easy to see why le Bon was persuaded to come on board as a trustee.

Mothers4children, the fundraising enterprise they set up' raises money for children’s charities in Romania and at home in the UK. Lisa harnesses her modelling contacts in simple but clever ways: raffling fashion, beauty and luxury prizes that she and her friends have cajoled from sponsors on the internet for as little as £1 a ticket.

“We wanted this to be really accessible to everyone,” she says.“Every penny from this goes to the charities and a small amount can make a huge difference. For instance, lots of children in Romania suffer from water on the brain which is excruciating. But a £300 operation can cure it”.

The first raffle, starting this week, with a winning prize of a £2,000 voucher for netaporter.com, is the first of many that will take place throughout the summer and — the pair hope — beyond. Further prizes include beauty treatments, a Chloe handbag, tickets for theX Factor final.

“I’m hopeless at organising,” concedes Yasmin endearingly. “But it turns out I’m good at asking for stuff for this. We want it to be big.”

To buy raffle tickets, go to mothers4children.com

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article6511953.ece

HAVE YOUR SAY

I knew a father Billy Wilson in the 1980's when he used to organise the Wolverhampton Marathons, of which I ran in. I also used to work in the W'ton Eye Infirmary in the 1980's which was opposite Billy's hairdressing salon on the Compton Rd. I remember watching him & his staff work their legs off !!

IAN PAYNE, WALSALL,

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