Save life and make it worth living

Clean water, that essential element for life, is something we in the West take for granted. We turn on our taps and drink, wash and cook without a second thought, but to 1.1 billion people across the rest of the world access to clean water is a matter of life and death.

More than twice that number - a staggering 2.4 billion - do not enjoy adequate sanitation. The result? A child dies every 15 seconds from a disease linked to foul drinking water or poor hygiene.

Coming closer to home, most young people in the UK enjoy a degree of motivation and self-belief that enables them to make their way in the world. But what of those who don't? What about those who simply fall through the net?

Launching our Christmas appeal, we again support two charities - one international, one national - and invite readers to give to either or both.

WaterAid is the UK's only major charity dedicated exclusively to providing safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world's poorest. Its projects are set up by local people and managed by them. We will be focusing on their work in India and Africa.

Fairbridge gives young people from the most disadvantaged urban areas in the UK a fairer chance to succeed in life. It works with 1,500 local agencies to identify those aged between 13 and 25 who are most at risk. All are outside education, training and employment or are in danger of dropping out. The issues addressed include drugs, homelessness, exclusion and long-term unemployment. The goal is to build self-belief and motivation, to enable young people to develop the personal and social skills needed to improve their own lives.

Last year you gave an impressive £675,000. We hope this year you will dig deep to beat that figure.