Remembering the tsunami victims

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in The Informer on Thu 22nd Dec 2005

I wish all my constituents a happy Christmas and New Year. I make a point of meeting as many local people as possible at this time of year from the postmen at the local sorting offices to those celebrating traditional Christmas carols and lessons at church. It is also heart warming and humbling to meet so many people from local charities and community groups who work quietly in the background, helping others.

It is for one of those good causes that I am taking a short break in the tropical sun. Boxing Day is the anniversary of the Tsunami. I will visit Sri Lanka over the holiday to be present at the opening of Stage 1 of Hampton Village which has been built with charitable donations from local individuals, schools and firms. Enough has been done to build the first 10 homes, which I am due to handover to homeless fishermen. 30 other houses will follow as further money is raised.

The village is a tangible result from idealistic and generous giving and hard work in fundraising. When there is a seemingly endless series of disasters and competing good causes, it is essential to sustain hope : the conviction that many small, individual, contributions can do good.

Hampton has also, this last year, witnessed hope in another form: the completion of the Shooting Star Trust children's hospice. To have raised £6 million without government money is a tremendous achievement by Kate Turner and her army of volunteers.

When the community can get behind projects of this kind, it tells me that our country is in a much healthier state than the pessimists imagine. We are a society and not just a collection of selfish individuals.