Help London's children

There are thousands of children in London who are struggling with the problems of homelessness, poverty, ill health, disability or abuse.

One of their most important lifelines is the Help A London Child charity, which funds grass-roots projects doing everything from supporting young people as they make the difficult transition from foster care to independent living, to working with teenagers with HIV/Aids.

Today is your chance to support their work. Capital Radio's Help A London Child Appeal, which is supported by the Evening Standard, aims to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for the cause.

Last year the appeal raised £350,000 - which meant Help A London Child was able to offer funding to 140 vital projects. This year the charity hopes to beat that figure.

From today until 4pm on Sunday, Capital Radio (95.8 FM and 1548 AM) is broadcasting on-air auctions during its breakfast show. Listeners can bid for items such as a signed dress from Victoria Beckham, football gloves signed by David Seaman and shirts signed by the England football squad. The public can also bid for the chance to meet pop group Blue.

On Saturday and Sunday auctions will be held every hour on the station, until presenter Chris Tarrant announces the total raised at 4pm.

The Evening Standard - which last year raised £40,000 for Help A London Child thanks to the generosity of readers - is donating 1p from every copy of the paper bought today, tomorrow and Wednesday. On Thursday we are including a free CD with the Standard and will donate 10p from every copy sold to the charity. A spokeswoman for Help A London Child said: "We received more applications for support last year than ever. To continue the work we do in London we are hoping this year's appeal will be our most successful."

Help A London Child has a wide range of charity clients. In 2003 it gave money to a project in east London that taught children coming out of foster care how to live independently.

Women and children seeking refuge from violent partners at Greenwich Women's aid were given money to go on holiday. The charity also helps organisations such as Body and Soul in Holborn, which supports children with HIV and Aids. It is the only UK charity that gives this kind of support and counselling for young people.

Monsa Magadan, 32, who was infected with HIV when she was 16, is now a volunteer at the group. She knows how important it is for youngsters to be able to talk to others.

"I found out when I was 19," she says. "I was discussing past relationships with a new boyfriend and I mentioned the first guy I'd gone out with. The new boyfriend went pale and didn't say anything for a while.

"Then he said, 'Do you know that that boy is HIV positive? I think you should be tested.' It turns out my first boyfriend had known about his status all along, but hadn't told me."

If you would like to help these and other childrens' organisations in London please send cheques made payable to 'HALC' to Help A London Child, 30 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7LA.