High Peak Liberal Democrats

Medecins Sans Frontieres

Stephen Tall really is running naked down Whitehall - how you can help him raise money for Medecins Sans Frontieres

Aftermath of attack on hospital in Kunduz

Stephen Tall is making good on what turned out to be an ill-advised pledge in 2013 that he would run naked down Whitehall if the Liberal Democrats got 24 seats in this year's General Election. He has decided that others should benefit from his immodesty and is raising money for Medecins Sans Frontieres which is very appropriate considering todays shocking news from Afganistan. The charity will already be benefiting from £5000 promised by Kelvin Mackenzie, the former editor of the Sun, on live television last week. Stephen has set up a JustGiving page to augment that sum.

You can find out more about the amazing work that MSF does here on its website. I was particularly moved by this post where former MSF emergency co-ordinator wrote about the people she met while working on MSF's search and rescue vessel. Here she tells the story of 17 year old Sako:

He had been in Libya for five years, and he had seen it fall into lawless anarchy and violence. His uncle who brought him there, died. His best friend died last year after a child soldier, about the same age as him, hit him in the head with a steel bar. He didn't die immediately; it took a long time before he gave up. There are no hospitals.

"Child soldier my age." Suddenly it struck me how young he looked. "17," he said with a big smile. My mind spun again. So he was 11 when he arrived in Libya? He is still a minor, even though he has seen and survived more than any man I know has in a lifetime.

I explained how in Europe you are still a child until you are 18 and that if he wanted I will make sure he gets off together with all the other minors we had on board.

He nodded. Looked down. Suddenly he looked like a child after all.

You can't help but be moved by those real stories of real people.

Now, Stephen is already almost half way to his initial £1000 target after just 24 hours. Surely, surely Liberal Democrat Voice readers can't be outdone by Kelvin Mackenzie. We can't let him say that he gave more than we did. Surely we can find it within ourselves to at least match his £5000. Do give generously. Stephen has given us much food for thought over almost a decade of being part of the LDV team. If you can afford it, please show your appreciation by donating at least the price of a nice glass of wine in a city centre pub. If everyone who reads LDV regularly did that, we would easily get to £5000 and then MSF would receive £10,000.

Stephen is being a bit shy about when this event is taking place. I asked him on Twitter:

It's probably just as well that it's happening soon, before it gets too cold. The BBC will be there with a camera so anyone who wants to will be able to see for ourselves that Stephen's pledge was fulfilled.

Tim Farron wished Stephen well on Twitter:

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings

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