The Alfred Mizzi Foundation is helping to make this Christmas better for children of inmates at the Corradino Rehabilitation Centre. A donation of €1,000 was made to the Prison Fellowship organisation.

Mark Vella, chairman of Prison Fellowship Malta, said that this NGO has been offering free services to dependants of prison inmates for the past 24 years and is part of Prison Fellowship International, present in 120 countries. Prison Fellowship visits foreign prisoners who have no one to visit them and buy various items for prisoners who have no relatives to support them. Regular meetings in fact are held with inmates at the male and female sections at Corradino as well as the Youths section.

Activities for children of prisoners and ex-prisoners are held all year round. All activities are always free of charge and teachers and ex-teachers coordinate these activities. Some of the needs of the 120 children from 22 different localities in Malta and Gozo are catered for. The Prison Fellowship Group also organises regular crime prevention campaigns to students. Funding depends entirely on donations and the NGO has no paid staff but depends entirely on their 30 volunteers.

Albert Petrocochino, a trustee from The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, re-iterated his Foundation's support to this NGO having already supported the Angel tree club in the past.

Jane Mizzi, another trustee emphasised that although the country was progressing financially, a number of worthy NGOs, such as the Prison Fellowship, were being left to fend on their own and this could not be sustained unless entities such as The Alfred Mizzi Foundation supports them financially.

More volunteers are needed to help in office work, fund-raising and visiting foreign prisoners. On a fortnightly basis volunteers also help children who are members of the Angel Tree Club.

Anyone interested in lending a hand are kindly asked to contact Mark Vella on 9982 0726.