# Charity asks public not to make donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2007/05/21/charity-asks-public-not-make-donations/
- Published: 2007-05-21T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

A cancer charity for teenagers has warned the public not to donate money to a company
which claims to be acting on its behalf, according to a report in the Irish Times.
The Laura Crane Trust, which has offered funding to hospitals in Dublin and Belfast,
has severed all ties with Sapphire Media which has been selling advertising for 
a wall planner in Ireland bearing the charity’s name.

The Laura Crane Trust is a legitimate charity based in the north of England. It
provides research and funding for hospitals that treat teenagers with cancer along
with recreational facilities for teenagers who have to spend a long time in hospital.
It was set up by the mother of Laura Crane, a 17-year-old who died of cancer in 
1996, and has since raised more than ‚€1.5 million.

Businesses in Ireland were told by Sapphire that they had raised a significant sum
for Our Lady’s Hospital in Dublin but this was subsequently denied by the hospital
who said they had never heard of Sapphire. Moreover, some of the Irish businesses
listed on a previous Sapphire wallchart did not exist.

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Jacquie Roeder, the mother of Laura Crane, said they had entered into an agreement
with Sapphire Media in 2006. Sapphire had agreed to fundraise £20,000 for them over
two years. Ms Roeder said the trust ended its involvement with Sapphire Media in
October having received just £3,520 of the money that was promised.

Sapphire spokesman Andrew Howard apologised for the behaviour of its sale staff 
and said they now have no business with the Laura Crane Trust and won’t have in 
the future.

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