ACTIONAID'S national fund-raising week began today and, like many volunteers across the country, I will be visiting friends and neighbours to sell raffle tickets and ask for donations.

ActionAid's work includes its 'better brighter education' campaign, which is championing everyone's right to a free, decent education.

In the Third World, more than 125 million children never set foot in school and 150 million more drop out before learning to read and write -- the equivalent of every child in Europe and North America -- adding inevitably to the number of illiterate adults.

That's one of the reasons why I am asking readers to help ActionAid's work with some of the poorest families in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean so that they can make sure that their children have a brighter future. Please give as generously as you can.

R BUTTERWORTH, (Local area representative, ActionAid), Linden Lea, Blackburn.