Beckham backs appeal for Aids orphans
David Beckham is a goodwill ambassador for Unicef
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Wednesday, 08, Nov 2006 04:04
David Beckham has lent his support to the Blue Peter appeal to raise money for children orphaned by Aids in Malawi, Africa.
The former England captain will appear on the programme to encourage people to get involved in the campaign as part of his role as a Unicef goodwill ambassador.
Under the campaign, which is running for the next three months, shoes will be collected to be recycled to raise money for the orphans. Other celebrities are expected to contribute by donating shoes.
"Just a simple thing like giving a pair of shoes, giving a pair of trainers, any sort of shoes, to this appeal is going to make a big difference," Beckham said in comments reported by the BBC.
"There are many children out there who've lost their mum and dads to HIV Aids so something this small can make a huge difference, so please give as many shoes as possible."
There are an estimated 600,000 Aids-related orphans in Malawi, with someone dying of the disease every eight minutes in the country.
Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon commented: "When you see the massive challenges faced by children left alone and often in charge of their brothers and sisters, you can't help but feel something has to be done."