Help John choose a tattoo to raise money for Les Amis

A member of staff at Les Amis is asking islanders to choose which tattoo he will have next as he aims to raise £1,000 for the charity. John Murray, who is the charity’s Transport Coordinator, will have either a unicorn or a hippo bearing the Les Amis logo which will be chosen when people donate to his JustGiving page.

Les Amis, which provides essential services for people with learning disabilities, suspended its planned fundraising activities due to Covid-19 which has had a serious impact on its ability to raise the money it needs to keep going. Normally, the charity would have been involved in the Island Walk, The Battle of Flowers, its Family Fun Day and the annual VW Campervan Raffle.

John, whose wife also works for the charity, wanted to find a way to make up some of the lost revenue this year: “I already have four tattoos so I thought that by asking people to donate and choose which one I’ll have next will encourage more people to give money. Both designs feature the Les Amis logo, and I am hoping to raise £1,000 to support the charity’s work.”

Although the island’s largest charity, Les Amis was ineligible for the government’s Co-Funded Payroll Scheme and, with no fundraising activities, it has been relying solely on the generous donations of islanders and organisations to continue caring for its 86 residents, who need either residential or domiciliary care.

Jason Loveless, Head of Support Services at Les Amis, said: “Like many organisations we have been hit hard by Covid-19. We have had to adapt our services and pay for additional equipment such as IT to make sure our residents stay connected with their friends and families and protective equipment for our staff and residents. We have been overwhelmed by the support we have had from individuals and organisations, but we still need to ensure that we can continue to provide the services that make a difference to the quality of life for our residents. John’s idea of letting people choose his next tattoo is very brave but we really appreciate and value his commitment to Les Amis.”

To donate and vote on John’s next tattoo, please do so via this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/john-murray-lesamis-tattoo

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact Laura Morel on 07797816624 or email laura@directinput.je.

Notes to Editors

Les Amis, which opened at Five Oaks in 1975, provides essential services to meet the needs of those with learning disabilities – including Down’s syndrome and autism - and/or associated conditions. In 2015 Les Amis was named Not-for-Profit Organisation of the Year at the Jersey Business Awards for Enterprise and Large Charity of the Year at the Association of Jersey Charities Awards.

For further information please visit the event on our Facebook page