THE Review has always been a campaigning newspaper.

Whether it be Save Our Shops or Retailer of the Year; Repair our Awful Roads (ROAR); our Community Gold Awards or Raise the Roof, we see campaigns as a way of reaching out to the community and attempting to make a difference.

Three years into our retailer competition and with 14 unsung heroes rewarded, we feel that we have done just that.

Finding out on Christmas Eve that we had helped St Michael’s Church reach its target of £50,000 to repair its roof is always remembered with fondness in the office – it is not every day that cheques for thousands of pounds are left on your desk – but when I get all nostalgic, the one campaign I do remember is that relating to Stephen Aghanti.

Born in Nigeria, his mother Tarela travelled with the four year old to Harpenden to stay with her sister after doctors failed to diagnose his condition of brittle bone disease.

Before his operation Stephen could only move by shuffling along on his bottom and had suffered around 50 fractures.

We appealed for your help and six months later £24,000 had been raised. The operation was a success.

Now we need that level of help again.

As you have probably read on this website, terminally ill Freddie Rowe-Crowder is battling cancer.

The seven-year-old from Wheathampstead was given just months to live in 2008 but has defied the odds and is now undergoing pioneering treatment.

But such treatment does not come cheap. His family need to raise at least £54,000 with the current total standing at £26,000.

After meeting the family earlier this month, our newsdesk has vowed to help the family with a series of fundraising events. The first will be a charity car wash.

With the help of a very supportive group of St Albans firefighters, we will all wash as many cars as we can on June 12 from 11am until 2pm.

The Snug bar – providing a welcome buffet after the event – has also promised to donate a percentage from its children’s menu to the appeal.

Any further fundraising ideas are welcome.

So come along on June 12, we need as many cars as possible to really make a difference. And if you fancy helping out, there will be plenty of sponges available . . .