Uniquely Coutts: Danielle Collins

"I will never forget the first time I met Jamie. Barely seven years old, he was admitted to hospital after swallowing heroin from his dad’s pipe. As Jamie cried to himself, his parents lay unconscious in the London slum, which they called home.

When Jamie didn’t arrive to go on holiday with the 999 Club, a support centre for drug users and the homeless, the charity’s founder Sharon went to look for him. Fortunately she found him just in time, and took him straight to A&E. Three days of countless injections and medication followed until Jamie was finally okay.

After he recovered, Sharon and her mum took him and nine other children from the centre’s crèche to Kent for a short break last July. One of my clients owns the holiday site where they were staying, and had invited me along to their summer barbeque. That’s where I met Jamie.

To think that something like this had happened to the gorgeous little boy that stood before me made me realise how much I wanted to help the charity. Jamie has only been to school three or four times, as his parents don’t enforce it. It’s such a shame. If it wasn’t for the crèche that Sharon runs from the 999 Club’s centre, who knows what could have happened to him.

Sharon and her mum set up the Deptford charity after seeing there was a need for support in their local community. The pair gave up everything to the run the 999 Club, which essentially offers a safe environment for drug users, people with mental problems, and the homeless, where they can get food, hot drinks, read the papers and watch television daily.

After meeting Sharon and seeing the work that her charity does, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the children she looks after and vowed to do everything I can to support them. I’ve used the Intranet several times to appeal for old clothes and toys, and Coutts staff have been generous with some even donating money.

They raised over £1,500 last year, which went towards the crèche’s Christmas party. It’s not much but the 999 Club are appreciative of any help they receive. The centre is close to where I live, literally on my doorstop, so I go down on my days off and help with the feeding, or play with the children.

I also support Red Balloon Learner, which runs schools for severely bullied and traumatised secondary school pupils. They have three schools in Harrow, Cambridge and Norfolk, and are currently fundraising for another one in Liverpool, which will be in the memory of Jamie Bulger.

Doctor Carrie Herbert created Red Balloon Learner, after setting up the first school in her own home. She won the Daily Mail’s most inspirational woman of 2008 award – it’s amazing to hear her story and makes me want to do more. Bullying is something everyone can relate to, which makes Red Balloon’s cause even more special.

An old university friend, who is now a teacher at one of the schools, introduced me to the charity, and since then, I have joined the event committee who meet monthly. We have two events organised for this year, a black tie gala and a music event for young people to coincide with anti-bullying week.

Carrie is appreciative of everything I do; while at the 999 Club Sharon always calls me an angel, which is ridiculous because I feel like there is so much more I should do. But they’re a small niche charity, and don’t get a lot of support, so she’s thrilled I’ve maintained the relationship with her since the barbeque.

I’m inspired by the individuals working behind the scenes to keep the charities going. Both Carrie and Sharon are passionate about their charities and the people they help - you can’t help but be influenced by that.

Some of my clients know about my volunteer work. Often when I talk to them about Coutts’ Philanthropic proposition they ask me what I do for charity. When one client, an online shoe retailer, heard about the 999 Club, he couriered a large box filled with end of line shoes to me the next day. The children were delighted with their new shoes, which would have been destroyed otherwise.

Charities don’t need a regular weekly commitment; they just need the odd bit of help here and there. Every little bit can make a difference. And when you know someone who is helped by the charity, you become personally involved. Like Jamie who had a profound effect on me. Now when I tell other people his story they relate this to a seven-year-old child they might know, the power of charity is amazing. "

As told to Rupa Sudra