THE MAN who created a membership-boosting database for Newport & Gwent Chamber of Com-merce has responded to the Asia crisis by devising an e-business helpline for donating goods, services and time.

Phil Terrett, of Llangybi, is chairman of virtual company The Third Stage.

Following the Indian ocean tsunami disaster on Boxing Day his team has put a communications network together for the international project Global Promise.

The objective is to connect donors with charities and other relief agencies on the ground and it's being fronted by the Asian Business Devel-opment Network.

Responses have included a business offering two container loads of clothes valued at £1m, to a hotel offering all its surplus towels and bed linen. Individual pledges have included HGV drivers offering to pick up and deliver donations and volunteers offering to man phones at collection centres.

Mr Terrett said: "The point is not to raise cash, which can come and go like a tidal wave itself, but goods, services and time which may have longer-tailed benefits to the communities which have been devastated."

"We need this appeal to be spread as widely as possible. "We're working with BT, Justgiving (a charity donations partner) the Asian Business Development Network and others.

"When the charities start asking for things they will be needed very fast and Global Promise will have lists of pledged goods at the ready."

At this point the project partners will contact those who have made pledges and provide UK delivery depot addresses.

On behalf of the partners, The Third Stage has mounted an e-mail campaign to around 100,000 people (on a permission basis) including the members of the Newport and Gwent chamber urging them to apply for pledge forms.

Zulfi Hussain, chairman of the Asian Business Development Network, is co-ordinating the pledges and you should e-mail him to obtain a pledge form at zulfi.hussain@more-help.com

Mr Territt added: "If any readers would prefer to donate cash, they can help one of many UK charities working in the region through our Justgiving partner by clicking on www.justgiving.com/statements/articles/asianearthquake.asp