Members of leading Non- Governmental Organisations met at The Traveller's Club in London last night to hear a presentation from Lord Alton of Liverpool on the work of Banner Financial Services Group Ltd.

Reflecting on the event Lord Alton said; "This was an outstanding opportunity for leading NGOs, charities and missionary organisations to talk about the practical difficulties they face in far away and often turbulent places. Keeping full time personnel on the ground, doing such crucially important work, can only be undertaken responsibly if there are contingencies in place for all eventualities - especially where health and personal safety issues are involved."

Lord Alton went on to say; "It was especially heartening for me to hear some first hand accounts about how Banner has been able to keep personnel on the ground when no one else has been willing to offer cover. One of Britain's leading providers of aid in Darfur, who was present at the event, told me that their Development Director, who needed to return to Darfur to oversee relief operations, was recently refused cover by every company they had -approached. Fortunately, they were advised to approach Banner, who immediately facilitated cover. In a region where 400,000 have been killed, where 90% of the villages destroyed, and where I have seen first-hand some of the 2.2million displaced people who are clinging on to life in refugee camps, the importance of keeping aid flowing cannot be underestimated."