Londoners accounted for more than 40 per cent of the total number of people to sign up to World Vision's 2006 campaign to find child sponsors for impoverished children in Third World countries.

Almost 2,200 people in London signed up during a six-week campaign in 2006 to commit to sending a $35 (£18) monthly donation to a needy child - easily exceeding World Vision's recruitment recruitment target for London of 1,500.

"That's not just going over [the goal], that's going well beyond. The London campaign did very well," said World Vision senior correspondent Philip Maher, who has travelled to more than 80 countries, detailing how the money is put to use.

Londoners were hit with stories on radio, television and in The Free Press about the need for World Vision sponsors, as well as the benefit that child sponsorship brings.

Booths were set up in malls to further spread the word.

During a similar campaign last year in Halifax, St John's and Moncton, where the area goal was 1,500, 1,941 sponsors came forward.

On Vancouver Island, World Vision attracted 2,276 sponsors, after initially hoping for 1,500.

A campaign more than three years ago in the Kitchener-Waterloo area resulted in 1,635 new sponsors.

In total, 5,167 Londoners sponsor 5,997 children around the world, meaning some people support more than one child.

Maher said London is a place where "people seem to be connected to not only their
community, but also to what is happening around the world".

"They understand that they have it really good. In London, it really is a nice place. People often give from gratefulness because they feel that they've been blessed."

Meanwhile, more than 400,000 children are sponsored by Canadians, who also donate directly to World Vision.