A charity which grants wishes to children with life threatening illnesses is aiming to significantly increase the amount of people it helps.

Make-a-Wish Ireland grants the wishes of children aged between three and 17, who are living with a life threatening medical condition. The charity began operating in Ireland in the early 1990s and since then, it has granted wishes to more than 1,300 children. Last year alone, 129 wishes were granted.

However, the charity has said it now aims to increase the number of wishes granted by 60%. This would see 210 wishes granted this year. Currently, some 250 children are on a waiting list.

According to the charity' s CEO, Susan O'Dwyer, it relies solely on private donations as it receives no government funding. She is appealing for volunteers and private and corporate donors to help the charity achieve its goals.

"I am positive about the outlook for the charity to meet these objectives despite the challenging economic times we operate in today," she commented.

She emphasised the importance of volunteers in helping the charity to achieve its goals and ‘to bring our waiting list to a manageable level'.

"It is not acceptable to us that any child should not have their wish granted. We are uncompromising in this respect. Therefore, we are making this urgent appeal for volunteers and donations with one goal in mind, to bring a bit of magic into a child's life and give some respite from the normal routine of hospital, doctors and treatment," Ms O'Dwyer added.

Anyone who would like to volunteer for the charity should contact Julie Glennon on (01) 205 2012.

Donations can be made online at www.makeawish.ie or by post to Make-a-Wish Foundation, 2 Leopardstown Business Park, Ballyogan Avenue, Leopardstown, Dublin 18.