The Spanish have a wonderful proverb on life: God writes straight in crooked lines. The year was 1990. In the thin atmosphere of the South American skies, high above the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janiero, the DC10 passenger plane rocked violently as one of its engines exploded. Horrified passengers had barely time to register the fireball enveloping it before the aircraft plummeted like a stone towards the ground, as the pilot fought to regain control.

With flames streaming from the damaged engine, he averted disaster, manhandling the plane onto an even keel, then limped back to Rio to make an emergency landing. From start to finish, the drama took just 25 minutes - and several lifetimes for the terrified passengers.

On board were Gerald and Vera Weisfeld.

For them, it was a moment of truth which changed their lives. There and then, they vowed that if they survived they would sell off What Everyone Wants, their much loved multi-million pound retail stores empire, and devote their time to helping others. Safely on the ground, they were as good as their word. Within one month the business was sold.

Thus the Weisfeld Foundation in its present from, was born. It is fair to say, though, that the couple had long been headed in that direction. When at the helm of one of Britain's most successful retail chains, the couple had always firmly believed in putting something back into the communities which had so loyally supported them. In the early years, when they were still a small company making their way in the financial world, and profits were small, they gave in kind. At Christmas, Vera and the staff could be found parcelling up gifts for distribution to the less fortunate. "In our family we were taught to share," she says. That viewpoint was one also shared by Gerald Weisfeld; he too, from the earliest days, insisted the company involve itself in charitable works, which was later put onto a formal footing with the creation of a special What Everyone Wants charitable Trust.

Aims and Philosophy: First and foremost, the Weisfeld Foundation is about helping people to gain greater control over their own lives; it is about raising the sum of human dignity, happiness and spiritual values. It offers financial support on a number of levels. Self worth, self help and fulfilling personal potential - these are our watchwords.

Bosnian children's faces tell the story: Someone cares. Pictured are Gerald Weisfeld, Vera and son John.