Daniel Abela leafs through a stack of vibrant Disneyland postcards brightening a corner of his office desk.

Each postcard contains a heartfelt message from the families of seriously ill children whom the 43-year-old helped send on a paid-up holiday to the amusement park.

“These are what keep me going,” the business consultant told Times of Malta.

Since the year 2000, through a series of mad challenges, Mr Abela has rowed, cycled and sweated across the islands to raise more than €300,000 for children in need.

But the fundraising was not enough. He is now in the final stages of fulfilling a lifelong dream – that of setting up an NGO, The Children in Need Foundation.

The foundation brings together Puttinu Cares and Inspire Foundation which, apart from being the main beneficiaries, are also on the foundation’s board.

The board of administrators comprises Mr Abela, Inspire’s Victor Calvagna, Puttinu’s Nathan Farrugia and auditor Brian Tonna, who will take decisions collectively.

Eighty per cent of the collected funds will be split equally between projects managed by Puttinu and Inspire.

The remaining 20 per cent will go towards individual projects, such as that of providing underprivileged children with lunches and helping them get ready for school.

“The idea is not for the foundation to become another Puttinu or Inspire but for it to be a vehicle which would generate money to help children. Whenever these two organisations cannot afford to finance their projects, that’s where we step in,” Mr Abela explains.

The foundation will be tapping into the business community to source sponsors who would help fund specific projects. It will also rope in schools and local councils.