Raising money for Philippines

Thanks to the great generosity of the Frome shoppers on Saturday 16th November the Rotary Club of Frome Selwood raised £1800 to pay for ShelterBoxes. 

The club president, Terry Candy said, “The club expresses its thanks to all those who donated  to this total and the thanks of those who will benefit in the Philippines.”

There was much interest in the display of ShelterBoxes and the details about them. ShelterBox was created by the Rotary Club of Helston, Cornwall in the year 2000. Initially it was run as part of the Rotary Club but is now a charity in its own right with very strong ties to Rotary, and whose president is HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

Each box contains a purpose designed and built tent for an extended family and essential life saving equipment (blankets, groundsheets, pots and pans, solar lights etc.). Volunteers pack the boxes in Helston and they are shipped all over the world wherever disaster strikes and they can help.

ShelterBox Response Team members (SRTs), who are also volunteers, were already in the Philippines following the recent earthquake. More SRTs have now arrived and over 1000 boxes and another 1000 tents have been delivered to the Philippines by ShelterBox already. The deployment of ShelterBox supplies, overseen by the SRTs, started on Friday 15th November and families are now living in them.

The BBC TV News has featured ShelterBox several times in its reporting about the Typhoon Haiyan victims. ShelterBox’s website is www.ShelterBox.org and where you can find continuous updates on their activities in The Philippines with photos/ video and reports from those on the ground.

The volunteer district ShelterBox coordinator for this area is Hugh Deed who is also a member of the Frome Selwood Rotary Club and was on the stand all day on Saturday. Hugh said, “I am delighted by the donations received and also the immense interest of the public to understand about ShelterBox and its work. I am always happy to talk to any group or organisation about ShelterBox which I regard as an outstanding charity of great integrity, with minimal admin overheads; that is why I volunteer for it.”

Hugh is contactable on 01373 832897, or via the Frome Selwood Rotary Club website: www.frome selwoodrotary.org.uk