Frome group starts £10,000 refugee appeal

A GROUP of local people has rallied together to raise money to buy shelters for Syrian refugees, and is calling on businesses in the area to donate to the cause.

The group is asking local companies to donate towards their £10,000 target.

One of the organisers  Jill Brunning said, “We have all been moved by the media’s coverage of the plight of the refugees. The people of Frome and surrounding villages will, I’m sure, be working and donating to all the charities that have already been set up.

“The problem as always is how do we ensure that the money we are raising really reaches the intended recipients?

“There are so many charities doing fantastic work but we decided to use ShelterBox, which was established originally through a Rotary group and has been so successful that it is now a charity in its own right.

“While the present media focus is on the numbers of refugees arriving daily into Greece, Hungary etc and the dangers involved, there remains an urgent need to provide tents, blankets and other essentials for the refugee camps set up in the countries bordering Syria. Winter approaches and the situation will become even more challenging.

“These people have nothing and personally I think it is quite humbling to look at our own material possessions and imagine just having to walk out the door and leave it all behind.  How frightening that must be. Surely we can at the very least provide shelter. If businesses respond and alongside other fundraising initiatives we are holding, we hope to provide urgent shelter for many more people.

“ShelterBox is a charity that provides emergency shelter and vital supplies to support communities overwhelmed by disaster and humanitarian crisis. They are already working in the designated areas and have to date sent out 4,500 tents, 7000 blankets and 2000 groundsheets. However they desperately need more.

“We are aiming to contact as many local businesses as possible in the next few weeks and ask them to support this worthwhile charity. You really can make a difference.”

If you would like to donate, contact Jill Brunning or Malcolm Westgate on  01373 832125 or email malcolm.westgate@btinternet.com 

To find out more about ShelterBox, go to www.shelterbox.org or contact or local ShelterBox representative Hugh Deed  on hughdeed@shelterbox.org