Town Rotary to raise funds for Nepal

According to latest United Nation figures the earthquake that rocked Nepal just over one week ago has destroyed at least seventy thousand homes and affected eight million people.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland has pledged support and is mobilizing efforts to support other agencies and initiatives in providing assistance.

Jenny Ervine, President of the Rotary Club of Banbridge got in touch to explain what the local Rotary Club intends doing to help.

Jenny said: “We have all seen for ourselves the terrible devastation that has occurred in Nepal and with the help of our local community we want to make a contribution to assist the humanitarian response.”

“Families in that ravaged country have resorted to creating temporary shelters made from whatever can be salvaged from the rubble, but these flimsy shelters aren’t enough to protect people from the harsh weather.

“The ShelterBox organization, who we have worked closely with in the past, is already on the ground with shelter box kits and what we want to do is raise funds to support their efforts and pay for as many shelters as we can.”

ShelterBox aid is tailored to each specific disaster but typically includes a disaster relief tent for a family of up to ten people, along with a stove, thermal blankets and groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps and cooking pots and utensils. Each box costs about £600 to provide.

Jenny added: “Philip Houston has kindly gifted the use of his shop premises where a shelter box will be on display and local Rotarians will be on hand to explain how to contribute.

“The shelter box is really well worth seeing and if you are in the area I would encourage you to come and have a look.”

“Only a few weeks ago Banbridge Rotary held its annual fundraising night for local charities little realizing that we would be so soon back raising funds for another community on the other side of the world. I know we can count on local support for this very worthwhile cause.”