Homeless thrown lifeline by Rotary

The emergency survival boxes - which cost about £490 each - contain tents and sleeping bags for 10 people, water purification tablets, heating, cooking stoves and other life-saving equipment and were due to be flown out to the emergency zone today.

Worcester Severn, Worcester, Worcester South and Worcester Wychavon have provided the money for 20 crates, with more money being raised through public collections.

Worcester Severn president Peter Fitzjohn said that in addition to the boxes, his club had provided 12 boxes of clothes, nappies and other supplies.

"If Worcester people follow the example set by the rest of the country, then I don't think there will be another country in the world that has been as generous," he said.

"Together, we're definitely making a difference."

The Mayor of Worcester, Allah Ditta joined members of the club outside the Guildhall in the city centre yesterday to collect donations from members of the public.

Thrilled

Bryan Neville-Lee, president of the Worcester South club, said his club had already sent six boxes.

"We're now asking the public to help contribute - and they're doing so very generously," he said.

Members of the club will be at the Worcester Garden Centre, Droitwich Road in Claines on Saturday and Sunday to continue the fund-raising.

There will be a shelter box on display for members of the public to see what their money is buying.

The Worcester club has raised enough money for eight boxes.

President John Coverdale said he was thrilled with the response of the public.

"We're absolutely flabbergasted by the generosity of the public. When we collected money on Saturday, people were throwing in £20 notes," he said.

"We were absolutely delighted."

Worcester Wychavon has donated the money for two boxes.

President Tony Audas said: "They will go directly to the people that need them the most."

For more information contact John Coverdale on 01905 455999. For more information on the shelter boxes, log onto: www.shelterbox.org

Girls get a kick out of raising cash for appeal

FIRING balls into the back of the net netted the Asian tsunami appeal fund more than £600, thanks to the skills of Worcestershire's young female footballing stars.

Girls from Wribbenhall Wasps football team in Bewdley lined up to take shots on goal during a charity penalty shoot-out in the town to raise funds for the victims of the Boxing Day disaster.

Members of the under 10s, 12s and 14s teams each paid £5 to take part in the event, and also managed to persuade family and friends into having a go as well. The girls raised a total of £634.26.

"It was a really fantastic day and we are so pleased with how much we managed to raise," said Fiona Creech, whose husband, Andrew, coaches the team.

"It all came about after a training session last week when the girls were talking about what had happened in Asia and how sad they felt.

"So we thought let's do something to help."

Mrs Creech said that the team also held raffles and other games and tackled an assault course on Sunday to help raise funds.

"We were given prizes from a range of local businesses and we raised all the money in two hours," she said. "It was a great team effort.

"We even had a little old lady come over at the end of the day and she gave us a tin of biscuits to raffle. It was wonderful."

Support the fund, pleads family of couple feared killed

THE family of a Worcester couple feared dead after the tsunami has urged people to support the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal.

John Hofton and his wife Annie were on holiday in the resort of Khao Lak in Thailand when the killer waves struck on Boxing Day.

John's sons, Edward, aged 32, and Thomas, 30, and Annie's son, Stacey Love, 37, flew to the devastated resort with an ITV news crew in search of their parents.

But while they now admit the couple, who lived in Wichenford, are probably dead, the family said the response to the DEC appeal for victims had been a great comfort.

"I'm impressed by the generosity of people across the country - and individual efforts," said John's brother, Jimmy, who lives in Solihull.

"We feel for the people in Thailand - who, like us - have lost relatives and who will never be able to identify the bodies of their loved ones.

"Some people have lost five, 12 - even 50 members of their family. Today we feel for everyone in the world who has lost someone. They must be feeling exactly the same as us."

"I urge people to dig deep into their pockets," he added.

The DEC comprises 12 agencies - Action Aid, British Red Cross, CAFOD, Care International UK, Christian Aid, Concern, Help the Aged, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision, and it is co-ordinating fund-raising for these charities.

Just £1 can buy a 10-litre water container, while £35 will feed a family for a week. So far, the British public has donated more than £60m.

Donations can be made by phoning 0870 6060900 or online at www.dec.org.uk

... and cash pours in

FOOTBALL fans have collected more than £1,000 to help the victims of the disaster.

Worcester City Football Club Supporters' Trust and the Nuneaton Borough Football Club Supporters' Trust collected the money at Saturday's match at Manor Park in Nuneaton.

They're treading boards for the cause

A THEATRE is hoping for sell-out crowds to raise as much money as possible for the Asian tsunami appeal.

Kidderminster's Rose Theatre is hosting a production of the popular play Habeas Corpus, by Alan Bennett, and has pledged to donate £1 for every full-price ticket sold.

The show is on from Monday, January 31 until Saturday, February 5 inclusive at the Broadwaters Chester Road North theatre.

With 181 seats, the theatre is hoping to give more than £1,000 to the appeal.

For more information on the performances log on to www.rosetheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01562 743745.

Bradley a cut above

BBC Hereford and Worcester radio presenter Dave Bradley is to shave his moustache off later this week to raise money for the disaster appeal.

So far, generous listeners have donated more than £9,000.

That figure is expected to rise before Friday, when the moustache is due to come off.

The money will be used to buy £500 emergency boxes to go out to devastated countries.

BT engineer's off to do his bit

BT engineer Dave Hart of Hereford flew to Indonesia today to help the victims of the devastating Asian tsunami.

He was one of seven workers who answered an internal appeal by their firm for staff with the necessary skills to help restore vital communication links in the country.

The earthquake and tsunami which struck on Boxing Day are now feared to have killed at least 150,000 - including more than 94,000 in Indonesia - and charities have warned of a "logistical nightmare" as they attempt to reach millions of living victims.

The seven volunteers were prepared to "drop everything and put their lives on hold" to work in an area lacking basic amenities, said a BT spokesman.

He added: "Early last week we asked for people who would be able to be self-sufficient and face unpleasant living conditions for several weeks.

"They don't really know what they're going to encounter when they get there.

"They will see the state of the network and work with people on the ground and local authorities to assess what needs to be done."

He explained that the seven men would be assisting Telekom Indonesia and had expertise in satellite and radio communications and under-sea cables.

They are flying from Heathrow airport to Medan on the island of Sumatra to begin work.

Plenty of ways you can help out

OUR job now is to stop an outbreak of disease in the relief camps," says Dr Gurnani, Unicef's health officer in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where Unicef-supplied water tanks have already been arriving.

The Evening News has teamed up with Unicef to help raise funds to help the thousands of tsunami survivors.

Hundreds of readers have been calling Unicef and the Evening News, offering to collect clothes, blankets and dry food - but aid agencies say the logistics of flying materials out to the disaster zone makes this kind of collection unsuccessful.

Unicef and the Evening News have put together this list of practical, effective ways you can support the Worcester Evening News/Unicef Children of Asia Emergency Appeal.

1. Please do NOT collect goods such as blankets on our behalf - we have no way of transporting goods from the UK. But we do need cash donations - here are lots of other ways you can help us

2. Send a donation. Buy a copy of the Evening News and look for the special coupon. Complete it and send it with your cheque/postal order (payable to UNICEF) to Worcester Evening News/UNICEF Asia Children's Emergency Appeal, FREEPOST, Billericay, CM12 OBR

Make a call to our donation line on 08457 312312, have your credit card ready and make sure you quote the reference number 55642015

3. For children: When you go back to school, ask your teachers if you and your class can raise some money for the Worcester Evening News/UNICEF Asia Children's Emergency Appeal

Why not have a toy sale and make some money for the appeal?

Could you organise an event with help from your parents/carers?

4. For those of you who work:

Could you organise a cash collection in your workplace?

Could you organise a Dress Down Day?

Would your company make a donation to the appeal?

Could you plan a special event to raise funds for the appeal?

5. For those of you who worship:

Could your place of worship arrange to hold a special collection for the appeal?

Could you plan a special event to raise funds for the appeal?

6. For those of you who are going to or organising gigs/concerts/shows:

Could you organise a cash collection at a gig, a concert, or a show?

Ask the premise's owners if they will allow you to do this.

If you are organising a ticket entry event, why not add £1 to the ticket cost and donate this to the appeal?

7. For those of you who drink at a regular pub/club/hotel:

Chat to the owner and ask if they will be willing to organise a collection for the appeal. Perhaps they can persuade customers to put the change from buying their drinks in the bucket?

8. Organise a community event:

Why not get the support of the whole community and organise a Hike for Humanity (a sponsored walk)?

Unicef can provide you with all the materials you need to do this and it's easy to organise - ask people to collect as much sponsorship money as they can to help the appeal. To access these materials e-mail helpdesk@unicef.org. uk and they will send you a link and a password

9. Organise something at home:

Why not invite your friends to your house for a coffee morning or tea afternoon? Ask them to make a donation in return for a cup of tea.

Organise a video/DVD show. Charge people for watching your videos/DVDs and eating your popcorn.

10. A local sale of goods

Do you have goods you can sell to make money for the appeal? Unwanted Christmas gifts? Plants you have grown? Clothing you can no longer wear? Get together with some like-minded friends and organise a sale of goods. Sell refreshments (donated by your local shops).

11. Did you quit smoking on January 1?

Why not donate all the money you will save on cigarettes to the appeal?

If you belong to a health club, why not persuade them to get others to join in your challenge?

12. Public collections:

Please note that a licence from your local authority has to be obtained for a public collection.

Tell Unicef about your event by e-mailing helpdesk@unicef.org.uk so we know what you are doing.