A COLLECTION point has been set up in Melksham Town Hall for donations for the Syrian refugees. It is believed to be the first response in Wiltshire to the crisis, which has captured the world’s attention.
This week, the UK pledged to accept up to 20,000 refugees from Syria over the next five years from camps which have been set up. Whilst waiting for help, thousands of displaced people are in the camps without adequate shelter, clothing and basic needs. In response, many charities are delivering aid to these refugee camps to help those in need.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wiltshire, cllr Jon Hubbard, has set up a drop-off point at the Town Hall and is asking people to donate anything they can to help the men, women and children in the camps.
Jon said, “It is brilliant that Melksham is leading the way with this, I believe we are the first town in Wiltshire that has started a collection. We are working with aid group Bath Refugee Care, which was specifically set up in response to the crisis.
“We’ve seen an amazing response from people already and at such short notice. There was a drop off point at the Food and River Festival and people left a huge number of bags.
“People feel very strongly about the situation and want to help and now they can.”
Specific items that are needed include:
• Clothes – shoes/trainers, socks, jumpers, trousers, shirts, underwear, hats/gloves/ scarves, waterproofs.
• Shelter – sleeping bags, tents, blankets, wooden pallets, canvas sheets.
• Hygiene – toiletry bag, razors, shaving foam, wide tooth comb.
• Sustenance – tinned food, rice, cooking oil, onions, garlic, sugar, flour, tomato sauce, spices.
Cllr Hubbard continued, “This is the biggest humanitarian crisis faced by society in my generation and I urge everyone in our community to support this effort to help those in need.
“It’s difficult for us to comprehend the scale of what these people are facing and I pray that we never have to face similar challenges here in Melksham.
“Please, please do support this by giving what you can.”