A LOCAL café has led support for people in Turkey who have been affected by the major earthquake last week, where tens of thousands of people have died.
On hearing the news about the disaster, Gonjo Café Bakehouse on Melksham High Street began collecting clothes and supplies to be sent to Turkey. The café has also organised a raffle to raise funds for ongoing support for survivors.
Owner of Gonjo Café Bakehouse, Adil Guncu said, “I’m doing this because I think as humans, we should help anyone who needs help, especially when awful things happen.
“I also have an attachment to this because I’m actually from one of the towns where the earthquake hit badly, which is Adiyaman. I had my parents there at the time and my sister and her family and luckily, they have managed to escape, but not everyone was so lucky. I have lost relatives and friends that I grew up with, so me as a human, I’m just doing what I can to help.”
The café collected clothing to be sent to Turkey to help people suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Adil said, “We had quite a few items donated on the day we announced it, but by the middle of the day, we had to stop and could not accept any more clothes as we got an overwhelming amount. Even the town council got in touch with me saying they could send a van out to us, full of clothes.
“I have taken the items to Swindon Turkish community and boxed them up and left them there to be taken to London, to be shipped to Turkey.
“I’m so proud Melksham people acted so fast, people in this town have a very big heart. I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Raffle The café is now holding a raffle to raise money to support survivors of the earthquake, who are now living in sub-zero temperatures and need urgent access to shelter, food and healthcare.
Tickets for the raffle cost £5 and winners will be announced on Tuesday 14th March. Gonjo Café Bakehouse vouchers are available to win in the raffle; the first-place winner will win £40; second place will win £30, and third place will win £20. For more information about the Gonjo raffle pop into the café or contact 01225 706666.
The earthquake struck south-eastern Turkey near the Syrian border, in the early hours of Monday 6th February, registering 7.8 on the Richter scale. Rescue work was hampered by a series of powerful after-tremors. The death toll was estimated as over 37,000 people earlier this week, but the United Nations has warned that the final figure will be much higher and could even be double that number.
Over a week after the disaster, emergency work is now concentrating on getting aid to survivors.
Support Melksham News
Help us keep your community connected and informed.
Local news is under pressure more than ever. Choose a monthly subscription or a one-off donation to support independent reporting in Melksham.
Send us your news!
Help us keep your community connected and informed.
Do you have an interesting story you would like to share? Have you seen something you feel needs more attention? Get in touch with a reporter today!
✉️ Click here to get in touch with a reporter
