Croydon community group raises thousands for people displaced by disaster
A community club from Croydon has raised thousands of pounds for people displaced by disaster around the world.
The Croydon Outdoor Pursuits and Social Events club (COPSE) has held an annual auction for more than a decade to support the international disaster relief charity, ShelterBox.
ShelterBox specialises in emergency shelter for people who have been left with very little, as well as donating essential items including kitchen sets, solar lights and blankets. They are currently working in conflict zones including Syria, Gaza and Lebanon.
This year, COPSE raised more than £6,000 for the charity.
Ireen Best, a COPSE member of 60 years, said: “We’re thrilled to have raised money for ShelterBox over the years.
“Our fundraiser for ShelterBox is our new year’s auction where members donate unwanted Christmas gifts to be auctioned off. It’s always fun to see what weird and wonderful gifts come up. It’s a great night.”
The active group currently has around 80 members who meet on a weekly basis to take part in a range of indoor and outdoor activities.
Ms Best, a retired teacher, first heard about ShelterBox through a chance encounter at a debating event she attended with her son around 20 years ago.
She said: “COPSE’s support for ShelterBox began with my own curiosity at an event in 2006 where I saw a big green box and learned it shipped aid worldwide for disaster relief.
“Then four years later, during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, I spotted the boxes again on the news and knew we should be doing what we could to support.
“I invited a ShelterBox volunteer to speak at a COPSE evening, and we’ve now been supporting the organisation for around 14 years.
“At COPSE we camp for leisure and pleasure, but people displaced by disaster are sheltering for survival.”
Founded in Cornwall in 2000, Shelterbox has grown and evolved over time.
Its volunteers work with communities to better understand what people need and tailor aid offerings accordingly. In places like Syria, ShelterBox supports people with high thermal blankets and children’s winter clothing.
As well as Syria, ShelterBox is supporting people affected by conflict in Gaza and Lebanon and has launched a Christmas appeal to help it reach more people with emergency shelter and lifesaving aid around the world.
Community fundraising assistant at ShelterBox, John Stanbury, said: “We are so grateful to Irene and everyone at COPSE for their years of support.
“Not only has an incredible amount of money been raised, but the fact that Ireen has introduced ShelterBox to hundreds of people over her 60 years at the club will have had an immeasurable impact.
“Every share of a ShelterBox story has a ripple effect, increasing our awareness and allowing us to continue our work around the world.”
To find out more about fundraising for ShelterBox people can email community@shelterbox.org or for updates on the charity’s work can sign up to its mailing list.
To find out more visit: ShelterBox.org.
Pictured top: ShelterBox is working with PARC to support families displaced by conflict in Gaza (Picture: PARC, ShelterBox’s local partner in Gaza)