THE people of Farnham have reacted with heroic immediacy in the light of the tsunami that has claimed the lives of nearly 150,000 people across southern Asia, including 200 Britons, and left millions homeless. Several aid and fundraising missions have been launched across the town and the public response from all quarters has been received with gratitude by the charities involved. Farnham's Rotary clubs were among the first charity organisations to respond to the disaster and have been overwhelmed by the generosity and willingness of the public. In three days of collections outside the Water Lane and South Street Sainsbury's, more than £14,000 was raised - by far the most the Farnham Weyside Rotary president, Bob Lampard, could remember from an appeal over such a short period. The money is being used to purchase shelter boxes which contain a tent, sleeping bags, heating, cooking aids and water cleansing tablets for 10 people. Twenty such boxes have been ordered and paid for with the funds collected and sources at the club hope these will arrive within the next couple of days. Bob Lampard said: "All we are doing is giving people the opportunity to donate and the response has been quite extraordinary. "We owe a massive thank you to Farnham and everyone who has donated to us with such willingness and generosity, as they have allowed us to help so many people suffering as a result of this tragedy." Staff at the Oxfam shop in the Woolmead have also been overwhelmed by the donations they have received. "We've raised in excess of £12,000, had a massive number of donations and people even volunteering themselves to help us out during the appeal," said manager Roger Thompson. "One lady even came in and gave her government heating allowance because she'd rather those in south Asia had shelter and warmth," he added. He went on to add that storage has even been a problematic issue because of the magnitude of donations, but conceded that it was a very good problem to have. A staggering £4,523 was raised by Farnham people at a barn dance organised in less than a week. Musicians and dance callers from several local bands staged the event at Farnham Memorial Hall on Sunday, which 200 local people attended. Shops and businesses gave raffle prizes which helped to swell the final total. Waverley Borough Council sports and leisure manager, David Gill, would like to thank Anne Cook and Waverley Borough Council for supporting the event. The organisers would also like to thank Wright's Lion Brewery in Farnham for its generous support. The people of Elstead have also made a significant addition to Farnham's growing donations as they held an auction, organised with two days' notice at the village's United Reformed Church. Professional auctioneer David Ford offered his services free of charge and his vocal skills were clearly appreciated, as all 120 lots were sold, raising around £2,700. Several local companies offered services to be auctioned including beauty, veterinary and gardening, to name but a few. Spokesman for the event Michael Organe wished to thank everybody who contributed to an unbelievable three hours of fundraising and hopes to hold further events in the very near future. St Andrew's Church will play its part in the money raising effort by holding a coffe morning with a bring and buy sale on Monday, January 10. There will be cakes on sale as well as drinks, and church officials are hoping that people will enjoy the new surroundings of the revamped church. The event will be held in the pavillion located inside the church and every penny raised will go to helping victims of the tsunami. Donations and appeals haven't been restricted to organisations and community events. Explore Worldwide, a travel company based in Aldershot, has asked its clients and the public to offer blankets, clothes and sheltering, which it plans to fly out to the suffering areas free of charge. It has so far received an incredible number of contributions, according to manager Derek Moore. "We now have around five vans full of donations to send to the worst areas. It has been an overwhelming experience and we're full to the roof of things to send out," he added. Things will be continuing thick and fast throughout the town over the coming days, weeks and months. The Rotary clubs of Farnham on Wednesday highlighted the paramount importance of getting water purification equipment to regions that have been riddled with disease and poverty and have organised a further collection tomorrow (Saturday) at South Street Sainsbury's. Sainsbury's has been adding the contents of its in-store collection buckets to the Rotary collection at the end of each day. The Rotarians were particularly grateful for the mince pies and hot drinks which were supplied to them throughout the day as they braved the showers and freezing conditions. Donations to the Rotary Shelter Box campaign can be made via the website at http://www.shelterbox.org">www.shelterbox.org or through Farnham Weyside Rotary direct on (01252) 782021. l More tsunami reports, pages 3, 8 and 10.
