FARNHAM people's donations have helped pay for one of the first consignments of international aid to arrive in Burma, arriving only four days after the cyclone hit, together with a four-man response team. The Rotary Clubs of Farnham raised £2,200 over three days of collecting towards the provision of Shelterboxes by Rotary for some of those made homeless by the cyclone in Burma and the earthquake in China. Members of the Rotary Club of Farnham Weyside set up an example of the survival tent contained within the box as they collected donations at the top of Lion and Lamb Yard last Friday and outside the Forest Lodge Garden Centre on Sunday. The Rotary Club of Farnham collected outside Homebase on Saturday. Each Shelterbox contains a 10-man survival tent, together with sleeping bags, water containers and purification tablets, a multi-fuel cooker with utensils and crockery and cutlery. Also packed is a children's bag with colouring pencils, crayons and books and essentials such as mosquito nets, ponchos and a tool bag with small tools such as saw, hammer, axe, pinchers and rope. Although now a major international activity, the Shelterbox concept was developed by the Rotary Club of Helston & Lizard in Cornwall, and is still run worldwide from there. It appears that the Rotary's help may have succeeded in getting through where others failed thanks to the presence of a fireman among its four- man team, who arranged for the boxes to be distributed with the help of the Burmese Fire service. This week a further load has been sent, making a total of 1,700 to date. Two hundred boxes have also been sent to China. "Rotary is very proud to be able to respond to disasters worldwide in this way and the clubs in Farnham are grateful to the people of Farnham for their support and generosity in donating £2,200 over the three days," said Ian Mansell, of Weyside Rotary. If anyone still wishes to donate, further information is available at http://www.shelterbox.org">www.shelterbox.org