Main aim of the charity

Disaster relief. Shelterbox provides essential equipment needed to keep people alive after any form of event, anywhere in the world, with a very quick response.

How the employee got involved and why

I'm a member of a Rotary Club in my home town & this is one of the international Rotary projects the club supports. (I was unable to get a contractor/staff number in time to submit this, I've been a contractor supporting DHL aircraft for over 6 years & have been told I can submit an entry)

What work does the employee do for charity?

Throughout the year we do various events to raise funds for the club, and from them we normally buy at least 1 Shelterbox. It is a fantastic project, it provides immediate relief to people in need, often providing within 24 hours of any disaster immediate shelter & equipment to keep people alive. As it's run and organised by a Rotary Club in the UK the overheads are low, it is based in Cornwall & has no expensive office in central London. Most of the work is done by volunteers. It also uses the international Rotary network to distribute the aid, occasionally being able to get aid into countries where the other aid agencies are delayed in providing support. We have a display box which we take to schools in the town where we've done fundraising with them, helping them to buy a box. The boxes having numbers on them so they could be tracked by the school. The children have packed the box in assemblies, making them aware of what is essential for a family to survive. The box contains equipment required to keep a family/10 people alive after they've lost everything, from displacement by war, tsunami, earthquake, flooding, etc. In the box is a tent, water purification equipment, a stove, blankets, cooking & eating items, tools & children's items. All are designed for purpose. The blankets are nylon backed to resist water, the stove can run on paint & the water purification equipment can be used like a straw in a puddle of water.