Tsunami disaster

Sorting aid for tsunami victims

Collecting for tsunami victims

Hi everyone, Sally here with news of something amazing happening right on your doorstep.

It’s an inspiring story; with people many thousands of miles apart brought together by a terrible tragedy, a brilliant idea and a remarkable set of coincidences that made the idea happen.

You can play your part, large or small, we don’t mind which, because if you think of your average jigsaw, all parts are equally important and must come together to form the final picture.

Without even the tiniest of pieces, it remains incomplete - and so on with the tale. 

_{It’s a small world}

I never really thought about what this phrase meant until a few days ago, when I heard for the first time about a lady named Antoinette Sanmuganathan, who is a member of Ombersley Road Methodist Church, in Worcester.

She comes from South Eastern Sri Lanka and her family there lost everything in the Boxing Day tsunami tragedy.

Her uncle was the sole survivor in his village because he managed to escape through a ventilation shaft and cling to a tree for three days afterwards.

This was a village of around three thousand people.

Antoinette has two cousins who are both Methodist ministers, living in the Batticaloa District of South East Sri Lanka, and they’re trying to help survivors.

_{It’s not what you know, but who you know!}

Sorting aid for tsunami victims

Now, lets whiz back to Worcester and explain how everything is linked together.

Step forward David “Dave” Meachem, who is the Methodist Minister of both Ombersley Road and Bromyard Road Methodist Churches in Worcester, and Mr and Mrs Bennett of Bennett’s Manor Farm, Lower Wick, who are members of Dave’s Bromyard Road congregation.

Many local Worcester parents will remember happy times with their little people at the Bennett’s Farm Park before it closed.

Together, Dave and Mr and Mrs Bennett decided that it made sense to send as much help as possible directly to Antoinette’s region of Sri Lanka.

As lifelong farmers, John and Ruth Bennett have many useful contacts, including the boss of a shipping company (yes, really!), who has agreed to take a 40 foot container packed with vital supplies halfway around the world directly to Antoinette’s cousins in the Batticaloa District.

From a collection point at Bennett’s Manor Farm, Lower Wick, Worcester, the container will go by road to Felixstowe, then overseas from Felixstowe to Colombo in Sri Lanka, then finally overland again for the last leg of the great journey, which is from Colombo and on to Antoinette’s family in the Batticaloa District.

_{So, where does Yours Truly come into all this?}

Well, Dave has heard my ramblings over the airways, and so he knew of my connection with the BBC Hereford and Worcester Action Desk, that I can talk a lot (ahem) and write stuff.

And, strangely enough, I’m also a member of Bromyard Road Methodist church!

Dave hoped for help with publicity to launch his brilliant idea.

This happened on Monday 17th January, when Anita Woodhouse (Mrs Posh) brought the radio car down to Manor Farm so that Dave and Mr Bennett could tell mid-morning presenter Katie Johnson and hopefully everyone else in the two counties all about it.

You’ve probably already guessed what’s coming next. It’s no good sending a huge container all that way unless it’s stuffed to bursting with useful things, such as:

Could you help with any of these items?

They need to be packed securely into labelled black bin bags.

Volunteers are needed from 2pm–5pm each afternoon at Manor Farm to help receive and sort donated goods ready for transportation.

Aid delivery for tsunami victims

I hoovered the spiders out of my wellies and went to see what happened on that first Monday afternoon.

Inside a huge shed with a concrete floor that used to be home to quite a few hundred hens, I met the first volunteer, a talented language undergraduate named Jenny. 

A long piece of recycled wood doubled as a trestle table and all sorts of things were stacked around the walls that Mr Bennett had been saving for years “in case they ever came in handy,” including a stainless steel sink that once lived at Powick Hospital.

It was bright and windy outside, and we all waited in expectation to see who and what would turn up.

 More importantly, worried Mr Bennett, how much and would there be enough room?

Gradually, people began to arrive with labelled bags full of clothes, bedding, and towels.

Volunteers take a coffee break

Two lovely ladies turned up and offered to stay and help after hearing the earlier appeal; one had driven all the way from Bromyard!

Cars came and went, people smiled and wished us well and there was an atmosphere of camaraderie and chatter and the hopeful feeling that this could turn into something big.

Being a mum myself, there was an especially poignant moment when packing up children’s clothes and soft toys - bright, pretty clothes for a little girl and some lovely soft teddy bears.

I wondered who would receive them, what she would be like, what she and her family must have been through in the past few weeks.

If you possibly can, please send something for the children as well.

After the first hour-and-half on Monday 17th, there were nearly 55 bags of clothes, blankets and towels, over 200 plastic water containers, 60 chairs promised from Kempsey Church and a minibus full of clothing sent from Woodgreen Evangelical Church in Warndon Villages - amazing!

Thanks to all who gave donations of goods or time, large or small – everything is important.

After an afternoon of good company, good humour and very good exercise, it seemed fitting to think about what brought us all together here in the first place.

As I walked back to my car a strong wind was tugging in the empty branches of winter trees lining the lane.

It was cold, everything else was quiet, so I closed my eyes and listened, and, for a short moment, that wind sounded for all the world like a great rushing wave.

It will cost around £500 to get one container to Felixstowe.

If this appeal really takes off as we hope it will, two or three containers could be sent and so monetary donations are very welcome.

If you can donate time to help with sorting, you get a cup of Mrs Bennett’s excellent tea or coffee, which she brings over in a nice clean wheelbarrow, ably assisted by George the Collie, whose main ambition in life is to make friends with everyone.

There are toilets and parking on site.

Contact numbers for more information:
John Bennett 01905 423439
Rev. David Meachem 01905 422180

I’ll be back soon with an update.
Bye for now.
Sally.