Rotary club sends bumper load of aid to help refugees

Aquabox, volunteer Tony Brennan bagging up finished filters with their instructions and spare parts

Rotarians have distributed a bumper load of overseas aid, having sent out more than 1,500 lifesaving packs in the last month.

The Rotary Club or Wirksworth sent out 500 Aquaboxes this week, raising the total of kits sent in the last few weeks to 1,560.

The Aquaboxes are destined for Lebanon, to provide Syrian refugees with lifesaving equipment such as a water filter, allowing them to drink up to 18,000 litres of clean water, cooking utensils, tools to make a shelter and basic hygiene items such as soap.

Mike Tomlinson, chairman of the trustees of Aquabox, said:“We’re sending boxes out all the time, large amounts of that goes to areas of disaster.”

The last time the group sent out Aquaboxes in great quantity was during the Pakistan floods in 2010, which were quickly followed by the Haiti earthquake.

This latest batch of Aquaboxes has cost the club £195,000, which is paid for through donations from other rotary clubs and individuals.

To donate other your time or money to the Aquabox project, call 01629 525178 or visit www.aquabox.org.uk