The Rotary Club of Pudsey have, at very short notice, been able to set up a collection point in the mall area of the Owlcotes Shopping Centre in Pudsey near to the Marks & Spencer inner entrance. This collection is part of the national initiative scheduled for the 8th of January...  Rotary Tsunami Disaster Collection Day.

Money raised will go to provide water filtration units called Aquaboxes and an example of one of these can be seen on the day.

start at 9.30 onwards

Background information as of 3rd January 2005

2005 ROTARY AID REACHES SRI LANKA AND INDIA
Aid provides temporary homes and fresh water for more than 10,000 survivors

Saturday 8th January is designated Rotary Tsunami Disaster Collection Day
Rotary Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland have responded to the Asian Tsunami
disaster by raising funds for Shelterboxes and Aquaboxes, in response to
requests from Rotary Clubs in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India. Eight hundred
Aquaboxes and five hundred Shelterboxes have been shipped to India and Sri Lanka in the last week to provide temporary homes and clean water for 10,000 victims
of the Asian Tsunami.

250 Shelterboxes arrived today in Batticaloa, in the eastern province of Sri
Lanka and are being distributed by local Rotary Clubs.

250 Shelterboxes have been shipped to Delhi for use by Rotary Clubs in Madras to
assist survivors on the Madras coastal region.

A further 100 Shelterboxes are being shipped to Djakarta in Indonesia to meet
requests from Rotary Clubs there.

300 Aquaboxes have been shipped to Worldwide International Aid in Sri Lanka.
500 Aquaboxes to Blythswood Care in India.

Rotary Clubs have raised more than £500,000 in the last week for these boxes and
further shipments of Aquaboxes and Shelterboxes are planned.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland launched a Disaster Relief
Fund for South Asia last week and more than £1 million has been raised to date.
At some locations in Hampshire the income rate was in excess of £1000 an hour.
In addition to fund raising Rotary Clubs have been working to arrange free
transport of the emergency boxes and have co-ordinated approaches to airlines
and the military for help, including Trans-Global International,Virgin Atlantic,
Sri Lankan Freight and the Indian Air Force.

Gordon McInally, President Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland
said "The earthquake and subsequent Tsunami is arguably, the greatest natural disaster to befall our planet in the one hundred years of Rotary's existence.
Many Rotarians have been affected by the disaster, both in the area involved and also here within Great Britain and Ireland, where Rotarians have lost family and friends. The response to the disaster by Rotarians has been phenomenal - hundreds of Rotary Clubs have held collections in shopping centres, at motorway service stations and at sports stadiums. The public response has been incredible and thousands of pounds have been raised, thanks to the generosity of the public and to the generosity of Rotarians and their families and friends in giving time to collect that money. Perhaps more importantly a great deal of tangible aid has already gone to the disaster area in the shape of Rotary Shelter Boxes and Rotary Aquaboxes providing essential shelter and clean water. The need however remains immense and Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland has designated Saturday January 8th 2005 'Rotary Tsunami Disater Collection Day' when Rotary Clubs will organise further fund raising."

 see  also www.aquabox.org and  www.shelterbox.org