Scrumptious cakes, home baking and treats of all shapes and sizes were the order of the day, washed down with gallons of tea and coffee to raise funds for Shelter Box a charity that responds with immediate aid, to disasters and conflict around the World, that is celebrating 25 years in 2025.
All the fun with of course an obligatory raffle and bingo! Took place at the Pavilion at Irlam Steel Club instead of in a tent! and was a joint effort between Irlam Rotary Club, the Irlam Inner Wheel Club and the 2nd Irlam Guiding Group.
Shelter Box was founded in the year 2000 after an idea from the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall to reach a few dozen families a year. ShelterBox is now a global community working to see no one without shelter after disaster and are project partners with Rotary International. The two organisations work together around the world to reach people affected by disaster.
When it started, Shelter Box filled large green boxes with things like a tent, sleeping bags, cooking utensils and a stove, water purifiers, solar powered lights and tools. Enough to enable a family to survive and rebuild following a disaster.
But the charity has learned to go beyond those Shelter Boxes that gave it its name, to reach more people in more places. Now, instead of sending boxes, it stores aid in dedicated warehouse sites around the world and procures items in the countries where it works to save time, money, and reach people as quickly as possible.
Shelter Box teams work with affected communities to understand what is needed and tailors their support to give people the foothold they need to repair and rebuild. Every disaster is different, and its responses are too.
As well as emergency tents, shelter kits, tarpaulins, and corrugated iron sheeting, it offers more robust solutions too like concrete bases in places that repeatedly flood, storm strapping to make timber shelters more resilient, shelters with iron frames and fire-resistant insulation and wooden framed tents to withstand local climates.
Shelter Box has now reached over three million people across more than 100 countries around the Globe. There is much more to do though. Right now, over 120 million people worldwide have been forced from their homes by disasters, conflict and the climate crisis. That’s compared to under 40 million people when Shelter Box was founded 25 years ago.
Organiser Bill McLaughlin said, “Fundraisers for ‘Tea in a Tent’ like the one we held this evening, help fund and raise awareness of Shelter Box responses around the world wherever and whenever disaster and conflict hits. So, thank you so much for the generosity of everyone from the Community, Irlam Rotary and Inner Wheel who supported what was a lovely social evening.
I would like to thank President Mary and all the ladies from the Inner Wheel Club of Irlam and Louise English for their lovely baking and support, Jodine and Lynne from the 2nd Irlam Guiding Unit for all their hard work during the evening along with President Jane, Secretary Gill and Rotarian Tony from Irlam Rotary Club for all their support and the Steel Club for the Pavilion.”
Pictured left to right – Lynne, Inner Wheel President Mary, Irlam Rotary President Jane and Jodine from the 2nd Irlam Guiding Group.
