Annual appeal for support for Aquabox and Shelterbox

For many years Kilmarnock Rotary Club has sought to give aid to those in distress throughout the world, particularly those who have been driven from their homes as a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis or from war and conflict situations. We have done this by supporting two organisations which were started by Rotary Clubs responding to just such occurances. They are Aquabox and Shelterbox.

Aquabox was started by the Rotary Club of Wirksworth and focuses on providing clean drinking water from otherwise contaminated sources. They still run the charity on an almost entirely voluntary basis (they have one paid employee who looks after the record keeping!). They provide aid in two forms Aquabox Gold and Aquabox Community. 

Gold Aquaboxes are filled with up to 70 items of humanitarian aid which have been carefully selected for their usefulness and flexibility, ideal in an emergency situation. Every Gold box also has included in it an AquaFilter Family water purification unit capable of producing a minimum of 18,000 litres of potable water. This corresponds to the amount needed by a family of five individuals for at least eighteen months, including hygiene water. They cost £125 to sponsor.

Community Aquaboxes contain an AquaFilter Community which is capable of producing up to 500,000 litres of drinking water from a local contaminated source. This is enough basic drinking water for 100 family groups of five (500 people) for well over a year and a half.  They are particularly useful in meeting the drinking water needs of hospitals and schools in disaster struck areas. They cost £250.

Shelterbox was started in Helston -Lizard in Cornwall and adopted by the local Rotary Club as its millenium project. It is now a worldwide charity with professional staff and an extensive volunteer network.

Shelterbox provides emergency shelter and vital  supplies to support communities around the world overwhelmed by disaster and humanitarian crises. Their boxes include a range of items designed to help families who have lost their homes and belongings regain a sense of normality. The contents are altered, depending on disaster, but typically contain a disaster relief tent for a family of up to ten people, thermal blankets, groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, mosquito nets and a children's activity pack. Each box costs £590 but every little helps. 

They also send out Shelter Kits - heavy tarpaulins, ropes, fixings and tools which can be used to repair existing structures and more recently SchoolBoxes containing essential supplies and educational equipment for 50 children.

More information is available here for Aquabox and Shelterbox