'Amazing generosity' in response to Greenwich refugee appeal

After thousands of asylum seekers were left homeless by the fires, a local charity put out an appeal for basic sanity goods to help those in desperate need of them.

Donations of soap, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, shower gel and nappies were all requested as part of a national donations weekend, with the Greenwich Refugee Aid and Community Enterprise (GRACE) leading the response in south east London.

And local residents responded in droves. In total, over 200 boxes and sacks were delivered on Tuesday, October 6, to a national dispatch point.

They will now be shipped to the front line "where they will make a huge difference to the lives of people who have suffered so greatly, and who continue to experience immense hardship," said GRACE.

The appeal was in aid of those in Lesvos, Greece, where the Moria refugee camp was destroyed by fires in September. The facility, Greece's largest migrant camp, was notoriously overcrowded, and the fires have left 13,000 without shelter.

The Greek Government has now vowed to empty the island of asylum seekers by Easter, but the situation has invited generosity from across the world. Germany has recently offered to house 1,500 refugees, and many groups such as GRACE have pulled together to donate funds and essentials.

Andrew Stern, GRACE volunteer and coordinator of the Moria appeal, said: "The huge donation that GRACE is sending to Moria is a direct result of the fantastic efforts of our donors, volunteer sorters, packers and drivers. Even in the face of the enormous challenges that we in the UK have faced this year, our donors and volunteers understand that there are so many across the globe who've had it even worse. By supporting the appeal for Moria, they have been able to take action and make a real difference to the lives of refugees."

Photos shared by GRACE show the generosity and compassion of local residents, and hundreds from Greenwich, Bromley, Lewisham and Bexley donated.

Several schools, including Heber School and Forest School, held collections of hygiene essentials amongst students, and the charity said they had a big response on the final day of the appeal.

GRACE said approximately 100 boxes of sanitary products and 120 rubble sacks of nappies were donated and readied for dispatch.

These were then loaded and taken to Bluewater where they were loaded up alongside fellow humanitarian aid charities' donations. The charity also gave a shout-out on Facebook to their "wonderful volunteers" who had helped it happen.

GRACE collects clothing for distribution to refugees in Europe and the Middle East, and distributes clothing, furniture, baby goods and houseware to newly arrived refugees in Lewisham and Greenwich, along with domestic violence victims and other vulnerable residents. They also operates a charity shop in Lee Green.