'Thank you for all your help' (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

'Thank you for all your help'

THE hard work of volunteers from in and around Wiltshire has reached needy tsunami victims.

At least 200,000 people died in the Asian tsunami, and instantly last Christmas charitable organisations sprung up across the world to help in any way possible.

The Wiltshire Mercy Appeal, which was based in a hangar at the Science Museum in Wroughton about the size of two football pitches, was one of, if not the biggest appeal, in Europe.

Justin Oliver of Marlborough, one of the co-ordinators, now wants to say a large thank you to everyone who was involved in the process, whether giving goods or money to the cause or helping to pack up the donations ready for transportation.

In total 15 huge containers were shipped out, which contained 3,800 pallets, all full of toys, clothes, non-perishable food, tools and other useful items.

Mr Oliver, of Marlborough, said: "We're really pleased to see it being used now, and it's right that there should be a massive thank you to everyone who helped out, who weren't just there for the glamour of the cameras when the television crews came down, but who worked as hard as they could.

"On one day we had 850 people come and help, and there was not a bad word or act all day. One old boy said to me 'this is how it was in the war. We had a gentleman of 92 who came down and was working in minus two degree conditions.

"It was really heart-warming to see."

As well as the legion of individuals who came forward to help, Mr Oliver said several local firms and organisations, including Matalan, Triumph, Nissan Transportation, TH White vans, Virgin Mobile in Trowbridge, the fire brigade, colleges from around Wiltshire, the probation service and the Science Museum itself had provided invaluable help.

The Wiltshire Mercy Appeal has now been disbanded, but Mr Oliver said there are plans to start a longer-term project in the county which could aim to maintain links with the tsunami-hit country and investigate small "twinning" projects between schools in England and Sri Lanka.

The last shipment of the mercy appeal's aid was shipped out in May, when a last-minute donation from the charity Islamic Relief came through and paid for the transport costs.