Relief in action (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Relief in action

Justin Oliver of Wiltshire Relief and Clive Hall of Wiltshire Fire Brigade sort blankets at Central Fire Station in Swindon 99807/134TWO Hercules aircrafts have left RAF Lyneham to assist the relief effort following the devastating earthquake in the Kashmir region of Pakistan.

The disaster on October 8 is thought to have caused over 40,000 deaths already, with more expected if urgently required aid and supplies do not arrive soon.

Four RAF Hercules aircraft at Lyneham were placed on standby after the Ministry of Defence offered a range of assistance to the Department for International Development, who are acting as the lead UK Government department in the operation.

Two of the planes left the base on Tuesday morning after the North Atlantic Council approved an air operation to bring supplies from NATO and partner countries to Pakistan.

As part of the Nato Response Force, the crews will help transport urgently required aid into Pakistan's capital city, Islamabad.

The World Food Programme has said that about 500,000 people in remote areas of the country have yet to receive any form of help, making Lyneham's contribution all the more valuable.

At the weekend generous wellwishers from across Wiltshire dropped off hundreds of blankets and tents and medical equipment at two collection centres for the relief appeal.

The organisers hope that by today, the donated goods will be helping the families who are trying to rebuild their lives in Pakistan.

Wiltshire Relief was originally set up to collect supplies for the countries hit by the devastating Boxing Day tsunami.

At the weekend drop-off points for tents, bedding and medical supplies were set up in Marlborough and Swindon.

All day on Saturday and Sunday people queued with goods for the Pakistan appeal at the drop off points at TH White Country Stores in Marlborough and the Central Fire Station in Swindon. There were heartrending tales of what some helpers did including one woman pensioner who said she had used the money she saved for a winter coat to buy tents instead.

Families gave tents they normally kept for their holidays and children put their pocket money into collecting buckets.

At Marlborough it was a family effort with Wiltshire Relief organiser Justin Oliver being helped by his wife Tara and two children Luke, 11, and Sophie, seven.

Their friend Kirsty Cooper, 11, worked both days with them helping to stack the

donated goods as they were brought in.

When the two collection points closed on Sunday, said Mr Oliver, they had amassed between them more than 600 blankets that filled four pallets; over 220 tents that filled 12 pallets and almost eight tonnes of medical supplies.

Mr Oliver said the appeal had been restricted to bedding, tents and medical supplies because they were badly needed in Pakistan, where the effort continued this week to clear up after the massive earthquake reduced many towns and villages to rubble.

Mrs Oliver said: "We had one woman who asked what she could buy for the appeal.

"She had put aside money for a winter coat but she used the £150 to buy brand new tents instead."

A team of airmen from RAF Lyneham arrived with a number of large tents.

Mr Oliver said: "We found out what was needed immediately and we restricted the appeal to just those things they wanted straight away.

"We are trying to get the Pakistani embassy to short circuit the customs so that we can get the goods from Marlborough and Swindon on the next flight out.

Mr Oliver paid tribute to TH White and Lough Removals in Marlborough and the fire brigade in Swindon.