Press release – 13 December 2024
A community club from Croydon has raised thousands of pounds for people displaced by disaster around the world.
The Croydon Outdoor Pursuits and Social Events club (COPSE) has held an annual auction for over a decade to support the international disaster relief charity, ShelterBox.
ShelterBox specialises in emergency shelter supporting people around the world affected by disaster or conflict. As well as shelter, the charity supports people with things like kitchen sets, solar lights and blankets; simple but essential items when people have been left with very little.
This year the total raised for the charity reached over £6,000.
Longtime COPSE member, Ireen, says: “We’re thrilled to have raised this money for ShelterBox over the years. We’re a very active group with around 80 current members. We meet weekly and do a whole range of activities, both social and outdoor. It’s always meaningful when we can incorporate a fundraiser in there too.
“Our fundraiser for ShelterBox is our new year’s auction where members donate unwanted Christmas gifts to be auctioned off. It’s always fun to see what weird and wonderful gifts come up. It’s a great night.”
Ireen, a retired teacher, first heard about ShelterBox through a chance encounter at a debating event she attended with her son around 20 years ago.
Ireen continues: “COPSE’s support for ShelterBox began with my own curiosity at an event in 2006 where I saw a big green box and learned it shipped aid worldwide for disaster relief. Then four years later, during the 2010 Haiti earthquake, I spotted the boxes again on the news and knew we should be doing what we could to support. I invited a ShelterBox volunteer to speak at a COPSE evening, and we’ve now been supporting the organisation for around 14 years.
“At COPSE we camp for leisure and pleasure, but people displaced by disaster are sheltering for survival. ShelterBox supports people in a practical way, and that’s what makes it such an important charity.”
The Cornwall-based charity was founded in 2000, and for a long time shipped aid around the world in large green boxes. Since growing and evolving over the years, ShelterBox stopped using the box, learning from its work that one-size-fits-all is not the most effective approach to disaster relief. The charity instead works with communities to understand what people need and tailors its aid offering accordingly.
In countries where temperatures drop during winter, this means supplying items that will make the cold more bearable for people uprooted from their homes. In places like Syria, ShelterBox is supporting people with high thermal blankets and children’s winter clothing.
Community fundraising assistant at ShelterBox, John Stanbury, says: “We are so grateful to Irene and everyone at COPSE for their years of support. Not only has an incredible amount of money been raised, but the fact that Ireen has introduced ShelterBox to hundreds of people over her 60 years at the club will have had an immeasurable impact.
“We rely on public donations so even pennies make a difference. Every share of a ShelterBox story has a ripple effect, increasing our awareness and allowing us to continue our work around the world.”
To find out more about fundraising for ShelterBox people can email [email protected] or for updates on the charity’s work can sign up to its mailing list.
As well as Syria, ShelterBox is supporting people affected by conflict in Gaza and Lebanon and has launched a Christmas appeal to help it reach more people with emergency shelter and lifesaving aid around the world.
To find out more visit: ShelterBox.org.
ENDS
For more information contact the press office at ShelterBox via [email protected].
Notes to Editors
- Images and captions included.
- Interviews available with Ireen Best and John Stanbury.
- COPSE website: Croydon Outdoor Pursuits & Social Events Club
About ShelterBox
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and other essential items to families who have lost their homes to disasters. With operational headquarters in Cornwall, the charity also has 13 affiliate organisations worldwide. The charity has been Rotary International’s project partner in disaster relief since 2012. ShelterBox has supported more than three million people since it was founded in 2000. www.shelterbox.org
