Tents Aid Lift Off! (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Tents Aid Lift Off!

October 20, 2005 1:15 PM

Four thousand tents on route for Kashmir from Leeds, Seven thousand more to follow

Leeds City Councillors Javaid Akhtar and Kabeer Hussain are flying out to Pakistan this afternoon, Thursday, with the first batch of the 11,000 tents donated for earthquake survivors by ASDA from stores around the Country.

Councillor Javaid Akhtar (Gipton & Harehills) said, "These tents will be lifesavers for thousands over the coming winter. Our job when we arrive in Islamabad and head on into Kashmir will be to get them to the villages and communities who are facing the hardest challenges.

Councillor Kabeer Hussain (Hyde Park & Woodhouse) said, "We will be meeting with Officials at the British High Commission shortly after landing on Friday morning, and also with local representatives from Kashmir to identify the best ways to get the tents and other supplies on the road ."

Cllr Akhtar added "We would not have been able to move so quickly without the support of hundreds of people across Leeds who have donated money to pay for the transport of the goods, or without the magnificent gesture of ASDA in donating the tents. When we return we hope our first hand accounts of the situation will help with the longer term fund raising efforts of the Council and communities across Leeds. The people of Leeds have always been generous in helping the victims of natural disasters and I am sure they will show their support once again."

Cllr Hussain also expressed his thanks to everyone who has helped organize the aid, from ASDA's magnificent gesture in donating the tents, to LC Hire in Leeds who helped provide transport to collect the Tents and deliver them to Manchester Airport as well as individual officers in the Council's Chief Executives Department and City Services Department who have given support both in helping make arrangements and volunteering to drive the vans to collect the tents from ASDA stores around the north of England. "Like many others I know how generous people can be in donating funds to appeals in this type of emergency, but the help that individuals give in organizing responses is often overlooked. We've seen first hand over the last week the work that individuals are willing to put in, and without their efforts we would not have been able to get the tents on their way so quickly. Their work will help save lives and we thank them greatly."