Members of the 39 Rotary clubs who helped clear up the aftermath of this year’s V Festival collected over 5,000 items of camping equipment including tents, sleeping bags, chairs and wellingtons. More than 330 Rotarians joined 180 other volunteers at the site for the two day clear up loading five transit vans with camping chairs alone.
All the equipment was loaded onto lorries and sent to the International Aid Trust, in Preston which is run by Rotary member, Bernard Crocker. Here it is sorted, cleaned and then stored in readiness for worldwide distribution to people in desperate need.
Keith Gater of Brewood and District Rotary Club said: “It is hard work but very rewarding knowing that the equipment will be sent to people who need it rather than being thrown away. It is amazing what gets lost or left behind. We found many Ipads, debit cards, wallets and phones, most of which we reunited with their owners. We also found hundreds of items of footwear, including every type of wellington imaginable, hats and hot water bottles.”
