Wolverhampton organisers hosting dance and collection in aid of Hurricane Melissa victims
Preparations are being made for a fundraising dance in aid of communities in Jamaica left flattened by Hurricane Melissa.
More than 30 people have so far died after the category five storm, the strongest ever to be recorded, slammed into west central areas and part of Jamaica's tourism corridor on October 28 leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The worst affected areas include Black River, in St Elizabeth, where the hospital was destroyed along with homes, roads and crops.
In Wolverhampton a dance and entertainment night will be held on at The Heritage Centre, in Whitmore Reans, on November 15 towards the Support Jamaica Hurricane Relief & Recovery Fund effort which is linked to the Jamaican High Commission.
In addition volunteers from the Wolverhampton's African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI) will be on hand at the centre in Clifford Street to collect donations of goods on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 4.30pm from this weekend.
Required items include dry and tinned foods, such as rice, canned fish and corned beef, camping stoves, toiletries, torches, new bedding. No mattresses or clothes will be accepted.
Alicia Spence, of the ACCI, said: "We organised a community meeting and attracted quite a good turn out from the community. We already knew about the terrible devastation caused by the hurricane and that it has battered an area that was affected last year by another dangerous storm.
"In response and to help the people we will be holding a fundraising dance on November 15 at The Heritage Centre which is also a collection point for people to come and drop off donations of dry food and torches which will be transported to the people affected. We'll not be accepting clothing.
"We will also be leaving collection boxes a shops in the area."
More details about the dance will be announced soon.
The organising team include former councillor and Wolverhampton mayor Sandra Samuels and her husband Karl.
Donation points have also been set up at The Walsall Hub, in Green Lane, Walsall; and in Birmingham at the Legacy Centre of Excellence in Potters Lane, Newtown; Jamaica National bank branches at One Stop Shopping Centre, Perry Barr and at Soho Road, Handsworth.
Around 30 Jamaican communities have been cut off due to damage to roads and bridges and response efforts have bee hampered by shortages in helicopters, social workers, doctors and engineers as the parts of the island struggle to clear up. Parts of nearby Cuba and Haiti were also affected.
Sir Lenny Henry's sister Kay Hinton is among city residents appealing for wellwishers to dig deep and support the relief campaigns to enable people in the worst affected towns to get back on their feet as soon as possible.
For more details about the Wolverhampton donation point contact 01902 571230.
