A COLLECTION in Okehampton for ShelterBox has raised more than £1,000 to help people made homeless by the hurricanes in the Caribbean.

The Rotary Club collected the money on Friday and Saturday, 15 and 16 September in Red Lion Yard and outside Donald’s in Fore Street.

The Okehampton Rotary Club has since boosted the total to £2,360, enough to pay for four boxes containing basic survival kit for a family of five, including a tent, cooking utensils, sleeping mats and bags, water purification tablets and basic tools. ShelterBox is currently helping those made homeless by hurricanes Maria and Irma in the Caribbean.

‘The club wishes to thank all those people who so generously donated money to this very worthwhile cause and to the owners of Red Lion Yard and Donald’s for giving permission for the collections to take place,’ said rotary club president David Potter.

The Rotary Club has also made a donation closer to home, giving £250 to the Okehampton and District Community Transport Group to buy Handybars. These devices help people with mobility issues get in and out of cars and minibuses safely.

Mr Potter visited the group’s premises last Thursday, September 28 to present the cheque.