Don’t Hate, Donate Portsmouth send 40ft container of aid to Syria

Portsmouth-based grassroots movement Don’t Hate, Donate sent a 40ft container of aid destined for Syria from The George — a pub in Alton — on February 9th 2017, after overwhelming public support brought in an influx of donations.

In December 2016, the charity organised a mass gathering of solidarity in Guildhall Square for those suffering in war-torn Syria.

Hundreds of people turned out to contribute donations of vital aid, share a moment of silence, and take a stand for humanity.

The response was inspiring — donations were so multitudinous that volunteers gathered weekly to sort and pack boxes of medicine, food, and warm clothing to fill a container which, on January 20th 2017, was sent on its long journey to those most in need.

In the meantime, Susannah Stredder opened a collection point for the charity in a storage room of her pub The George, located in Alton, Hampshire.

She anticipated support from her regulars, but soon, Susannah’s expectations were exceeded as The George became an important hub for the gathering and sorting of items set to be sent to Syria. Several tonnes of donations were collected in a matter of weeks.

Volunteers gathered at The George to form a human chain, loading vital aid into the back of a truck destined to help the injured, hungry, devastated people of Syria.

To help fund the transport costs for the container, Don’t Hate, Donate have issued an urgent plea for donations of money, be it large or small, to be made through their fundraising page on JustGiving »

Susannah, owner of The George, said: “What started off as a collection of bags in a corner of a room above a pub set in a quiet town has evolved into a mountain of generous preloved and new items to donate to the citizens of Syria.

“Here in Alton itself, generous collections have come from clubs, committees, schools, churches, and mummy groups, to name just a few.

“Running with the Don’t Hate, Donate tagline of ‘uniting communities for a better world’, between Portsmouth and Alton, we have certainly done just that.

“Towns and villages as far as Lymington in the New Forest and up as far as Camberley in Surrey have all come together to provide essential aid.”

Stay in the know about Don’t Hate, Donate’s efforts on their Facebook page » and Twitter feed »