You Are A Generous Lot

September 12, 2015 by Rob Kahl

You are a generous lot.

Once again the generosity of the families in Leigh on Sea has been called upon and once again they have not disappointed.

We have all seen the harrowing images of migrants or refugees (I am lost as to what to call them now to appear politically correct), travelling across Europe to try and find some form of salvation. Probably like a lot of people, it seemed a very long way away and whilst what was obviously a dreadful situation, it seemed to be happening to people that I personally had no affiliation with and could not really comprehend.

Then the image of the dead little boy washed up on a beach was released and it seems to have motivated an awful lot of people into action, me included. I don’t believe that any parent can look at that photograph and not feel moved. The grief of the father, the realisation that his situation must have been so desperate to even consider risking his family on that perilous journey and the sheer ruthlessness, heartlessness of the traffickers to take advantage of such situations is something that has finally seemed to motivate governments into action and for individuals to ask what can they do.

The idea of being forced to leave your home with your family and only the possessions you can carry. To leave everything you have behind and have to make a treacherous journey across the Mediterranean, to then be ferried around like cattle or penned into holding centres not knowing how long you will be held or even where you will end up. I think we all have to realise that if someone is willing to take that kind of risk themselves and for their family then we have to ask what type of life are they running from and what can we do to welcome and assist them?

Obviously it is up to governments to come up with the big ideas and solutions, but as individuals you often feel helpless to what you can do to help these peoples plight. This week Simone at the office offered our assistance to a family who were putting together a container load of aid that they are going to transport to the families of these refugees and we offered to assist them in collecting some items that they so desperately needed.

Simone posted a short note on Facebook and twitter appealing for children’s clothes, blankets, sleeping bags, books and small toys and these were to be collected throughout the week depending on what we got.

All of us at the office raided our children’s wardrobes and got a few bags together. If nothing else, it makes you realise how fortunate we are to be able to provide for our kids and how lucky they are to have all of the trappings of living in a secure country like the UK.

We expected a few bits to come in throughout the week but we were wrong! We have been inundated and the people of Leigh’s generosity has been overwhelming. On the first day we had about 80 bags of bits. It was all quality items that we know will be greatly received by people that will really need them and it just kept on coming. It was noticeable that everybody who dropped off items was grateful of an outlet to feel that they could contribute in some small way. When people unite behind a worthy cause it is amazing what can be achieved.

We have had hundreds of bags of items and we can honestly say that the people taking it down to southern Europe are over the moon. I know they and all of us at Scott & Stapleton would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that contributed and people can rest assured that it is all going to a very worthy cause.

This article is by Rob at Scott & Stapleton.