Rotary International District 1250

ShelterBox Shop

ShelterBox is launching an online shop next month with a range of branded gifts from clothing to homeware.

From October 4 ShelterBox supporters will be able to buy Christmas cards, calendars, ShelterBox books and homeware, including mugs and tea-towels, as well as branded ShelterBox clothing, from hoodies to rugby shirts. This is the first time ShelterBox has made its merchandise available to buy and the charity is certain the shop will attract plenty of customers in the run up to Christmas raising funds for disaster relief around the world.

Danny Whear, one of the team behind the e-shop, said: 'There's been a fantastic reaction to the news. There was a lot of demand for ShelterBox merchandise from our supporters and we're really excited to be launching this shop in time for Christmas. 'The products look great and we're sure they'll be snapped up as there really is something for everyone. The site has been designed to be easy to use and secure so you can support ShelterBox safe in the knowledge that your money will make a real difference to people caught up in the aftermath of a disaster.'

The online shop will also help launch ShelterBox Global Gifts. Global Gifts allow supporters to purchase a donation for someone else. Each Global Gift outlines how the donation will be used and are an innovative way to donate money, give a gift to a loved one and support ShelterBox's work. The Global Gifts can be purchased through the ShelterBox Online Shop. For further information on the ShelterBox Online Shop visit: www.shelterbox.org

1,000 families sheltered in Pakistan by ShelterBox

This family was rescued from the floods in Pakistan and are now sheltered in a ShelterBox tent. Photograph courtesy of NRSP

Aid for 1,000 families in Pakistan has been delivered in the last 48 hours thanks to ShelterBox. Families whose homes were destroyed in the floods have now found emergency shelter beneath the canvas of ShelterBox tents after 1,000 ShelterBox tents were distributed in Kyber Pukhtunkwa (KPK) and Punjab regions of Pakistan in the past two days.

Each ShelterBox disaster relief tent can house an extend family of up to ten people. The tents undergo rigorous testing in wind and rain tunnels and can withstand extremes of high and low temperatures.

ShelterBox's partners in Pakistan, the NRSP (National Rural Support Programme), delivered the aid to families who have been rescued from Pakistan's worst floods in living memory. The tents were pre-positioned in Pakistan by ShelterBox Field Operations Advisor, Mark Pearson, a month ago on NRSP's advice. 'We knew a particularly bad monsoon season was going to hit,' said Mark. 'We were operating in response to Cyclone Phet and the flooding in the Hunza Valley and it made sense to keep boxes on standby in readiness for any potential flooding. I worked closely with NRSP and trained them on the best way to distribute our kit. They've been fantastic in getting aid to families most in need immediately after the floods hit.'

Incredible support

ShelterBox Head of Operations, John Leach, added: 'We've been working in Pakistan since early June and monitoring the situation in the Hunza Valley since the landslide happened there in January. 'We've worked with NRSP since the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 and it's because of this partnership that we've been able to deliver aid to survivors of the floods so quickly. A distribution of this scale and magnitude wouldn't have been possible without their efforts and the efforts of our supporters around the world. It's vital we're always ready for the next disaster and our supporters have been magnificent this year. As we've seen with the floods in Pakistan, we don't know when the next disaster will hit. To stay ready, we need your help, however great or small that may be.'

Since 2005, ShelterBox has worked in Pakistan in response to earthquakes, conflict, flooding, cyclones and landslides. ENDS Tommy Tonkins Communications Officer

Tommy Tonkins - Communications Officer , ShelterBox. t. +44 (0)1326 569782