Lunchtime Speaker – Keith Holland – Shelterbox

This week our speaker was Keith Holland who is a member of Farnborough Rotary Club and an
Ambassador for Shelter Box. Shelter Box was founded in 2001 by Helston-Lizard Rotary Club in Cornwall. Its
aim is to work with disaster-affected communities to provide emergency relief and shelter and support families
in rebuilding their lives. Since 2001, Shelter Box has expanded greatly. In 2012 it entered into a international
project partnership with Rotary International. It is now an international charitable organisation with
headquarters in Truro, Cornwall (UK), but with staff, volunteers and partners in locations all around the world. It
now has bases with supplies and equipment in Belgium, Panama, Barbados, Ghana, Kenya, United Arab
Emirates, Pakistan and the Philippines, which are closer to potential disaster areas. It also has 13 international
fundraising teams, which are all independent non-profit organisations that raise funds to support its work in
disaster relief. These are based in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and some other European
countries. Rotary International and individual Rotary clubs and districts contribute about 20% of the
organisation’s funds. Shelter Box deals with many types of disaster including hurricanes, typhoons and other
severe weather events, earthquakes, tsunamis, drought, floods and avalanches. Since 2001, it has helped 3
million people and last year it helped 270,000. Earlier in its history it helped with the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian
Ocean. Recent disasters that it has helped with include Hurricane Beryl and Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean
and earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan. Originally Shelter Box provided large green boxes with a tent
and emergency supplies, which were shipped from the UK. This all changed with the establishment of the
overseas bases. The variety and volume of supplies and equipment that it deploys has also expanded greatly.
Tents, which are vitally important in disaster relief, are now of many different types including Sahelian tents and
bespoke shelters. Shelter kits to repair homes are also supplied. Supplies and equipment are tailored to supply
the type of help that is required. Terry Smith, in giving the vote of thanks thanked Keith for his excellent
presentation. Woking Rotary Club strongly supports Shelter Box and has contributed £1,500 to it over the years.