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Generous council staff give help to Haiti 
Staff from Christchurch Borough Council have joined together with four other Dorset councils to raise a huge amount towards helping the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck and Weymouth & Portland councils held dress-down and cake days for their employees, raising £1,874 in the process.
Staff from Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset and Weymouth & Portland councils wore casual clothes for the day; donating a minimum £1 'fee' for doing so and Purbeck staff donned their aprons and baked a large selection of cakes. The money raised will go towards the purchase of Shelter Boxes for people affected by the recent disaster. Christchurch’s total of £410 included money raised by Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre who ran a competition for people to guess the identity of staff’s baby photos.
Christchurch Council staff regularly raise money for charities, but this is the first time that an effort has been co-ordinated across the county. Michael Turvey, Chief Executive of Christchurch Council, said: "All of the councils' staff work tirelessly to make Dorset a better place to live, work and visit. However, it is heartening that they have responded to a more global issue and now helped the people of Haiti too. "This tragedy has touched many people and I am pleased that employees of our local councils have responded so generously.”
The money raised will help towards buying four Shelter Boxes for the Caribbean island. Shelter Boxes contain essentials for helping people get back on their feet after an emergency. These include: a ten-person tent, thermal blankets, ground sheets, children's pack, basic tool kit, multi-fuel stove and utensils.
Staff from West Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council also held dress-down days for Haiti and donated their funds direct to the Disasters Emergency Committee. Photo shows the Chief Executives of all five councils. From left: Liz Goodall (North Dorset), Tom Grainger (Weymouth & Portland), Steve Mackenzie (Purbeck), David McIntosh (East Dorset) and Michael Turvey (Christchurch). |
