3. ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity specialising in emergency shelter provision What is ShelterBox? Warehouse at ShelterBox HQ
4. Responds instantly to natural and manmade disasters all over the world by sending green ShelterBoxes full of lifesaving equipment Our Values ShelterBox Response Teams accompany the boxes to ensure they reach those most in need What does ShelterBox do? Democratic Republic of Congo
5. ShelterBox was founded in 2000 How it started Since 2001 ShelterBox has provided shelter, warmth and dignity for families all over the world affected by natural and manmade disasters The first consignment of 143 boxes sent in to Gujarat in January 2001 Haiti 2010 The Boxing Day Tsunami response 2004
7. The ShelterBox disaster relief tent Each box supplies a family with a tent and quality survival equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless
10. Volunteers ShelterBox Response Teams distribute boxes on the ground Warehouse Volunteers are on hand to to pack boxes Volunteer Speakers represent ShelterBox around the UK
11. Commitment to Donors ShelterBox gives each box its own unique number, so donors can track it via the website to its final destination
12. Partnerships The Scouts Association Rotary – A Global Rotary Club Project Other humanitarian aid agencies ShelterBox international affiliates
13. The Future Our objective is to be providing emergency shelter for 500,000 people every year.
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15. ShelterBox is a registered Charity no. 1096479. Company no. 4612652. President: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
Notes de l'éditeur
Values Immediate disaster relief – we pride ourselves on this value. We have packed boxes stationed around the world, ready to go. Through our non political stance and local connections, ShelterBox can be there faster than other aid organisations Value for money for donors, accountability is one of our core values. We follow this through with the way we give donors a ‘track your box’ option via the website. We also spend over 90% of our income directly on charitable works Keep it simple. Do it now Our programme is designed with this in mind. Ambitious but achievable targets. Your contributions/support are vital if we are to spread awareness and raise funds.
ShelterBox tents in Haiti
Welcome ShelterBox responds instantly to disasters such as earthquakes, volcano, floods, hurricanes, cyclones and conflicts by delivering big green boxes of aid. ShelterBox prides itself in an ability to react quickly when a disaster strikes. ShelterBoxes are prepositioned in several locations throughout the world and there is also a large stock of equipment in the warehouse at HQ in Helston and more than 300 volunteers on call to pack boxes at short notice. The aim is to get the first shipment of boxes to a disaster area within 2-3 days
ShelterBox was founded by Tom Henderson, Rotarian and former Royal Navy search and rescue diver. He saw that the aid response to most disasters was in the form of food and medicine to help people survive the immediate aftermath. Little or no assistance was given in terms of proper shelter to help them through the first few days, weeks and months as they tried to rebuild their lives. ShelterBox was launched to fill that need. In 1999, Tom started researching the idea, sourcing equipment and twisting arms to get the project off the ground. His persistence paid off in April 2000 when ShelterBox was launched and the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall adopted it as its millennium project. Little did they know that it would become a Global Rotary Club Project. The first consignment of 143 boxes was sent to earthquake victims in the Indian state of Gujarat in January 2001. Over the next three years the project matured and by the end of 2004 nearly 2,600 boxes had been dispatched, following 16 major disasters. On 26th December 2004, news came in of the devastating Boxing Day tsunami and ShelterBox faced its most significant challenge, one that would change its course forever. Donations and volunteers poured in and in 2005 ShelterBox sent almost 10 times the number of boxes it had sent in the previous three years. In just a few short months, ShelterBox had emerged as a major player in the field of international disaster relief.
Each box provides an extended family with a tent and lifesaving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless for at least 6 months. The contents are tailored depending on the nature and location of the disaster with great care taken sourcing every item to ensure its robust and gives lasting value. For every donation of £490 we are able to send a ShelterBox. This covers the cost of the contents, storage and delivery to final recipients. It may be six days, six weeks or even six months before boxes are despatched but unlike other agencies, ShelterBox promises your donation will help a family who have lost everything and you will be able to see where your donation went.
The ShelterBox tent is designed for SB by Vango and is constantly updated and modified in response to feedback from the field. Further information about the Tent The disaster relief tents included in each ShelterBox are widely regarded as the best disaster relief tents on the market. They are manufactured by Vango, who have worked with ShelterBox since day one. The tent has undergone a series of evolutions since the first consignment was sent. ShelterBox and Vango work closely together to make sure the tent is the best it can possibly be. The latest version of the tent (below) came into circulation in 2009 and replaces the green tent. Many of the alterations made for this latest version, came as a direct result of feedback from beneficiaries. In high temperatures extra ventilation increases the air flow, and the reflective properties of the outer layer mean families can live more comfortably when it is hot. In lower temperatures a foil, thermal layer can be added to retain heat. This is incredibly useful on deployments to mountainous regions such as northern Pakistan. ShelterBox is committed to ensuring this is the best disaster relief tent out there. Therefore it has undergone rigorous testing by Vango. The tent, and its poles, are tested in wind and rain tunnels with winds reaching 120mph. A video of the tent being tested can be seen on the ShelterBox YouTube channel
Baby Favour was born just hours after her mother was given a ShelterBox. The tent provided some privacy for her to give birth with some dignity and the box itself was a perfect cot! This was in Kenya in 2008, ShelterBox responded to a conflict situation.
ShelterBox has a core team of dedicated staff but its volunteers are a hugely important part of its whole operation. These are in three main areas: ShelterBox Response Team - ShelterBox has over 160 highly trained individuals around the world who travel to the disaster area and make sure the boxes get to those who need them the most by any means available Warehouse Volunteers - ShelterBox is fortunate to have over 300 volunteers locally who are on hand to pack boxes and lend a hand in the warehouse Volunteer speaker - ShelterBox also benefits from a large support base of volunteer speakers around the UK who talk at local communities engagements, schools, scouts and other areas of youth. They also represent ShelterBox at fairs, festivals and other community events
To connect its donors directly with the people they are helping, each box is given a unique number. Carefully recording where each box goes, donors have the opportunity to track their box to its final destination via the ShelterBox website.
ShelterBox benefits from lots of partnerships Other humanitarian aid agencies - To maximise the timeliness and effectiveness and appropriateness of ShelterBox’s response to emergencies we work with many of the leading international relief agencies and NGOs including Unicef, The Red Cross, Save the Children and Oxfam Rotary – ShelterBox has a special relationship with Rotary and with clubs in more than 200 countries worldwide they give us vital information and support. ShelterBox is a Global Club Rotary Project Scouts – ShelterBox has an official partnership with the Scouts Association in the UK and our Young ShelterBox education programme includes an area especially for Scouts and Scout Leaders with lots of great activities. These activities are all based on themes that our disaster relief work provides. It also benefits from assistance in the field from Scouts who have helped in lots of different disasters around the world, including Italy and Kenya ShelterBox international affiliates – ShelterBox has a growing number of fundraising arms around the world. These are teams who are developing their fundraising capacity and our website shows an up to date list of these www.shelterbox.org
ShelterBox has grown rapidly since its inception in 2000, providing disaster relief all over the world. With the unique knowledge it has gained on the ground and the networks and infrastructure it has created, it is now in a strong position to significantly increase the number of people it can help. The objective is to be providing emergency shelter for 500,000 people every year by 2013.
Values Immediate disaster relief – we pride ourselves on this value. We have packed boxes stationed around the world, ready to go. Through our non political stance and local connections, ShelterBox can be there faster than other aid organisations Value for money for donors, accountability is one of our core values. We follow this through with the way we give donors a ‘track your box’ option via the website. We also spend over 90% of our income directly on charitable works Keep it simple. Do it now Our programme is designed with this in mind. Ambitious but achievable targets. Your contributions/support are vital if we are to spread awareness and raise funds.
Values Immediate disaster relief – we pride ourselves on this value. We have packed boxes stationed around the world, ready to go. Through our non political stance and local connections, ShelterBox can be there faster than other aid organisations Value for money for donors, accountability is one of our core values. We follow this through with the way we give donors a ‘track your box’ option via the website. We also spend over 90% of our income directly on charitable works Keep it simple. Do it now Our programme is designed with this in mind. Ambitious but achievable targets. Your contributions/support are vital if we are to spread awareness and raise funds.
