We have been given the opportunity to send some aid to refugees in Thessaloniki and Lesvos in Greece with UK charity Hope and Aid Direct. This is great news: it’s not proved easy for us to get aid to Greece in the past.

As they already have aid lined up for most of the five trucks going to Greece in January, we won’t be able to fit in much from our warehouse this time, but we will be able to squeeze in some pushchairs, suitcases, and …. handbags!

Now handbags are a new thing for us to collect, but one of the trademarks of Hope and Aid Direct is to take handbags for the women, filled with womanly things. Although this may sound like a bit of a luxury (they’ve never appeared on any needs list I’ve seen) handbags are something that many women wouldn’t normally leave their homes without. They can be incredibly useful, as well as symbolic and comforting, and can help to restore dignity. Once filled with a selection of small gifts, it’s easy to understand why Hope and Aid Direct’s handbags are so very popular with the refugees.

So, what we need from you now is LOVINGLY FILLED HANDBAGS! As with all donations, they must be in good condition. Please fill your handbag with a selection of small gifts, like: a piece of jewellery, lip balm, wet wipes, hand cream, comb or brush, gloves, tissues, toothpaste, toothbrush, sanitary towels (not tampons), a mirror, a little make up or perfume, a scarf, maybe a little note or card with a greeting, and other things that might normally be carried in a handbag. Please do not include: used cosmetics, food, or anything sharp.

There is a very quick turnaround on this as the convoy is leaving the UK in January and we’ll need to pack and load all the handbags, so the deadline on this is 7th January.

To make this easy for you we have town centre drop off points in both Frome and Bruton, as well as our regular donation drop points.

Oh, and it would be really great if you would print and share the poster! Many thanks!