More than £125,000 has been raised to support victims of the West Midlands wildfires that ripped through communities, with around 30 homes destroyed and dozens more damaged in Stourbridge alone last week.
The money is being donated to those affected by major blazes in Stourbridge, Birmingham, Pershore and Stoke-on-Trent, with families left homeless after fire gutted their properties. Wildfires across the UK intensified as temperatures soared, with the hottest day of the year recorded. The Army has been deployed in a bid to quell particularly vicious blazes.
Major incidents declared
Wildfires in the West Midlands have been declared "major incidents". On Friday, the Prime Minister visited Stourbridge before pledging to tackle fires after he referred to Britain as a "tinderbox". Data shared by the National Fire Chiefs Council found that 1,017 fires have been recorded this year so far, a bleak record powered by the extreme temperatures.
The Heart of England Community Foundation launched an emergency appeal to co-ordinate support for affected families. The charity, supporting communities across the West Midlands and Warwickshire, has raised more than £50,000 via GoFundMe appeals.
Charity co-ordinates support
Chief executive Tina Costello said all money raised will be distributed to those affected by the fires. She said: "As the community foundation for the West Midlands and Warwickshire, we felt it was the right thing to do to start a campaign." Ms Costello, who has been with the organisation for 20 years, said they are "in a position to raise money and deliver it really quickly".
She added: "What's really important is that this money goes to the people and the families that are affected and impacted by it. So tomorrow (Monday) we'll be linking it with key agencies in the area to actually find out what kind of support is needed." Asked how the region has been affected, she said: "I would say people are feeling genuinely sad. They've lost everything." Ms Costello added that "the communities are rallying together".
Local appeals raise thousands
In Stourbridge in the Dudley borough, more than £20,690 has been raised across three appeals for families who have lost their homes in the wildfires. Six separate appeals have been set up for families who have lost their homes on Gorleston Road in Birmingham, with more than £32,000 raised as of Saturday morning. A fundraiser for those affected by the fires in Pershore, Worcestershire, has raised more than £11,700 so far, while an appeal in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, has collected more than £11,100. The GoFundMe appeals describe the devastation caused to families, with many losing pets in the fires.
Warning over fake pages
Earlier this week, Dudley Borough Council warned residents to remain "vigilant" when donating to fundraising campaigns after being made aware of fake pages shared online. GoFundMe has also offered guidance on how to spot fake fundraising pages, including carefully checking web addresses to ensure financial contributions are made via legitimate platforms, and donating to platforms with a donor guarantee so that money can be refunded if something is not right. Donors should also consider who told them about the fundraiser, and are advised to contact customer care teams if there is any uncertainty.
