Volunteers raise money for 40-tonne lorry to take donations directly to Syrian refugees

Efforts to support Syrian refugees caught up in the humanitarian crisis are still going strong in Windsor.

Facebook group Windsor’s Appeal for Syria Relief has spearheaded the operation in the town.

Since gathering momentum earlier this month the team has continued to gain support.

The group, which was started by Jennifer McGeachie, has joined with similar groups in Ascot and Wokingham and raised more than £3,000 to send a lorry of their own straight to the border of Greece and Macedonia.

The 40-tonne lorry was loaded at AmWorld in Colnbrook, which offered its services for free, yesterday morning (Thursday).

Paying for their own lorry to go straight to those who need it makes it easier for Syria Relief UK, the charity they are working with.

Jennifer said: “There was a lot of people for 72 hours at the start but we have a core team just packing and sorting tonnes and tonnes of donations.

"The lorry collection is the culmination of three weeks of work. There have been six or seven women who have given up their lives.”

She said the group will now focus on fundraising and hopes to plan events.