TEARS & ASfR Refugee Aid

TEARS Troon was founded by Lynne Thomson, Fiona Kennedy, Claire Gillespie, Julie Zorget and Jo-Anne Jess at the beginning of September 2015, directly after seeing the BBC News and pictures of drowned refugees washed up on the shores of Libya and the Greek Islands.

We have now joined forces with Yv McLellan from Ayrshire Support for Refugees (ASfR) and together, we are located in Troon Old Parish Church on an ad-hoc basis.


What have we contributed so far? We joined the following shipments;

Edinburgh Direct Aid = 5 vans x 250 boxes (Lebanon/Germany)

One Humanity London = 1 van x 250 boxes
(Croatia & Turkey)

Calais = 5 vans x 250 boxes

Edinburgh Cares = 2 vans x 250 boxes each (Syria, Croatia and Turkey)

Glasgow the Caring City = 1 van x 250 boxes
(Syria)

Private Courier - Kos x 8 large boxes
(Greek Island of Kos)

SHARE to Leros x 25 boxes
(Greek island of Leros)

So......that is over 3000 boxes of donations!

We have donated £2200 towards urgent appeals to Edinburgh Cares

We have donated £200 towards shipping costs to Edinburgh Direct Aid

Everyone has literally taken our breath away with their generosity, solidarity and humanity, including all the volunteers who help us make this possible. We couldn't do it without you!

A collection of teddies and baby blankets for children in crisis for BEAR Love - from Rainbows/Brownies/and members of the community. We have collected and delivered over 10 huge bags with little messages of love and hope attached to each individual bear/blanket. The teddies will be distributed to children in refugee camps and across Europe.

We also held a backpack event, aiming to help our children understand what it is like to be a refugee child, having to leave your home and move to a new country because of political or religious persecution or war and violence, and hope they will develop a greater awareness, empathy and compassion for refugees. We asked for a backpack to be filled with specific items and a personal note or drawing, all which will bring a little hope and empathy to a child in crisis - both Symington Primary and Ayr Grammar handed in over 100 backpacks, and these have been couriered/shipped to Kos Kindness and Leros (ETA 21/12/15)

Our local community groups such as Girl Guides/Brownies/Scouts have been invaluable support to us as have St Ninian's Church and Troon Old Parish Church.

Why do we need funding? Why do we need your help?

• Shipping - We are in talks with two shipping companies at the moment, hoping they will provide us with the logistics we need for the future. Shipping items is EXPENSIVE (roughly £800 for 2 pallets of aid), but we want to make sure your donations reach their destination. Where we can, we will link in with other shipments and offer them a donation towards the cost.

• Travel Costs (petrol) - for example, our trip with donations from Troon to Edinburgh, trips to Calais, and other destinations.

Everyone deserves LOVE, HOPE, HAPPINESS, DIGNITY and HUMANITY

"As you grow older, you will discover you have two hands, one for helping yourself, one for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples." - Mother Teresa

"Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace." - Confucius

Media Enquiries to: tearstroon@gmail.com