Australian Wildfires
The people of Australia are suffering unprecedented levels of devastating from the numerous bush fires. Half a billion animals lost. Some species thought to be pushed to the verge of extinction in a matter of weeks. It is difficult to comprehend the sheer scale of destruction. The images and videos we are seeing shared from on the ground are haunting yet show just a small portion of the as yet unknown, and unimaginable loss suffered on the continent. For all those having to leave their homes and possessions behind and evacuate, we pray for the health of your loved ones. For all those bravely fighting the fires we pray for your strength and send our deepest admiration and gratitude.
The uncharacteristically hot and dry weather that exacerbated the fires is a symptom of a global issue that unites people from every continent, every city, every town.
In such dark times there are always people who rise up and shine their compassion and their hope, in this age of social media we are fortunate that a message can be heard around the world in a matter of moments. Many such messages are being shared on Facebook, on twitter, platforms that keep us in contact with our loved one’s day to day, but which also enable us to share that love with people on the other side of the world.
Comedian Celeste Barber created a Facebook donation page for the fire fighters which currently stands at around £26 million pounds with money being donated from all over the world.
The hashtag #globalcraftmovement is being used to allow crafters, sewers, knitters and other hobbyists to share information and use their skills to craft much needed resources for animal rescues and shelters.
On a grassroots level small local business are creatively coming up with ways to raise much needed funds. Donna Hurt of Sylvia’s rips and zips locally is making Koala bears, with the proceeds from the sales going towards the firefighting fund. Her initial goal was to sell 100 bears. In the first two hours she sold 70 and has already smashed her initial target.
The scale of this response is a testament to our local community and our global community. The desire to help has created an outpouring of love and support from across the world.
Council affirms our solidarity and support with the people of Australia. Council would also like to thank those people donating, from the largest donations, to the smallest.
Therefore, Council resolves that the Town Clerk publish a copy of this statement onto the Council’s website and Social Media Platforms. Furthermore, instructs the Town Clerk to write to write on behalf of the Council to the Australian High Commission to offer our thoughts and support for the people of Australia during this extremely difficult time.
More information on Sylvia’s rips and slips fundraising campaign can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Nonprofit-Organization/Koalas-for-Australia-101938384680059/