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Among those urging communities to donate generously in cash and kind is Wolverhampton resident Kay Hinton, who is of Jamaican heritage and who in June 2024 helped to organise a black-tie ball held at Dunstall Park Racecourse which raised £21,000 for mental health charities based in the Black Country. Kay, who is Sir Lenny Henry's sister, has been distributing information and the giving link to the official Support Jamaica Hurricane Relief & Recovery Fund to friends, families and supporters of her previous local campaign projects in response to the island's appeal for help. She along with residents and community groups across the West Midlands are rallying to support urgent aid relief efforts in the wake of the disaster which wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean. "This time last year I was in the Caribbean on holiday. I can't believe the difference in just a year. I can't believe the devastation. "I've sent the Jamaican High Commission donation link out to everyone I know and as tough as things are here at the moment, the response has been very positive. British people just want to give," Kay said. Several High Commission recommended donation points have also been set up at locations in the north Birmingham area including the Legacy Centre of Excellence in Potters Lane, Newtown; Jamaica National bank branches at One Stop Shopping Centre, Perry Barr and at Soho Road, Handsworth. Hurricane Melissa which struck on Tuesday has been described as one of the most powerful storms in recent Caribbean history, leaving large swathes of Jamaica, parts of Cuba and Haiti devastated with flattened homes, no power and communities in urgent need of shelter and resources to clear up and rebuild. List of Urgently Needed Items: Generators, large tarpulin, dry and tinned food with under six months shelf life - such as baked beans, corned beef, pasta, rice, long life milk. sola lights, torches, batteries of all sizes. mattresses, baby cots, baby food, nappies, bed linen, incontinence pads, wheel chairs, hospital and medical supplies, hand tools, agricultural tools, new clothes for adults and children. Among the region's business backing the appeal is the Temper & Brown gastro pub in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter which will be donation £2 from every meal bill towards the appeal. Roifield Brown, of the Albion Street pub, explained: “Jamaica is hurting right now and like many Brummie-Jamaicans we have family in the island. So this devastating crisis has touched us personally. "Here at Temper & Brown, we're incredibly proud of our Jamaican-West Indian roots. We celebrate it in our food and in the drink that we sell. So with that in mind we're asking you to help us. What we're going to do for the next wee, for every meal that we sell we're going to donate £2 to the Hurricane Melissa appeal.” “So please come and help us, help the island of Jamaica.” Temper & Brown is situated in Albion Street, Birmingham, B1 3ED. To support the appeal visit the Hurricane Melissa relief website.
