A travel agent is calling for a united effort by the trade to get more aid to refugees as Sunvil today transports more than three tonnes of donations to Greece.
Shona Lyons, head of sales and marketing at Crusader Travel, partnered with Sunvil to fly out its latest load of supplies to refugees in Samos on Germania Airlines.
Sunvil managing director, Chris Wright, (pictured below) has joined today’s flight – the last of the summer season – to ensure the donations reach the Red Cross and refugee support groups.
Crusader Travel, a family-run Twickenham agency, collected donations, including sleeping bags, tents, trainers, tracksuits, jackets and toys, plus £600 in cash, last weekend.
Now Lyons has issued a plea to other travel businesses, especially tour operators and airlines, to join forces so it can continue the fundraising drive.
She said: “People are frustrated they can’t do more; they are coming into the shop all the time asking if we are collecting. If we can find more operators or ways to get the donations to where they need to be we can continue to collect.
“In our industry we are good at organising travel and logistics; this is what we do, so perhaps some bright spark can work out how to use our skills and knowledge to help these refugees.”
Sunvil consulted with the Red Cross and refugee support groups about what supplies were needed.
Wright, who collected the donations from the agency, said: “Vans and cars have been arriving with donations from all over the country; it’s unbelievable. We’ve also had cash donations from other Association of Independent Tour Operators. We’ve had so much we have had to start turning it away.”
The move follows Sunvil’s offer of empty seats on the flight, free of charge, to the government to bring refugees to the UK.