Appeals set up to help families affected by gas explosion

Kind-hearted Newarkers, mainly mums, are rallying to provide the essentials for living for those most-affected by Sunday's explosion at Wright Street.

The collections are for a Polish family who were rescued and the Rourke family, who tragically lost two family members.

The Advertiser offices on Appletongate, Newark, the home of Jane Mann on Charles Street and the Charles Street Methodist Church are all locations where essential items such as toiletries, food, clothing and toys can be left.

At lunchtime on Monday, less than 24 hours after the explosion, Jane Mann said: "The response has been overwhelming.

"Within an hour of posting the campaign on Facebook, there were 400 members and now there are almost 700.

"There have been thousands of messages of support."

Kirsty Allen, from Newark, had the same idea as Jane and the two campaigns have now combined.

The group is mainly made up of mums.

Charity events are planned.

Kirsty said: "We can't just stand by while people suffer. There are people whose lives have been devastated."

Newark Storage has offered containers where bulkier items such as furniture can be kept.

The Newark self-drive and courier firm, Van Star JJ, has offered transport to collect items.

Express Deliveries Newark, who have customers on Wright Street, has offered its Paypal account enquiries@expressdeliveriesnewark.co.uk for financial donations saying the money deposited there will be given to the Advertiser for the families.

One of the first to contribute children's clothing, toys and other items was Emily Fleming who witnessed the blast and whose husband Cormac smashed a window at one of the affected homes and was handed a baby.

A four-year-old boy and a woman followed the baby out.

The Flemings' own son Ruairi, 3, has donated some of his toys to the little boy who was rescued, saying that he needed them more.

Emily, who contacted the Advertiser with an offer of help, said: "It breaks my heart to think of those children and that family left with nothing.

"We were able to go home and sit down and have a cup of tea after what happened.

"They don't have that luxury. They came here from Poland and built up everything only to have it all taken away from them again in a split second.

"I didn't know what to do so I contacted the Advertiser as the community hub."

To donate through the Facebook campaign go to www.facebook.com/groups/455962044498256/members/?order=default&query=maria%20#!/groups/455962044498256/455974304497030/?notif_t=group_activity
The justgiving page is at www.justgiving.com/local/project/newark-wrightstreet