Bolton Black History Group help victims of Cyclone Freddy

Members of Bolton Black History Group (BBHG) presented the cheque to Bolton Civility.

This donation from one small, local charitable group to another is made more significant as the money BBHG donated was raised during the 75th Anniversary of the arrival of the more than 800 passengers, travelling in the HMS Empire Windrush, who made the journey from the Islands of the Caribbean to help rebuild Britain after the devastation of WWII.

BBHG say the money will be life-changing to the families of at least one village in the remote Shire region of Southern Malawi.

Remote villages, especially those in the Shire region were hardest hit and inaccessible during the cyclone and villagers watched helplessly as their homes, schools, crops, and livestock were washed away by raging torrents of boulder-filled landslides and turbulent, overflowing, muddy rivers.

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Cyclone Freddy Fundraising Vigil held in May (Image: Noelene Gillatt)The generous donation made by Bolton Black History Group is life changing to the Malawian families that Bolton Civility are able to reach out to.

The charity already has a team helping to rebuild sustainable houses in one village and this unexpected but very timely boost of funding will help them to finish the work Bolton Civility started using the money raised at the Cyclone Freddy Fundraising Vigil held in Bolton in May this year.

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That collective fundraising effort saw the coming together of Bolton communities: Bolton Civility, Kingdom Fellowship, Bolton Black History Group, Tili Tonse Arts, Christ The Vine Int’l Church, Manchester Caribbean, and African Health Network (CAHN) who all gave generously of their kindness, time and money to help buy cement for the team ready to get to work on the ground.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.