MORE than £12,000 has been raised to support a heartbroken family after their home was destroyed in a devastating fire which gutted two houses.
The blaze, which broke out in Lancelott Court in Pershore, Worcestershire, on Thursday destroyed two homes, one of several blazes firefighters tackled on the hottest day of the year. The pattern of community support via GoFundMe pages and donations was repeated across the region, with £125,000 raised so far as fire-hit communities rally.
A GoFundMe appeal has raised £12,023 towards a £16,000 target to help one of the affected families in Pershore rebuild their lives.
GENEROUS: People continue to offer support to the families affected by fires including those in Lancelott Court in Pershore, pictured (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
The fundraiser is part of a wider community response across the West Midlands following a series of devastating wildfires.
The most serious incident was in Stourbridge, where 19 homes were destroyed and 18 more damaged but there have been others in Salford Priors, Guarlford near Malvern, Berrow, near Upton, and Bewdley.
Tina Costello, chief executive of the Heart of England Community Foundation, said: “As the community foundation for the West Midlands and Warwickshire, we felt it was the right thing to do to start a campaign.
“We’re in a position to raise money and deliver it really quickly.
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“What’s really important is that this money goes to the people and the families that are affected and impacted by it.
“So tomorrow (Monday) we’ll be linking it with key agencies in the area to actually find out what kind of support is needed.”
The charity launched an emergency appeal on Friday evening to coordinate support for families affected by the fires.
By Saturday morning, more than £50,000 had been raised.
Ms Costello said communities across the region are “rallying together” in response to the tragedy.
She said: “I would say people are feeling genuinely sad.
“They’ve lost everything.”
In total, more than £125,000 has been donated through GoFundMe appeals for those affected by fires in Stourbridge, Birmingham, Pershore, and Stoke-on-Trent.
Three appeals in Stourbridge have raised more than £20,690.
Six separate fundraisers for families on Gorleston Road in Birmingham have collected more than £32,000.
The Pershore appeal had raised more than £11,700 by Saturday morning, while £11,100 has been raised for those affected in Stoke-on-Trent.
The GoFundMe appeals describe the devastation caused to families, with many losing pets in the fires.
Earlier this week, Dudley Borough Council warned residents to remain “vigilant” when donating to fundraising campaigns after being made aware of fake pages shared online.
GoFundMe has also offered guidance on how to spot fake fundraising pages, including carefully checking web addresses to ensure financial contributions are made via legitimate platforms, and donating to platforms with a donor guarantee so that money can be refunded if something is not right.
Donors should also consider who told them about the fundraiser, and are advised to contact customer care teams if there is any uncertainty.
