Urgent fundraising appeal to send Ripon therapist to London to help Grenfell Tower victims

A Ripon lady has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to fund her trip to London tomorrow, where she will be volunteering to lead two days of therapy for Grenfell Tower victims at the Queens Park Rangers stadium - joined by a team of therapists from across the country.
Can you help?Can you help?
Can you help?

Lesley Walker and her fellow therapists found each other over Facebook, and have all been driven to organise the therapy days on Saturday and Sunday by their passion to help.

The stadium has offered up the venue to support the victims, but now Lesley, who has just returned from offering support and therapy in Sarajevo, needs to raise money to cover her travel and accommodation.

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Lesley said: "As soon as the news hit about the tower, I just thought this is awful, what can I do? What can we do? Through the work I do, I know lots of Facebook groups with therapists in.

"One lady set up a group to see what we can do for those affected, and we are quite a close knit community so we've got together to do something.

"We wanted to do this professionally as a team. The people affected deserve that, rather than us sitting on a pavement with them outside offering support. This is the least we can do after the trauma they have been through.

"The lady who set up the Facebook group, Jane Lawson, she's been out speaking to victims in London. But the community centres are overrun, and we want to help in some way.

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"This is for everyone affected, not just the victims, but the first responders, emergency services and families.

"There are some many awful things going on in this world, but there are also hundreds of people who care, are supportive, and want to help.

"We want to help people remember that, that there is hope and they will get through their trauma."

As the stadium has only just been confirmed as a venue, timings for the therapy sessions are soon to be announced. Check back here for more updates.

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To donate to help Lesley get to London and support the Grenfell tower victims, visit the JustGiving page: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/lesleywalkertherapyforgreenfellvictims

Any remaining money will be paid directly into existing emergency fund groups.

The group is looking into arranging transport for those affected. Can you help?

If you are a therapist who would like to volunteer and help victims on Saturday and Sunday, contact Jane Lawson via the Facebook page 'Complementary Support Teams UK'.

To help in other ways with donation of products for the therapy, email: [email protected]