At the tail end of 2024, the UK was hit by two storms, Spain was hit by its worst flooding in decades, after a years worth of rain fell in just hours and Los Angeles was hit by the Palisades & Eaton wildfires that saw 60sq miles of land burned, with an economic loss of more than $250bn in January 2025, and unless you had been sleeping under a rock on Uranus you would not have missed the 24/7 coverage of these weather events.
What you probably missed was the record breaking tropical storm that hit the Philippines at the end of 2024, which saw six consecutive storm systems hit the country in under a month.
The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to extreme weather. Between late October and mid November 2024, the country was hit by a barrage of Tropical Storms.
Even for a country prone to such storms, such a rapid cluster of typhoons was unprecedented. By the end of the storm cluster, over 200,000 people were displaced across six regions, many whom had been forced from their homes multiple times in just one month. One of the biggest logistical issues is that the Philippines is made up of over 7200 islands, so getting aid to many was a logistical nightmare in itself, not just due to the extreme weather.
Luckily in the ancient market town of Highworth, near Swindon, two local charities came together to give their support. Heart for Philippines, a charity supporting people of the Philippines and The Highworth & District Lions who have a charity shop in the market town.
The Highworth & District Lions donated books and clothing to Heart for Philippines to send out to the country. Even outside of extreme weather events like the one that hit the Philippines at the end of last year, most children do not even own one single book and schools also struggle to fund the need for books in their libraries and to teach with. One of Heart for Philippines key initiatives is to provide books for schools to ensure that books that are no longer needed here in the UK can once again find a second life in the hands of children who lack access to quality reading materials.
Zobel Starritt (co-founder) of Heart for Philippines told Entertainment Swindon: “We know schools, libraries and charities regularly refresh their book selections, some are given away, but many find their way into landfill or recycling. In stead we ask for any book donations, so we can help put books in the hands of eager children wanting to read books”.
When collecting books and clothing from the Lions Charity Shop, Zobel said: “We can’t thank the Highworth & District Lions enough! The ladies who run the shop were wonderful and so accommodating, the books will be a blessing to the kids in the Philippines”.
Norman Little, President of the Highworth & District Lions told Entertainment Swindon: “We are glad we could help such a great cause and charity. Like many, I was not aware of the devastation in the Philippines back in November. It’s a shame that some countries who need help after such devastation don’t get the media coverage that other countries regularly get”.
Norman went on to say: “Yet again, the people of Highworth have helped the Lions Club to support a worthy and great cause, we hope the children will enjoy the books that we were able to donate and look forward to continue our support”.
What is Heart for Philippines doing?
Heart for Philippines are currently focusing on supporting the educational needs of the children of the Philippines after public schools have reached out for help in getting more books and school supplies for their students.
You can make a difference!
Heart for Philippines is a small charity with a big heart.
While the needs are vast, every penny you donate goes directly to humanitarian relief.
How you can help:
- Donate today through PayPal or Bank Transfer (100% goes to the Philippines) Click here
- Pray for the Philippines and all those affected by this tragedy
- Share our message to spread awareness on Facebook
Please donate today to support families who have lost everything. Together we can help them rebuild their lives.
Click HERE to donate.
Entertainment Swindon 
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