Jamaica has been devastated by Hurricane Melissa and as Chair of the Legacy Centre of Excellence, I’m asking for your support. The community has donated an incredible amount of aid, but we urgently need funds to organise, store, and transport these supplies so they can reach families in Jamaica without delay.

We are raising money to keep the relief effort moving. Legacy Centre of Excellence now needs financial support in four critical areas. Every pound you give directly helps us move life-saving supplies from Birmingham to the people who need them most.

Container Shipping (Largest Impact)

£3,800 – Fund one full 40ft container

Covers the entire freight cost to ship a container packed with food, hygiene essentials, baby items and emergency supplies.

(Includes recognition on our press, website and socials.)

£1,900 – Fund half a container

Helps us part-fund a shipment already filled with donations.

(Includes acknowledgement across our channels.)

£950 – Fund a quarter of a container

Helps us move pallets of urgently needed goods.

(Group acknowledgement provided.)

Any amount from £5

We combine smaller donations to close the gap and keep shipments moving plus volunteer support.

Additional Urgent Costs (Keeping the Aid Moving)

Barrels & Packing

£30 – Sponsor a barrel

Each barrel holds food, hygiene items, newborn supplies, and clothing. We are currently covering this cost ourselves.

Transport Between UK Hubs

£250 – Inter-hub transfer

This covers the cost of moving packed barrels between our hubs so they can be loaded into containers for shipping.

Loading & Collection Equipment

In kind support: Tail-lift truck

If a business can offer a tail-lift truck (with driver if possible), it helps us safely load and move heavy barrels and pallets.

Airfreight for Priority Items

£14 per kg – Airfreight for urgent medical or newborn items

A fully packed barrel (approx. 150 kg) costs around:

£2,100 to airlift

Airfreight gets essential items to Jamaica within days for communities hit hardest.

In Summary your donation helps us pay for:

Containers

Barrels

UK transport

Storage & handling

Airfreight for urgent medical and newborn items

Volunteer support and essential equipment

Every contribution — big or small — turns community generosity into real-world relief sent directly to families in Jamaica.

We’re not raising money for goods, the community has already given those, we’re raising money to move the goods.

Your donation helps us turn community generosity into real relief for families in Jamaica.

Volunteer Power and Faith in Action

At JLB Shipping, volunteers start at 7:00 a.m. daily, sorting, separating, and packaging goods to

Streamline customs clearance in Jamaica. Across the other hubs, volunteers are working late into the night. Their commitment and energy have been nothing short of inspiring. Behind this appeal are remarkable volunteers giving time, strength, and heart - every day. Your company’s support will convert their effort into real-world relief this very week.

If you require clarification or can introduce us to a CSR / ESG decision-maker, please reply directly to me at deirdre.labassiere@legacycoe.co.uk or email info@legacycoe.co.uk with the relevant subject line (CORPORATE SHIPPING or CORPORATE DONATION). We will respond with the pro forma process or confirmation steps. With sincere thanks for anything you can do at pace. Thank you for standing with us, and with Jamaica. Together, we are the bridge between devastation and recovery.

With gratitude and hope,

Deirdre LaBassiere

Chair, Legacy Centre of Excellence