EMERGENCY shelter boxes sent from Worcester are already making a difference for dozens of families made homeless by the tsunami disaster.

Through the generosity of local people and the fast action of the city's four Rotary clubs, nearly 70 shelters have gone to the areas most affected and another 50 are ready to go.

Each shelter box costs £490 and contains a rugged 10-person tunnel tent, 10 sleeping bags, water purification tablets, tools, protective clothing, lighting and cooking equipment. The box itself can be used as a water carrier or food store.

Donations of more than £30,000 have enabled the city's four Rotary Clubs, Worcester, Worcester Severn, Worcester South and Worcester Wychavon, to send out 67 boxes so far to help up to 670 people whose lives were devastated by the earthquake in south-east Asia.

The cash came from shoppers passing the Guildhall, pupils and staff of King's Junior School, visitors to St Peter's and Worcester Garden Centres, members of St Martin's Church, London Road and various privately organised collections and coffee mornings.

"People trust Rotary to make sure the money will go where it is needed," said Rotarian Duncan Wright.

"Because it is a world-wide organisation we can send the boxes to another Rotary club operating in the field, or to a reliable aid agency such as Save the Children or Red Cross."

The funds raised for Rotary by people in the Worcester area were boosted when local radio presenter and Evening News columnist Dave Bradley offered to shave off his moustache, attracting pledges amounting to £29,000.

Boxes sent from Worcester have been handled centrally by Rotary with overheads of just one per cent.

In the first two weeks after the disaster, Rotary Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland raised £5m for survivors and shipped out more than 1,100 shelter boxes and three thousand aquaboxes, providing homes and clean water for tsunami victims.

Another 1,000 shelter boxes followed last week, going to families in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives.