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Leeds Pakistan appeal off to £10,000 start
Leeds City Council has kicked off an appeal for flood-stricken Pakistan with a £10,000 donation.
The Lord Mayor, Coun Jim McKenna, launched the appeal which will run for the next eight weeks and feature a range of fundraising events.
There will be collection buckets and tins at various council offices
and one-stop centres.
People are also being encouraged to make contributions to the national Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) via text, online or cheques.
On Friday, staff at the council's Children's Services Department and
Education Leeds are organising collection boxes and a raffle as part of a fundraising day.
Severe floods have been hitting Pakistan for three weeks now.
The United Nations estimates that three million people have been affected.
The floods, triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rain over the upper Indus River basin, have ploughed a swathe of destruction more than 1,000 kilometres long from north to south and killed more than 1,600 people.
Over 980,000 people have lost their homes in floodwaters or have been forced to flee.
Coun McKenna said: "It is very important that we come together as a city at this time. I hope many people will respond, to show their humanity and give support to help people affected by this natural disaster.
"There are strong links between the Leeds Pakistani population and extended family links in Pakistan, and therefore we feel there is very much a need for this appeal.
"I would encourage people to raise money either at work or socially for this good cause."
For further information on event ideas and tips and to see what events are going on across the city visit www.leeds.gov.uk/Advice_and_benefits/Voluntary_organisations/Charities.aspx.
It is the fourth appeal launched by the council in recent years following natural disasters overseas.
Previous appeals were for people hit by the tsunami in South Asia in December 2004, the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir and the Bangladesh cyclone in 2007.
To donate to the Pakistan flood appeal go to the DEC website at www.dec.org.uk or donate through the Lord Mayor's collection boxes.
In the city centre there are boxes at the front desks of 2 Great George Street and the Civic Hall.
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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