Last night London was subjected to some of the worst rioting in the last 30 years – gangs looted shops, set buildings on fire as innocent civilians fled their neighbourhoods in fear of their safety. In the capital, it was the third consecutive night of trouble but yesterday also saw rioting spread to Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham.
Led by Dan Thompson, a group of resilient Londoners have inspired citizens to show the rioters (and the rest of the world) just what their city means to them. Already clean ups have been organised all over the city (and beyond) and 100s of volunteers have stepped up to pitch in. Go to http://www.riotcleanup.com/ for more information of how to help and follow @riotcleanup on Twitter for latest updates. A Facebook page has also been set up. And if you do go to help and see any trouble – stay safe and leave it to the police to deal with.
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This immediate response by local individuals has restored my faith in society (big and small) but it can’t stop here. Many small local shops and businesses have been affected. People in London have been left with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Over the coming weeks and months, people caught up in the mix of this rampage will need your continued support to rebuild their homes, shops, businesses and lives.
If you have spare clothes or furniture you are willing to donate add them to sites like Freegle. If you have equipment such as tools for people to borrow, skills or time to help rebuild or a spare space to put someone up – make them visible on Ecomodo to share.
We have also been creating a list of resources to help people who wish to donate or need help.
images borrowed from: Erik Hartberg FLICKR, @Rickontour TWITTER
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