Bournemouth Community Unites to Send Life-Saving Humanitarian Aid to Venezuela

The Bournemouth community is coming together in an extraordinary show of compassion and solidarity to support families affected by the recent devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.

On Saturday 4 July 2026, the Venezuelan community and volunteers will host a humanitarian donation collection event at the car park of The Treehouse, kindly made available by Diverse Abilities, at their Central Office on Merritown Lane, Hurn, opposite Bournemouth Airport. The event will run from 10:00am to 6:00 pm and invites local residents, businesses and community organisations to donate urgently needed humanitarian supplies for those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.

Diverse Abilities has generously supported this initiative by providing the venue and assisting with the logistics and operation of the collection day, helping bring the community together for this humanitarian effort.

The initiative has been organised by Dr Karolin Joselin de Sousa de Oliveira, a Venezuelan doctor living in the UK, together with a dedicated team of Venezuelan community volunteers. Working alongside charities, local businesses and supporters across the country, they have united to coordinate emergency relief efforts, establish donation collection points across the UK, and organise the collection and transportation of humanitarian aid to Venezuela.

The earthquakes have left widespread devastation. Many people have lost their lives, entire communities have been destroyed, and search and rescue efforts continue in affected areas. Countless families have lost everything.

Among the most heart breaking stories are mothers who gave their own lives trying to protect their children beneath collapsing buildings. Many children have now been left without parents, while thousands of families face an uncertain future.
Recovery will take years.

That is why this campaign is not just about responding to today’s emergency. It is the beginning of an ongoing humanitarian effort to continue supporting the people of Venezuela as they rebuild their lives.

For this first shipment, we are prioritising the collection of medical supplies, over-the-counter medicines, hygiene products, baby products and other essential humanitarian items, including solar flashlights. These are urgently needed on the ground and will provide immediate support to affected families and emergency responders.

“Being far away while our families, friends and communities are suffering is incredibly difficult. We may not be able to be there searching through the rubble, but we can come together here in the UK and make a real difference.

Every box collected represents hope for someone who has lost almost everything. This is people helping people.”

The Bournemouth collection forms part of a growing network of donation points across the UK established by Venezuelan communities and supporters. The aim is to consolidate all donated supplies into one humanitarian shipment to maximise the amount of aid reaching Venezuela.

Jose Manuel Marcano, an independent hospitality and operations consultant and former hotel General Manager, said:

“This initiative is about people coming together when they are needed most. Throughout my career I have believed that leadership is about serving others, and this humanitarian response is no different. Every donation, every volunteer and every organisation that has joined this effort is helping bring hope to families facing unimaginable hardship. It is inspiring to see our local communities unite with such generosity and compassion.” 

While a trusted UK courier has generously offered a significantly reduced transport rate, our goal is to secure support from an airline or air cargo partner so all of the humanitarian aid can be transported together as quickly as possible, maximising the impact for those who need it most.

The organisers are urgently appealing to:

– Airlines
– Air cargo operators
– Freight and logistics companies
– Medical suppliers
– Pharmaceutical companies
– Healthcare organisations
– Businesses able to donate medical or humanitarian products
– Organisations able to provide transport or logistical support

Any organisation able to help transport humanitarian aid by air, donate essential supplies or provide logistical support is encouraged to contact the organisers. Every contribution will allow more life-saving aid to reach those who need it most.

This collection is only the beginning. The Venezuelan community intends to continue sending humanitarian aid as the country recovers over the months and years ahead. Every partnership, donation and offer of support will help build a long-term lifeline for communities facing an immense humanitarian challenge.

Event Details
Humanitarian Aid Collection for Venezuela

Date: Saturday 4 July 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: The Treehouse, Diverse Abilities Central Office, Merritown Lane, Hurn, BH23 6DT(Opposite Bournemouth Airport)

Everyone is welcome. Individuals, families, schools, community groups and local businesses are encouraged to contribute.

Priority items being collected include:

– Medical supplies
– Over-the-counter medicines
– Personal hygiene products
– Baby products
– Solar flashlights

A full list of urgently needed items is available on the event poster.

Free parking for donation drop-offs is available for up to 15 minutes and can be extended if required byspeaking to a member of the team.
Together, our community can bring hope, compassion and practical support to the people of Venezuela—not only in the days following this tragedy, but throughout the long recovery that lies ahead.

How You Can Help
To help ensure the donated supplies reach Venezuela as quickly as possible, the organisers havelaunched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of transporting the humanitarian aid from the UK.

Every pound raised will be used solely for logistics and transportation costs.

Should an airline, cargo operator or logistics partner generously provide transport free of charge or at a significantly reduced cost, any remaining funds will be redirected towards purchasing additional urgently needed humanitarian supplies, allowing even more aid to reach those affected.

The organisers are committed to complete transparency in how all funds are used.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/36e1ced90