KIND-HEARTED villagers in the Holme Valley have done their bit to help people thousands of miles away.

Cash raised at a tsunami charity event in Upperthong is going directly to help homeless families in Sri Lanka.

Fundraisers Jules Hobson and Tracy Bird organised a dance at the village hall which raised £1,200 for victims of the tsunami.

And they are sending the money directly to people in Sri Lanka, to help them rebuild lives damaged by the giant tidal wave which struck on Boxing Day.

The cash will go to buy much-needed items for a refugee camp near Ambalangoda, on Sri Lanka's badly-hit south-west coast, which is sheltering 200 people in tents at the moment.

The money was handed over to Mel Booth, of The Examiner, who has many friends in Sri Lanka, having visited several times.

"It's a fantastic effort by Jules, Tracy and all the people who supported them. Every penny will be put directly to good use," said Mel, the Examiner's chief football writer.

"While aid from the major agencies is filtering through to areas which were devastated in the disaster, people are still in desperate need of help because they've lost everything.

"Friends of ours have already been out with cash they raised and they bought items which the people themselves said they needed, like fold-up mattresses for their children, water flasks, clothing, underwear, soap and other everyday basics.

"The £1,200 from the Upperthong dance will go a long way in Sri Lanka to helping people who face a long, hard battle to rebuild their lives and who may not have proper homes for years to come."

Further fundraising is taking place to boost the coffers from Upperthong.

"I will be taking part in the Examiner's Charity Challenge walk on May 22 to raise money for the same camp in Sri Lanka, in addition to doing other fundraising," added Mel, whose Sri Lankan friends from Beruwela have been helping out at the refugee camp.

"Holmspun Mill Shop and Cafe, in the former Drill Hall at Thongsbridge, have also kindly been raising money over a number of weeks. Every penny will go towards helping these people, whose circumstances are dire.

"If anyone else would like to help with sponsorship or donations we would be more than happy to hear from them."

Mel can be contacted at the Examiner on 01484 430000.