Entrepreneur and Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Tooting, Dan Watkins, is working with local businesses to support the Syrian Crisis Appeal of the Sunni Muslim Association (SuMA) in Tooting. Firms are being encouraged to donate any PCs they no longer need to SuMA, which sells them to raise funds for the Appeal.
Based on Tooting Bec Road, SuMA set up 12 years ago and has established a community centre and mosque, used by local residents for worship, education and cross-community events.
Last year the Chairman of SuMA, Iqbal Turk, worked with contacts on the ground in Syria to set up a soup kitchen providing humanitarian aid to the beleaguered residents of Damascus. Since then SuMA has been raising money through its Syrian Crisis Appeal to fund the operation.
Dan Watkins said:
‘The terrible civil war in Syria has caused a humanitarian crisis of huge proportions, with 3 million people displaced. It’s such a tragic situation that like most people I felt deeply saddened and helpless to do anything practical for all those suffering in the country.
Quite by chance, when I met Iqbal and his SuMA colleagues in the computer shop owned by one of their members, I saw that he was selling the same brand of PCs that my business used until recently. Like many firms, we upgrade to newer computers every few years and I realised that rather than hold onto those machines just in case we have an IT problem, it would be better to donate them to a good cause.
I mentioned this to other local businesses in the same position and we agreed to donate computer equipment to SuMA to sell in the shop and raise funds for their soup kitchen in Damascus. I was delighted therefore to be able to donate the first cheque to the SuMA Syrian Crisis Appeal, worth almost £500.
Iqbal Turk commented:
‘We’re delighted that Dan has developed this innovative approach to fund-raising and has been able to enlist the support of local businesses. The funds raised will go a long way on the ground in Damascus and help alleviate the suffering of Syrians caught in this tragic crisis.’
If you are a local business which has spare computers it may be able to donate, please email Dan at [email protected] to discuss further. For individuals who would like to make a direct contribution to the Syrian Crisis Appeal, please visit the SuMA donation page at www.suma.org.uk/donation .