Otley Lions are sending £1,000 to friends in Turkey whose lives have been devastated by the recent earthquake.

The club, which is linked with a town right in the centre of the earthquake zone, is sending the money to the Turkish club to put to the best possible use.

And members hope because they have been able to get the money right to the centre of the community it will help those most in need.

Des Ellis, former club president, said members had been in touch with friends in Karamursel and had been told that the disaster had left a trail of destruction.

"Karamursel is one of a string of towns stretching along the southern shore of the Gulf of Izmit on the Sea of Mamara which includes Golcuk, Yalova and Degimendere.

"All of these towns have been terribly damaged and news back to Otley from Karamursel speaks of 15 apartment blocks totally destroyed," said Mr Ellis.

The club has been linked to the Turkish town for almost ten years and in 1991 a party of Otley members went on an exchange visit.

Since then, several members return to Turkey to meet up with friends and one member, John Fothergill, has Turkish students studying English to stay with him every year.

Mr Ellis said: "Members voted that we send £1,000 from our international fund as a mark of our friendship and our humanity and as soon as it is possible, this money will be transferred to aid the suffering of the people of Karamursel.

"We felt that the Lions Club were the best people on the ground who would know how to spend the money, the same as we would be here, rather than send it to a national appeal.

"We know it is a drop in the ocean, but we hope it will do some good," said Mr Ellis.

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