Shelterbox volunteer Nicola Hinds receives her Honorary Membership Certificate from the President of the Rotary Club of Bangor Paul Hatty. In the background is the sarong Nicola had to wear over her trousers while working in Fiji.
A Bangor woman who travels the world helping people caught up in violent conflicts or natural disasters has been honoured by the Club.
Nicola Hinds is a volunteer with the Rotary Charity Shelterbox which provides aid for those who are left homeless.
Each box contains emergency shelter and tools for one family and Nicola is one of the volunteers who travels with them to assess the situation and to ensure that help is provided to those in need.
Presenting Nicola with a certificate of Honorary Membership, the President of the Rotary Club, Paul Hatty, said he was delighted that the Club could recognise the wonderful work that Nicola did throughout the world. He said she would be very welcome at all the Club meetings and functions.
Accepting the honour Nicola revealed that she had recently returned from the Fijian Islands which had been devastated by ‘Cyclone Winston’. It was the worst storm ever seen in the Southern Hemisphere classed as Category 5 and lasting three to four days.
She said more than a third of the 900,000 population was affected, with 44 people being killed.
Nicola described how she and her fellow volunteers trekked for miles to bring aid and shelter to those left homeless in extreme heat and humidity of 100%.
While she outlined some of the political sensitivities they faced in delivering the aid she said there was a wonderful community spirit in Fiji with everyone pulling together and caring for the most vulnerable.
After two weeks of hard work Nicola is now home for a rest but is on standby to go to the next major disaster wherever it is in the world.