During London Fashion Week in September 2007, stars flocked to Naomi Campbell’s celebrity Fashion for Relief to aid Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland’s flood disaster appeal. Her friends came out in style. Kate Moss, Sting, and Claudia Schiffer sat in the front row, while Rosario Dawson, Yasmin le Bon, and the Duchess of York, among others, dressed up in gowns by Dolce & Gabanna, Alexander McQueen, and Dior.

The event has raised US$1.38 million so far for the RIBI appeal and has also lived on in the communities affected by the flood disaster, transforming them with new facilities and crucial financial contributions.

Campbell, who also had worked with Fashion for Relief in 2005 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, was drawn to the UK effort for personal reasons. “This happened in England. There are so many disasters happening around the world, but this happened at home and these people had to be helped.” Speaking of RIBI, she says, “Rotary has a fantastic history of helping people in local communities, particularly those in real need.”

With the funds raised by its disaster appeal, RIBI announced a series of youth-oriented community projects. Among them are a $19,800 contribution for restoration of a Cambridgeshire rugby pitch and a $9,200 outlay for a Dorchester primary school bus, along with fixing murals, playgrounds, and sporting clubs. The funds also have been used to restore libraries, re-equip village halls and schools, and replace rescue boats. 

“We didn’t expect such a response but were completely delighted,” says Peter Davey, 2007-08 governor of District 1100, which includes the heavily flooded Gloucestershire area. Davey focused on replacing equipment for charitable organizations. “We bought new mobility scooters for a seniors center in Westgate. They were the sort of thing that would never be replaced otherwise,” he says, adding that they bought new holiday lights for  Tewkesbury, where many people still are living in temporary housing. 

Rotary clubs in Hull helped restore buildings that were not insured, says Rotarian John Netherwood. “We are particularly pleased to have helped a number of schools and community-based organizations in the most economically deprived areas of our city and regions, where raising funds quickly is difficult to do,” Netherwood says.

It is hard to exaggerate the scale of the flood damage, and it was Campbell’s role in raising public awareness that UK Rotarians applaud. “Naomi was absolutely fabulous,” says Past District 1270 Governor John Craike, who led the national flood appeal. District 1270 covers Sheffield, Hull, and South Yorkshire, some of the hardest-hit areas. “The floods got very little exposure,” Craike says. “I was disappointed by the national television coverage. Thirty thousand people were evacuated from Hull alone, and 7,200 houses were flooded.”

And while Fashion for Relief galvanized sponsorship for the aid effort, Craike also emphasizes the far-reaching, grassroots support provided by Rotarians worldwide. “Some Rotarians in India, not a rich country, donated fine blown glass to be auctioned. Rotarians in Australia, Serbia, and Croatia offered free vacations to people while their homes were repaired. Everyone has done their bit, whether it’s standing outside supermarkets collecting change or lending professional expertise.” RIBI has also worked with the British Red Cross and the Salvation Army on the projects. “It’s been a real team effort,” says Craike. “I’m proud of our achievements. That’s what Rotarians are good at. We do a lot of work, which we don’t shout about. We just get on with it.”