Norwood has collected thousands of items of clothing and bedding towards the relief effort for victims of the Philippines typhoon.

Staff members and clients donated, sorted and packed clothing and bedding items in an operation also involving Wellington College in Berkshire and Stanmore Synagogue.

“Thousands of individuals will be directly helped by this relief,” said Norwood’s head of operations, Pauline Smith. “Anyone who watched what was happening in the Philippines could not help but be deeply affected. Norwood has a very large number of staff from the Philippines whose families and friends have been directly affected by the devastation brought about by the typhoon. We had to do something to help.

Ms Smith had been “overwhelmed” by the response and the goods collected were being dispatched this week.