Hurricane Melissa has caused devastation in the Caribbean. Aid efforts are popping up worldwide, but Londoners are stepping up to show the capital’s cultural connection to Jamaica and its surrounding islands.
Hurricane Melissa was the strongest storm on record to hit Jamaica, causing an economic loss equivalent to more than a quarter of its GDP, leaving the island and its people in desperate need of aid.
After initially granting £2.5million in aid to Jamaica, the UK Government is giving a further £5million to the wider Caribbean region, but in the Nation’s time of need, Londoners are rallying to help.
Nicole Henworth is a community leader at Business Launchpad and Tooting Works, a youth charity based in Tooting which has set up a Jamaica Donation Drive. She spoke to CityNews about why initiatives like these are important to this part of London.
After she suggested the idea to set up an aid fund, Nicole was met with an immediate yes from Jamaican born CEO Felicia Mattis-Rome.
Nicole says once they published it on social media the response was “brilliant” and they had “over 14,000” people seeing it in the first evening. Since collections began on Monday, the community have shown up for the cause, receiving all sorts of donations which they are sending directly to charity workers on the ground in Jamaica.
She said the donations have been from “people of all ages and backgrounds”. Praising the power of social media for the cause, Nicole says the response has reached older Caribbean Londoners, through their children and grandchildren.
Image curtesy of Tooting Works: Donations for Jamaica
Nicole explained how personal the initiative is, sharing some experiences of her Jamaican colleagues. She spoke about a team member who has been unable to contact family back home due to power outages. She also recalled images shown to her of the destruction of homes and one of the mudslides which had occurred in the aftermath of the storm, saying “you couldn’t even see the house”.
An aerial view of Black River, Jamaica, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Nicole emphasises that Londoners feel a need to help because Caribbean heritage makes up such a large part of the community, “even if you don’t have Caribbean heritage yourself, you will have a friend or neighbour who does”.
Donation drives and fundraising events have been set up across London, particularly in the south. Lambeth Council says “this is personal for our Borough”.
From Tooting Works to music events like City Splash’s Reggae and Food Festival this weekend, Londoners are showing through action how important the cause is to them. Caribbean restaurants across London are also raising funds.
Nicole says she hopes these projects will “remind the UK Government of how they invited these communities here” and how impactful the effects of Hurricane Melissa have been on UK Citizens. The community efforts in London are a glimmer of positivity amid this disaster.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineLondon aid efforts for Hurricane Melissa
Short HeadlineWe speak to one of the London charities mobilising aid for Jamaica
StandfirstCommunity groups and cultural events are showing support across the capital
Hurricane Melissa has caused devastation in the Caribbean. Aid efforts are popping up worldwide, but Londoners are stepping up to show the capital’s cultural connection to Jamaica and its surrounding islands.
Hurricane Melissa was the strongest storm on record to hit Jamaica, causing an economic loss equivalent to more than a quarter of its GDP, leaving the island and its people in desperate need of aid.
After initially granting £2.5million in aid to Jamaica, the UK Government is giving a further £5million to the wider Caribbean region, but in the Nation’s time of need, Londoners are rallying to help.
Nicole Henworth is a community leader at Business Launchpad and Tooting Works, a youth charity based in Tooting which has set up a Jamaica Donation Drive. She spoke to CityNews about why initiatives like these are important to this part of London.
After she suggested the idea to set up an aid fund, Nicole was met with an immediate yes from Jamaican born CEO Felicia Mattis-Rome.
Nicole says once they published it on social media the response was “brilliant” and they had “over 14,000” people seeing it in the first evening. Since collections began on Monday, the community have shown up for the cause, receiving all sorts of donations which they are sending directly to charity workers on the ground in Jamaica.
She said the donations have been from “people of all ages and backgrounds”. Praising the power of social media for the cause, Nicole says the response has reached older Caribbean Londoners, through their children and grandchildren.
Image curtesy of Tooting Works: Donations for Jamaica
Nicole explained how personal the initiative is, sharing some experiences of her Jamaican colleagues. She spoke about a team member who has been unable to contact family back home due to power outages. She also recalled images shown to her of the destruction of homes and one of the mudslides which had occurred in the aftermath of the storm, saying “you couldn’t even see the house”.
An aerial view of Black River, Jamaica, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Nicole emphasises that Londoners feel a need to help because Caribbean heritage makes up such a large part of the community, “even if you don’t have Caribbean heritage yourself, you will have a friend or neighbour who does”.
Donation drives and fundraising events have been set up across London, particularly in the south. Lambeth Council says “this is personal for our Borough”.
From Tooting Works to music events like City Splash’s Reggae and Food Festival this weekend, Londoners are showing through action how important the cause is to them. Caribbean restaurants across London are also raising funds.
Nicole says she hopes these projects will “remind the UK Government of how they invited these communities here” and how impactful the effects of Hurricane Melissa have been on UK Citizens. The community efforts in London are a glimmer of positivity amid this disaster.
