Community centre sorts thousands of items donated in 48 hours since "horrific" Benwell explosion

Julia Barthram spent the morning with volunteers organising donations at a local community centre following the blast which killed two people

Volunteers have spent a second day sorting through "mountains" of clothes and supplies donated to those affected by the Benwell explosion.

Merton Lodge Community Centre offered people refuge in the hours after the Newcastle explosion that ripped lives and homes apart in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and is now co-ordinating the support effort for those worst affected.

A volunteer told ITV Tyne Tees that dealing with the aftermath has been "harrowing" and "horrendous".

Seven-year-old Archie York is understood to have died at the scene of the blast which happened in Violet Close, in the Benwell and Elswick area of the city, shortly before 12:45am on Wednesday (16 October).

He has been described by his family on social media as "the most beautiful, funny, and caring little boy".

Northumbria Police confirmed on Thursday that a body, believed to be that of a man in his 30s, was found later in the debris by emergency crews.

Formal identification has not yet taken place.

Archie York died at the scene of the horrific blast on Violet Close in Benwell. Credit: Family photo

Newcastle Central and West MP Chi Onwurah visited Merton Lodge Community Centre on Friday, and told volunteers it was "amazing" how local residents and people from afar had come together.She promised to continue helping the relief efforts: "I think we can rely on the generosity of generous Geordies to help them but we'll also have to see what the council and the Government can do to support people who've lost everything.

"I don't know whether people were insured, all those questions, we've got to make sure that these families get the support that they need and also the psychological trauma and bereavement support that I know is so important."

Chi Onwurah MP visited the relief effort to organise donations for those affected. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

Dee Bell, a community centre volunteer described the scene as "absolutely harrowing" to ITV Tyne Tees:

"I've worked 20 years as a health care in an emergency department. I've seen some traumas, but this has just been horrendous. You don't know what to do for the best, who needs what, what needs what. Five week old babies, five month old babies. It's just so sad. Just speechless, how hard everybody's tried, I'm going to get upset now sorry."

Reverend Chris Minchin from the Benwell and Scotswood Parish offered his words of comfort.

"The families that have been affected by this, the child and the young man that have died, they will need peace and space to grieve at this time. The whole community to be there for them, to give them that space but also to help them know that they're not alone in this."

  • Residents spoke of the shock and guilt they felt following the explosion

A Facebook page, called Grassroots Football North East, shared a poster which was created by a follower, encouraging local football teams to hold a minute silence for the schoolboy this weekend.

South Shields FC has confirmed it is holding a minute silence to remember Archie at 3pm, at their home game against Leamington.

Flowers and written tributes are still in place near the scene of the explosion as emergency services and authorities continue to investigate the possible cause of the incident.

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