A shipping container of drinking water is on its way from Bermuda to the Caribbean, with another container of supplies to follow for hurricane relief.

The aid was mustered by the Kiwanis Club of St George, in a break from its usual activities, in response to devastation left by storms.

Club director Buddy Fleming, who spearheaded the collection, said his heart had gone out to “our neighbours to the south” when he heard of the catastrophe.

Mr Fleming linked through the club to one of the chapters in Antigua, which agreed “instantly” to help with the distribution of aid.

The container of roughly 27,000 bottles of water is now en route to Antigua, with another being packed with necessities such as clothing, bedding and household items.

Gary Kent-Smith, the president of Kiwanis St George, said that “many residents in Antigua and Barbuda lost their houses — in fact, they lost everything — in the hurricane”.

“As a result it was determined that anything we can send from Bermuda would be of use to the victims.”

Various companies assisted, including Lindo’s, AS Cooper & Sons, Fast Forward Freight, Meyer Shipping, the Fairmont Southampton, St George’s Club, Golf Villas Ltd, and Rosewood Tucker’s Point.

While the main thrust of Kiwanis clubs is to serve children, Mr Kent-Smith said that “if we help adults in need, they in turn will be better placed to take care of their children — as a result, Kiwanis St George is indeed helping children”.

Both Kiwanians, on behalf of their club, thanked all who contributed.

Kiwanis is a global organisation of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time.