A WORCESTER church has been flooded with donations for refugees as volunteers are overwhelmed by the city's kindness.

Boxes stuffed to the brim with toys, clothes, shoes, blankets, bedding, toiletries and even tents lie in nearly every room, including the chapel, of Bromyard Road Methodist.

Some of the donations of children's clothes had personal messages written from wellwishers, including touching handwritten cards from Vicky Gunderson of Powick who wrote: "May God guide and protect you on your journey. We hope you find security, peace and happiness."

Public support for the refugees has increased dramatically since the photograph of Aylan Kurdi was shown around the world.

The harrowing image of the drowned three-year-old Syrian boy has become a powerful international symbol of the plight of all refugees.

The church received so many donations they had to close the doors to collections temporarily today (Friday) while they sorted through the existing gifts.

Donations were stacked up outside as the volunteers worked all day to sort through them.

The donations have been organised by Worcester Mums Network with Bromyard Road Baptist Church providing a space to collect and organise the gifts.

The donations are scheduled to be driven to Essex tomorrow (Saturday) before they are distributed around Europe to ease the crisis, linking in with aid agencies overseas.

Worcester Mums Network organiser and mother-of-five Samm Hale, aged 37, of Worcester said: "My reaction when I saw all this was just 'wow'."

But she said the collections must continue even if the plight of the refugees no longer receives the same exposure in the media.

Miss Hale said: "The problem isn't just going to go away tomorrow. I want local businesses to step forward and step up."

The project has been such a success that mums have now set up the Worcester Refugee Relief Network. The mums behind the project are now looking into whether it can be given charitable status.

One of the main issues is logistics, transporting all the goods. Some organisations have already helped.

Practical van hire gave them the free use of a van and a driver from Home Deals is to drive the first load of children's supplies to Essex tomorrow (Saturday).

Meanwhile Papa John's Pizza in St John's provided the volunteers with free pizza while they sorted the goods into boxes.

They now need donations of boxes and plastic bags so they can transport all the goods.

Helen Laird, aged 45, the children and youth worker at the church, offered Worcester Mums Network the use of the building.

Mrs Laird said: "People in Worcester need to know that people are responding. One bag provides such a massive amount of aid to these people in need.

"The picture of the child changed people's perspective, when you see it's somebody's child or niece or nephew or grandchild."

Mrs Laird said they had run collections before but it had only been the church family and this was much more of a community project.

She said: "It is so good to bring the whole community together for a good cause. It is overwhelming and very humbling."

She said Ombersley Road Methodist Church has also been opened up for similar collections.

Those who want to donate online can visit crowdfunding.justgiving.com/WorcesterRefugeeReliefFund.

The next step is to get boxes and bags as well as the donations themselves.

If you can help contact Helen Laird via email at helen-laird@hotmail.com and she will arrange to meet at the church.