WE want to help! This is the message from many in Dorset moved by the harrowing images from the Syrian refugee crisis this week.

Mark Forsyth, British Red Cross refugee service coordinator for Dorset, said people were being mobilised by the photos of a drowned Syrian boy found washed up on a Turkish beach, seen across the national media on Thursday.

The charity has just launched a new a new emergency appeal as the refugee crisis in Europe continues to escalate.

Mark, who is based in Bournemouth, said: "We've had offers from teachers keen to teach them English when they arrive, we have had offers of clothes and toys, there are those people who are not sure what they want to do, but want to know 'how can we help?' The number of calls has been growing over the past few weeks and months."

While many have called wanted to donate clothing and items directly to the Syrian victims of the crisis, he said the most cost effective way was to donate to British Red Cross shops to sell the goods and raise funds. They can request that all proceeds are given to this appeal.

He added: "It's all very fresh in the media following those very strong images on the front pages of the national newspapers which has mobilised a lot of people and that is great, but the situation has been going on in Syria for four years and we have been responding continuously throughout."

While Bournemouth hasn't been a dispersal town for refugees brought in via official channels, it has seen a number of Syrian refugees over the past few years who have made it here on their own.

"We have a small Syrian community in Bournemouth- maybe 100 or so. We have helped a few dozen Syrian refugees over the past year," added Mark.

James Davies of the Bournemouth based International Care Network, a charity which supports the refugee and migrant communities with advice on immigration, employment and in finding accommodation, as well as English classes.

He told the Echo offers of accommodation locally were always "enormously helpful."

He added: "It is interesting the difference this one image has made over the last 48 hours. Nothing has touched people's hearts in the way one child lying on the beach has - it's the power of the image, the vulnerability of the child."

As well as raising money and volunteering he said people could help by putting pressure on MPs and councillors to ask "what are our local councils doing to help?"