Our appeal closed on 31st March. We raised just over £8000 which once gift aid and matched government funding has been added should total some £20,000. An amazing response.
From Sandford to Poland and on to Ukraine
In Sandford, Angela Morris, set up her house as a hub for donations to Ukraine. It started in a very small way in early March with a place where people could drop off clothing and other items to go to Ukraine. It soon became part of a major network, set up by Joanna Krupa on Facebook. Joanna is a 42 years old Polish-born American model, actress and animal rights activist, whose husband Douglas Nunes is in Poland trying to help evacuate refugees from Ukraine. She has her own TV show in Poland.
Angela took the items to Worle Community Centre where they were sorted. They were then sent on to a huge barn in Kingston Seymour, where volunteers packed and crated them and loaded them onto vans and articulated lorries going to Poland.
The first lorry left on 7th March
Angela received items from Sandford, Winscombe, Banwell, Churchill, Langford, Cheddar, Axbridge and Blagdon. She had a cash donation of £100 specifically to be used to buy fuel for the lorries and vans going to Poland. The response was absolutely fantastic.
Joanna was interviewed on local TV. She said “My husband is there trying to organize some transportation.” “It just warms my heart to see how much good is being done at this really emotional and critical and sad time,” she said. When the whole war started, Douglas said, ‘I can’t just sit back and do nothing.’
The priorities have changed now. Huge amounts of clothing have been donated, but the real need now is for medical supplies for those injured in the conflict. The best way for these to get where they are needed is through the Disasters Emergency Committee – DEC Ukraine Appeal. Angela is still much involved and she can be contacted by telephone on 01934 852327.