For Ukraine, with love from all of us

TONNES of aid from the people in the Henley area has been sent to Ukraine.

Businesses and individuals have organised collections of toiletries, clothes and food to send to neighbouring countries to help refugees, mainly women and children, escaping the invasion by Russia.

Town councillor David Eggleton and his wife Nicky have been organising collections in Henley where people can drop off donations at the town hall, the YMCA in Lawson Road and Swiss Farm in Marlow Road on weekdays.

He has already taken three vanloads to Marlow, where they have been sent on to London and then Ukraine.

On Wednesday, a van took more donations to London and another van headed directly to Poland.

“It has been a bit manic,” said Cllr Eggleton. “I’ve been going to the collection points two times a day going to pick up stuff. All I can do is work to get it to the people who are shipping it out there.”

He has been working with Anastasiia Lypynska, a Ukrainian from Nettlebed, who has been
co-ordinating efforts to send money and resources to her homeland.

Cllr Eggleton said: “I’m in contact with people who are talking to people on the border and people in Ukraine trying to find the best way to get everything over there because there’s loads of lorries heading there. They’ve got so many lorries going in with clothes that they are blocking roads and are just piling up. But none of the stuff will go to waste and it will get to those in need.

“They particularly need underwear — men’s, women’s and children’s — and nappies, toiletries and first aid equipment. Don’t give anything in glass.

“At the moment I’d urge people to give money and give to organised charities like the Red Cross.”

Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning has received a large number of donations, which were due to be sent to Ukraine today (Friday).

Pupils have been making bags of essential items for individual refugees.

Gemma Mitchell, who leads the school’s community outreach programme, said: “The students, staff and school community have really pulled together and we’ve had lots of donations coming in from parents and the community.

“The sixth form students and some volunteers from other year groups have organised for each of the tutor groups to fill a backpack over this week with items like toiletries, nappies and sanitary products.”

A pub in Stoke Row helped fill a lorry with donations which have now been dropped off at the border of Poland and Ukraine.

Dan and Natalie Redfern, who run the Cherry Tree Inn, filled the pub’s marquee with donations and had to stop collecting to avoid being overwhelmed.

The donations were then sorted by volunteers before being taken to Didcot on Thursday last week.

A paramedic who is a friend of Mrs Redfern then drove the goods and other donations in an articulated lorry to the Poland/Ukraine border, where he left his load on Sunday. Mr Redfern said: “We were overwhelmed by the contributions. We had people going out and spending hundreds of pounds on nappies and things.

“We were advised not to send too many clothes as they were looking more for food and blankets and children’s toiletries.

“We had so many donations so we asked for people to help us sort it out and we had eight amazing volunteers who came forward.

“The paramedic was originally going to drive a van out there but ended up going in an articulated lorry. On Sunday he dropped it off at the border in Poland.

“Most of the refugees have been going to the Polish border and the Polish people have been so welcoming.

“There’s still lots of people going over but we’ve been advised that enough is enough as the whole of Europe has pulled together.

“Now what’s needed is money because once the refugees have arrived in their new country they need to survive. People should donate to official registered charities to get things to the right place.”

A man from Woodcote is on his way to the Ukraine/Poland border with a van filled with donations.

Kevin Shaw collected items including 334 boxes of sanitary items, 314 packs of nappies, 483 toothpaste and toothbrush sets, 182 first aid kits, 10 sleeping bags, 623 colouring books and pencils, 70 pieces of underwear, 198 batteries and 140 new baby grows.

He has also raised £15,820 via gofundme which he will spend at the border on other humanitarian aid.

Francois Peirce, who runs Kicking Goat Cider from Stoke Row has also set up a gofundme and plans to drive in a van with three friends to take first aid kits, sleeping bags and portable cookers to the border.

They aim to find an area of the border that has received fewer humanitarian deliveries.