Fresh appeal for aid as Peterborough group to set out on eighth aid trip to bring supplies to Ukraine

An aid team from the region is to set out on their eighth trip to deliver to Ukraine in March as they continue their efforts to support the country during the ongoing conflict.

The ‘Helping Our Ukrainian Friends’ group- which was Richard Astle and Tony Bovill- will set out with three vans with food, warm clothes and medical supplies on March 15.

Friday (February 24) marks exactly one year since the Russian invasion began and the group has been active ever since then to support the citizens of the country who have had their lives turned upside down by the conflict both in Ukraine and Poland, where many have been forced to flee to.

The group, which is made up of volunteers works with local pubs, churches and cafes to encourage donations of food and clothes.

For the latest trip, the group are appealing for donations of food (tinned goods, rice, pasta, flour and noodles), supplies (paracetamol, vitamins, sanitary products, nappies, torches, battery packs and camping stoves) and decorated shoe boxes for children, filled with toys, puzzles, games, art supplies etc to be given as an Easter treat.

The donation points are: The Granary Café, Willowbrook Farm Shop, Churches at Helpston, Bainton, Barnack, All Saints Church at Park Road, St Peter’s Church, Yaxley, Princebuild offices at Empsom Road, Peterborough City Council Offices, City College Peterborough, The Bluebell, Helpston, The Bluebell, Maxey, Golden Pheasant, Etton and the Café in Castor and Ailsworth.

Companies around Peterborough have been particularly generous with financial donations. Four companies have donated over £5,000 each and many others have made substantial contributions. Key partners include Princebuild, Cross Keys Homes, Denbury Homes, Comparethemarket.com, Canter Holland, Buckles Solicitors, MacIntyre Hudson, Greenwoods Solicitors, Hegartys Solicitors, the Earl Fitzwilliam Charitable Fund, Barnack plc, Firman Estate Agents, Farrer & Co, Helpston Garden Centre, Allison Homes, Denbury and Athene Communications.

Several schools in Peterborough, Stamford, Oundle, Dronfield, Doncaster and Cambridgeshire are now directly involved in the project, collecting food and creating gift boxes for Ukrainian children.

In total, the team has raised over £130,000.

Combined with the previous seven trips, the group will have: - Delivered 37 generators for use by churches, schools, orphanages, charities and cafes across Ukraine- Delivered 20 tonnes of donated food supplies, including rice, pasta, tinned food to villages close to the Russian border in Sumy oblast and across southern Ukraine.- Delivered two tonnes of general medical supplies, such as bandages, sutures, surgical gowns and gloves to the Kyiv Heart Institute- Purchased specialist medical equipment for the Kyiv Heart Institute, particularly 15 heart valves and over 600 sutures - Supported a charity for the deaf in Odesa, buying head torches, power packs and hi-vis ribbons to help them- Delivered 600 gift boxes for Ukrainian refugee children in Poland and in Rivne and Sumy Oblasts.- Supported 160 Ukrainian refugee children to attend a residential summer camp in Poland, providing them with much-needed respite and a range of activities with children their own age - Supported 90 Ukrainian refugee children to attend week-long day camps in Gliwice, Poland- Supported financially three individual families of refugees to establish their families in Poland.

The impact of the group’s work can be seen on their Youtube channel.