Gifted piano is a grand touch to Peterborough group's largest donation of vital aid to war-torn Ukraine

The instrument will be carried on the back of a lorry nearly 2,000 miles across Europe to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv where it will provide the musical accompaniment to a special concert for youngsters in the city.

The piano was donated to the Peterborough and Stamford Helping Our Ukrainian Friends group by a supporter in Bourne.

It will be part of a convoy of aid from Peterborough that will include clothes, food and medicines, walking aids, wheelchairs, stretchers and arts and crafts products for children as well as over 100 Christmas boxes with gifts as well as a large amount of power products.

Richard Astle, Chair of Helping Our Ukrainian Friends, said: “The piano has kindly been donated by a lady in Bourne.

"It will be at the Bluebell in Maxey on November 21 when the song ‘Obimi’ will be played by Marc Kukh, a Peterborough resident of Ukrainian descent, and Andrii Pliushko, a Ukrainian living in Peterborough.

"These will be its farewell notes before embarking on a 1,906 mile journey across six countries, to Kharkiv, where it will be unpacked and played at a welcome concert by the SMART Kids project, a programme of cultural activities for young people in the war torn city.

"The same Ukrainian songs will be played at both ends of the journey, framing a story of generosity and mutual support during a time of war.”

Mr Astle said the piano will be loaded on to a lorry leaving Peterborough on November 24 and driven by local businessman Yuri Zhuravel.

It will be taken first to Szczecin in western Poland and then put on a separate lorry for the journey across the border and into Kyiv.

From Kyiv it will be taken by one of HOUF’s partner charities, Sustain Ukraine, on the final leg of its journey – a further 300 miles to Kharkiv in the east for the SMART Kids concert.

Mr Astle: “It might be unusual to take a piano as part of our aid to Ukraine but in fact we have always supported young people through the Summer Camps, and the provision of arts and crafts equipment and Christmas boxes and previously have donated guitars and wind instruments.

"And our association with the SMART Kids programme goes back at least two years.”

Mr Astle added: “The lorry will also be completely full of other donated items.

"This is HOUF’s 26th and largest collection yet.

"It will also contain a large amount of power products.

"This follows a meeting with our Ukrainian partners earlier this month after which we launched an immediate appeal for funds to purchase power products to help front line communities and families through the winter.

"The response was amazing, with £11,000 raised in just three days.

"The money bought 2,100 eight-hour candles, 180 power banks, 90 LED work lights, 90 LED floodlights, 30 diesel heaters, eight laptop power banks, three large power stations (for larger electrical items) and two generators.

Mr Astle added: “The story of the piano is a wonderful example of how our communities, nearly 2000 miles apart, can work together in a time of war.

"We share a common love of music, just as we share a common desire for a just peace in Ukraine.

"I recently met with our Ukrainian charity partners to discuss our latest delivery and they all joined us by candlelight.

"They have no power and have no power for hours on end.

"And it is only the start of winter.

"They looked physically and mentally exhausted.

"We asked them what they needed most and they said power banks, candles and torches.

"We asked them if they wanted us to send all our available funds now or hold some back for future donations.

"They said: ‘Send it now, We might be dead later.’

He said: “It feels as if the war cannot continue another year.

"One or the other side will collapse.

"Helping Our Ukrainian Friends will do everything it can to make sure it isn’t Ukraine.”