Peterborough people urged to 'get active, not angry' at White House treatment of Ukrainian president by helping mercy mission

Peterborough residents who might have been outraged by the treatment of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to the White House are being urged to channel their anger into helping a charity mission to the war-torn country.

The call comes from Richard Astle, chair of Peterborough-based Helping Our Ukrainian Friends (HOUF), which is making its 20th delivery of essential supplies to Ukraine next week.

Mr Astle said: “Since President Zelensky’s meeting with Donald Trump, we have had a wave of new donations as people want to share their support for Ukraine.

"Instead of getting angry, we are asking people to get active and donate now to help our Ukrainian friends.

“HOUF is asking the people of Peterborough to channel their indignation at how President Zelensky was treated in the White House and instead of getting angry, get active."

The group is making its 20th delivery to Ukraine with a team of four flying to Bucharest where they will pick up two 4x4 vehicles and drive them to Kyiv, over a two-day journey.

"The vehicles will be donated to medical units serving with the Ukrainian army and helping evacuate casualties from the front line.

"The money for the vehicles was raised respectively by a team of Ukrainian ladies, who held a Race Night at Burghley Golf Club last month, and by Peterborough based Princebuild, who have been long-term supporters of HOUF’s work.

In addition, HOUF will be donating a further £16,000 to Ukrainian charities working with communities on the front line, including one, Cross Charity that runs a field kitchen providing hot food to exhausted soldiers, fighting in defence of their country.

And to underline the importance of HOUF’s work, the founder of Cross wrote to the group’s members after the initial donation to the charity was raised from £3,000 to £5,000 following a flood of donations following Zelensky’s visit to Washington.

The letter stated: “To the HOUF team, in moments when we are completely giving up, it is you and your support that gives us the feeling that we are not alone.”

Mr Astle said: "Financial donations can be through our Crowd funding pages Crowdfunding to Support communities in Ukraine with food/medical aid. or you can donate food, such as rice, pasta and tins, medicines such as aspirin or paracetamol – get in touch with me so we can organise collection – [email protected] ”

Since the start of the Russian invasion, HOUF, which is a group of people from Peterborough, Stamford and Sheffield, has been working with Ukrainian partners to deliver aid and support communities torn apart by the war.

Later this year it will be supporting a Summer Respite Camp for war widows and their children, providing funding and sending a team of volunteers to assist.

So far the group has made 20 trips to Ukraine and raised nearly £350,000, in addition it has donated two ambulances, five 4x4 vehicles and over 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid.