Aid for Ukraine

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

glasgowcyclist

Über Member
I don't want this to be lost within the War with Russia thread. This is a thread for verified avenues of providing aid, money or supplies to people in Ukraine or Ukrainian refugees.

You can give money via www.dec.org.uk and the first £20M will be matched by the UK Gov. If you remember to add the gift aid, this is a great way to more than double up your donation.

Anyone have other routes, either local, national or international?
 

slowmotion

Active Member
Apologies for posting this again, but here is what the Ukrainians in London said they needed a few days ago in the way of practical stuff. There's a list of collection points if anybody has things to spare.

Dear friends in London, I need your help for my country and its brave people. We are collecting urgently needed supplies for refugees and those affected by the war in Ukraine. if you have any of the items listed and don't need them or can share, please donate. They will be delivered to Ukraine by volunteers in a few days, quicker than Red Cross or other large NGOs can get there. There are several addresses below that take donations
URGENTLY NEEDED
- power banks (for charging phones)
- large and medium size backpacks
- male socks
- camping mats
- sleeping bags
- protein bars / energy bars
- painkillers (e.g. ibuprofen)
- anti-flu medicine(Lemsips etc))
- wound dressing materials
- first aid kit
- warm blankets
- thermals/base layers
- hot water bottles
- insulated flasks
- baby food
- nappies
- feminine sanitary products
Note: we are not collecting clothes as there is sufficient supply at this stage
Many thanks for your kindness in these dark hours
Collection points:
HOLLAND PARK:
Ukrainian House
154 Holland Park Avenue
W11 4UH
TWICKENHAM:
Prosperity Restaurant
59 York Street, TW1 3LP
07853514567
Tuesday: 11am - 6pm
Wednesday-Saturday: 11am - 9pm
Sunday 12am - 9pm
STRATFORD:
Restaurant XIX
369 Hight Street
E15 4QZ
Daily 9am - 22pm
Maria - 07561322029
LEYTONSTONE:
Former Ussr Retail Shop
679-691 High Road Leyton,
E10 6RA
Ask for Vadim
HOUNSLOW:
Former Ussr Retail Shop
79-83 High Street Hounslow, TW3 1RB
Ask for Valeriy
BARKING:
Ussr Barking Warehouse
Unit 8 Banksidepark Industrial Estate,
28 Thames Road, Essex,
 
OP
OP
glasgowcyclist

glasgowcyclist

Über Member
Not sure what I think about this!

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...effort-to-get-money-to-residents-pay-not-stay

[happy to delete, if judged against the sentiment of the thread]
I think that type of scheme is too easily abused. What is stopping someone not affected by the war listing a property they don't even own and steal the money?

Even here in the UK, stories abound of people unknowingly having their homes listed and strangers turning up expecting accommodation they have already paid for.

Thanks for the suggestion but I think we should direct people to established and recognised organisations such as the Red Cross https://www.redcross.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/international/ukraine#Now
 
OP
OP
glasgowcyclist

glasgowcyclist

Über Member
There are various reports of essential goods being delayed at customs (woohoo Brexit) because of the red tape now that we’re out of the EU. This is why it’s probably best to leave the distribution of goods and medicines to those organisations with the experience and logistics to do it quickly and securely and simply donate to them whatever cash you can.

For example: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60619676

Brexit rules mean every item being transported through the EU from the UK has to be accounted for.
Fellow volunteer Debbie Stevenson said they initially had no idea how hard it would be to deal with the bureaucracy of transporting goods out of the UK.
"A bag with white t-shirts has to say '100 white t-shirts'. The code for that is different from a white sweatshirt," she said. "This is where you get tied up. It's not as easy as chucking it in the van and driving off."

[…..]

Staff at Mossgiel Organic Farm in Ayrshire quickly gathered donations, but after one lorry load of supplies was impounded in France they launched a petition calling on Boris Johnson to make it easier for donations to get through.
They wrote: "Due to Brexit laws, we are facing huge amounts of red tape - documents, codes etc that we just cannot wait days or weeks to organise."
The first lorry from Mossgiel farm finally arrived in Poland on Thursday after French officials offered a "massive amount of help" with the paperwork. Two more lorries were expected to cross the Channel on Friday.
Farmer Bryce Cunningham said it took 200 phone calls to work out how to get the donations across the English Channel.
"The red tape was horrendous," he said. "Initially I had just been asked to fill a couple a vans to meet a lorry in Glasgow on Sunday night.
"We're a farm with a few vans and a couple of sheds to store things."
Once word got out that they were collecting donations for a Polish charity, they were overwhelmed.
Mr Cunningham said: "When the lorry got to customs [in France] the paperwork wasn't right - we hadn't declared every single item. It is down to the last toothbrush."
 
Top Bottom