I appreciate that many of my constituents may wish to donate money and items to provide help and support to the people of Ukraine. Countries on the Ukrainian borders are already reporting that they’re overwhelmed with goods, and right now the Red Cross is saying money is the best thing to donate. If you wish to donate money, consider donating to the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee, which has set up a Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal: https://www.nigelhuddleston.com/news/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal.
However if people do want to gather items to send out, please first think carefully about what you donate, and please only supply essential goods from the lists that are circulating online. Avoid sending inexperienced volunteers in cars and vans to Europe.
Instead, local transportation company Oakland International will be heading to Eastern Europe to take donations for the people of Ukraine displaced by the Russian Invasion. Therefore, if you do wish to donate items, please ensure you get your goods to Attwell Park Farm, Seafield Lane, B98 9DB, just north of Redditch off the A435. Ideally, these should be in pallet format where possible or boxed in a way they can be loaded on to pallets.
My thanks go out to Oakland International, who are providing the lorries and the drivers and are coordinating a UK level response of up to 50 transports.
[email protected] is their email for groups to coordinate.
