John Kyrle High School hosted a collection point for ‘Ross-on-Wye for Ukraine’ on Tuesday, March 19. 

They accepted donations for clothes, shoes, bedding and towels to support displaced communities in war-torn Ukraine which are then driven to drop points throughout the country.

Ross-on-Wye for Ukraine summarises their work: “We have been collecting and sending aid into Ukraine since February 27 in 2022, and so far, we have sent 39 shipments to support displaced communities affected by the war. 

“Unfortunately, the war is still going on, and it’s getting harder for us to get to Ukraine with much-needed aid. We have a tip planned to leave on March 25, and we will be on the road for about 10 days. We will drop aid at three different locations in Ukraine; the first will be a small town similar to the size of Ross-on-Wye. We will then have misplaced families and an orphanage initially based in Mariupol. We will then go to Vinnystsia and then onto Kyiv. Here we help displaced families , and our goods go to the front-line. We have two vans and a horse box we need to fill. We are looking for clothes, shoes, bedding, and towels, but we can’t take duvets or pillows. We also collect food if you would like to bring it to the shop at KTS Craft Warehouse at the bottom of Eddie Cross Street. Everything counts to make a difference.”

The group are also accepting donations through their GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/21532247 to fund the cost of fuel during the trip. 

They sleep in the vans to keep the costs down but the drive is roughly 3600 miles and therefore any donation is appreciated. The Ross-on-Wye for Ukraine team spend two days driving to the Ukraine border and usually only get three hours a sleep a night. They then stay overnight at each drop point before heading home. 

“The items you donate help so many people who don’t get any help from big charities. We would be extremely grateful if you could please help,” the team added.