Collection for Ukraine??

[Coco vergette]

Does anyone know of there is a local collection of things for Ukrainian refugees?

[hellose5]

Logistically, difficult - Ukraine no fly zone so taking financial donations through Red Cross etc for immediate reach - You could see if surrounding countries want goods or contact charities

[jonl5]

There is a collection point in Balham

If you want to donate to war refugees arriving in Poland, please donate clean clothes / bedding / sleeping bags / sanitary items / clean new shoes by taking them to:

White Eagle Club, 211 Balham High Rd, SW17 7BQ

Everything donated leaves London on Monday (Further departures expected)

[monkeyspanner]

Alternatively donate to Association of Ukrainians in GB, who are already providing medical provisions in Ukraine

https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpukraine

[kissthisguy]

My partner dropped off some stuff at the White Eagle Club this morning. Glad to say lots of other people had the same idea, if the traffic was anything to go by. @balhamnewsie on twitter seems to be doing a good job of covering what's going on so they'll probably post any more requests for donations.

jonl5 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There is a collection point in Balham

>

> https://twitter.com/kaysarah/status/14975022983769

> 16996?s=21

>

> If you want to donate to war refugees arriving in

> Poland, please donate clean clothes / bedding /

> sleeping bags / sanitary items / clean new shoes

> by taking them to:

> White Eagle Club, 211 Balham High Rd, SW17

> 7BQ

> Everything donated leaves London on Monday

> (Further departures expected)

[sunbob]

Another collection of clothes etc, for refugees in general, so not specifically Ukraine. getridofit-donate.com at St Faith?s Community Centre, SE24 9JQ every Sunday between 1:00-2:30pm by appointment.

[alex_b]

I know this is well meaning, but give money not stuff. It allows charities to buy what they actually need locally with none of the logistic overhead of sorting a load of often unsuitable cast-offs.

[beansprout]

Thanks for link - great to see fund is over ?600,000

monkeyspanner Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Alternatively donate to Association of Ukrainians

> in GB, who are already providing medical

> provisions in Ukraine

> https://www.gofundme.com/f/helpukraine

[FranHoll]

Hi Coco, I am dropping some donations off tommorow to a lady who lives on peckham/Camberwell border,who is flying to Poland on Wednesay to take donations and meet up with charities there. You can find her/details on the fb group 'Southwark mutual aid covid 19'. She will also be organising regular collections when she gets back.

[Sunlover00]

I?m going to Balham this wed to drop off supplies listed on their essential list. If anyone has items that they want to drop in pls pm me for address. I don?t have a lot of space but perfect for medical and sanitary/hygiene products like toothpaste/brushes etc

[Penguin68]

Can I urge people locally to consider donating cash and not things to Ukraine and refugees in the front-line states - things (such as toys) may be appropriate for refugees who do end up in the UK - but cash will allow the right (needed) stuff to be bought locally in the front-line states rather than incurring costs of sorting and transport across Europe. And needs I believe are now for medical equipment and staff to support the wounded.

And choose well-known charities (such as the British Red Cross) - I'm afraid that these events bring rogues out of the woodwork who will set-up scam charities. Check the background with the Charity Commission if you find an otherwise obscure charity that rings your bells.

Because this is happening in Europe there is a huge and effective infrastructure in place (and goods available to buy locally in the front-line states) which means that there are no actual shortages in the medium and long term even if specific localities may be short of some things immediately [of course, there are shortages in Ukraine itself, but getting stuff there is non-trivial and shouldn't be being done by blokes in a van].

[ianr]

Following on from Penguin68's post, I see, for example, that the Red Cross have a Ukraine Crisis Appeal, at https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal, and that it's one that can benefit from the 25% Gift Aid uplift afforded to income tax-paying donors.

[Penguin68]

Yes, I did in fact donate to that. It seemed to address the most immediate needs during a time of conflict and (validated by e.g. Bellingcat) attacks on civilians.

[apod]

I have been following the situation in Poland and most border points are appealing not to deliver more clothes. They are requesting: sleeping bags, blankets, thermal flasks, power banks, sanitary products, nappies, baby formulas, baby food, travel cots etc.

There are as well number of foundations which need cash donations to continue their operations.

I saw some posts asking for new underwear (pants, socks).

[Metallic]

Sunlover00 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I?m going to Balham this wed to drop off supplies

> listed on their essential list. If anyone has

> items that they want to drop in pls pm me for

> address. I don?t have a lot of space but perfect

> for medical and sanitary/hygiene products like

> toothpaste/brushes etc

At the moment I hear they only are accepting battery packs.

[Nigello]

I have donaated via the BRitish Red Cross. I agree that they are best placed to help and can benefit from the 25% via Gift Aid.

[oimissus]

I am happy to donate but I?m wondering if this is all a bit premature - I know many hundreds of thousands have left Ukraine but I assume they will want to return as soon as possible - am I being unduly optimistic that Putin will be brought to his senses sooner rather than later?

[ab29]

Well, I'm always a pessimist when it comes to Vlad the Psychopath.

The Guardian and UK for UNHCR have listed charities helping Ukraine:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/28/how-can-britons-help-the-people-of-ukraine

https://www.unrefugees.org.uk/take-action/how-to-help-ukraine/

[Sazzle30]

There is a local collection at the begging bowl on Bellenden road. Organised by the Begging Bowel cleaners who are Polish and Ukrainian. They have asked for the following:

Womens Coats

Woman?s Warm clothes

Food

sanitary items

Kids clothes

Sheets

Towels

Nappies

Blankets

Water bottles

Sleeping bags

They are collecting items until 9th March and then driving the items to Wlodawa

Saw this in the uva London Instagram account this morning

[tomszekeres]

It's a really kind impulse, but as others have said, it's nearly always best to send cash.

This is good information from the Red Cross https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/donate/donation-questions/emergency-appeals#Cash :

----

Why cash donations are better than goods

Cash donations are the quickest, safest and most direct way to help people and to support the work of the Red Cross in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.

Many people want to donate blankets and food when disaster strikes. But giving money is the best thing you can do.

In most cases, donating items doesn't help those affected by disaster. At worst, it can slow down our ability to save lives.

Transport costs are high for donated goods

Donated items need to be sorted, cleaned and transported.

Delivering these items means we spend more on our relief efforts. This leaves less money to help those in crisis.

Cash donations mean we can give help fast

Cash can be instantly transferred to areas where it?s needed. It can be used to buy whatever those affected by disaster need most.

This helps to rebuild communities. We can support nearby markets and traders.

In overseas emergencies, cash donations also allow us to be sensitive to local traditions and culture.

We get better value for money when we buy goods locally

When disaster strikes, we buy and source goods locally. This supports local businesses through difficult times - and it?s also more cost-effective.

On average, it costs four times more to source and buy goods here in the UK and send them overseas than it does to buy the same items locally.

Donated goods can block aid

Disaster areas are hard to reach if roads and bridges are damaged.

It?s vital that emergency teams can reach the people who need them. Roads should not be blocked by trucks carrying donations.

[Penguin68]

I think in some cases people who are planning to go to the conflict area to offer help and support think they may as well travel in a full car or van as not. That's a lovely sentiment of theirs, but (see above) it may not be the best way those not planning to offer direct help and support can best direct their charitable instincts.

[Naiada]

Update - the collection team at Begging Bowl have now posted to say they?ve been overwhelmed with items so are no longer taking donations.

Sazzle30 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There is a local collection at the begging bowl on

> Bellenden road. Organised by the Begging Bowel

> cleaners who are Polish and Ukrainian. They have

> asked for the following:

>

> Womens Coats

> Woman?s Warm clothes

> Food

> sanitary items

> Kids clothes

> Sheets

> Towels

> Nappies

> Blankets

> Water bottles

> Sleeping bags

>

> They are collecting items until 9th March and

> then driving the items to Wlodawa

>

> Saw this in the uva London Instagram account this

> morning

They?ve now updated it on Instagram too.

[Penguin68]

I would strongly suggest that you follow the recommendations from the Red Cross and others regarding donations in kind. Such donations will be much more useful for refugees who end up in the UK (and especially locally in Southwark). Right at the moment (and for some time to come, I fear) the crying need will be for medical supplies and assistance - which can only be effectively supplied from 'qualified' sources - and cash donations are the most effective in acquiring this type of support. Relatively bulky material aid which ends up in the Ukraine may well be destroyed (or looted) by the Russians.

[BrandNewGuy]

The Disasters Emergency Committee coordinates lots of reputable charities - plus donations are matched by the government up to ?20 million. And you can GiftAid on top of that:

https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

[Sunlover00]

Agreed. I think physical donations are great if you already have items around the house that could be put to better used. But if you are buying new specifically to donate then cash is much easier. I?ve spent some time sorting out donations and the logistics to get it over to Poland and ukraine is really tricky