Ukraine Christmas Appeal

Since March a team of local people and organisations has been delivering food to Ukrainian communities in Sumy Oblast, eastern Ukraine. So far they have made four deliveries, taking over 5 tonnes of food to a church in Gliwice, Poland, from where it is transported to another church in Rivne, western Ukraine, before being delivered to villages near Sumy, close to the border with Russia.

Videos on the groups Facebook page show the food on the various stages of its 1700 mile journey, from collection points around Peterborough and the Deepings to Poland and on to Ukraine, where it can be seen being distributed while artillery shells fall in the background. The Bishop of Sumy has recently written to us as follows ... Dear friends!

Sumy Regional Association of the Centre of the CVE sincerely thanks that you have already four times sent us help to support the service of mercy in Sumy region. Our Sumy region is located on the border with the Russian Federation, was partially occupied, many cities and villages suffered and were destroyed, and are now suffering from constant shelling by Russian troops, especially settlements located along the line of the Russian border. And precisely this aid was brought to the villages to support the people living there. We sincerely thank you for your support of Ukraine, for the fact that you did not stay aside, but provided very timely and necessary assistance, thanks to which thousands of people in the Sumy region received food products. May God bless you abundantly bless and supply all your needs! Bishop of Sumy Oblast

You can find out more about the project on Facebook and Just Giving site FACEBOOK/HelpingUkrainesSurgeons www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpingukrainesurgeons For further details email Richard Astle richard@athene-communications.co.uk

In total the team has raised over £60,000 and as well as the supplies of food and medical supplies, has supported over 240 refugee children to attend summer camps in Poland. Many of these children have experienced significant trauma, leaving their fathers and brothers behind, sheltering from bombing raids or watching as their houses are destroyed. Two members of the team volunteered to go out to help with the running of the camp and were privileged to spend time with these amazing people and to witness their courage and pride in their country. In addition, the project was able to buy ten heart valves and 640 sutures for the Kyiv Heart Institute. Each heart valve can save someone’s live as the Ukrainain health service has struggled to maintain services in the face of the destruction of over 500 health care facilities in the country. There is a moving video of one of the recipients of the valves and also of the operation to insert it on the Facebook page. Huge thanks to everyone involved in the project and to the local companies and individuals that donated to make it happen. The team are now hoping to make their largest delivery yet in time for Christmas. They have set up more collection points than ever before including at The Granary Café, St Botolph’s Church, Helpston, The Bluebell, Helpston, Hayloft Coffee Shop at Hunters, Cophill Farm, and the churches at Thurlby, Baston and Langtoft.

We are asking people to make a small donation of the following items before Sunday 27 November • Rice • Flour • Pasta • Noodles • Any tinned food • Sanitary Products • Paracetamol

The food will then be delivered to Gliwice, Poland in early December, reaching the front line communities in Sumy before Christmas.