THE VIKING VOICE
SPRING 2022
Race For Ukraine: Winners and Losers
by Lottie Payne On the 24th of February 2022, Russian troops marched into Ukraine over their eastern border and the lives of the people of Ukraine changed instantly. However, just as quickly, as the tanks rolled in, so did the donations. Humanitarian charities mobilised around the world to try to right Russia’s wrongs. In the UK alone, over £100 million has been raised in a remarkably short amount of time, which has allowed for organisations such as Save the Children, Cafod, and many many more, to act quickly by setting up refugee centres on the Ukrainian border and provide food and clothing to the many people forced out of their homes by the conflict. Even the Queen and other members of the Royal Family have donated generously to the cause.
Shiplake quickly followed suit, mobilising the school community to allow them to raise funds to aid the humanitarian work needed in Ukraine. Our sponsored run was 4.5km; a combined total distance of all our runners would represent the distance between Shiplake and Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The efforts from the whole community - held together by the Rev’s phenomenal organisation skills - generated over £19,000 with gift aid, which was then gifted to the Disaster's Emergency Committee. This was an incredible achievement and a testament to the school and its ability to respond to crises.
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