The effort to send supplies from Newport to the people of Ukraine has ramped up, with a huge lorry secured which will ferry vital items to Eastern Europe.
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine entering its third week, efforts to help the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled their homeland has stepped up a notch.
Already, the people of Newport and communities within have done their bit to help – along with the wider Gwent area.
Vans and cars full of medicines, food, clothes and baby supplies have already departed South Wales for Poland – where many Ukrainian refugees have ended up, and they won’t be the last.
Today (Sunday, March 13), community group The Women of Newport – who have played a huge part in the city’s efforts so far, confirmed that they have sourced a HGV lorry – which will allow them to take a huge volume of items to those most in need, all at once.
Such has been the donation drive so far, many places have had to place a temporary stop on new items being donated, to allow the existing supply to be sorted and shipped.
This was the case at the Westgate Hotel collection point, along with the Rogue Fox Coffee House.
Instead, the city centre effort is currently looking for volunteers to spend their time helping out, and for financial donations to organise the shipment of items to Eastern Europe.
Read more: Wales sends medical supplies to support Ukraine
According to a post on The Women of Newport Facebook page, it may yet be a number of weeks before more items are needed – with several tonnes of items having come in from across the county and beyond.
Group organiser Kamila Jarczak revealed that donations have come from “as far west as Pembrokeshire, as north as Brecon, and as east as Chepstow”, with seven tonnes of items already leaving Newport for Poland.
And their efforts to raise money to allow more items to be shipped has already raised over £500.
Meanwhile, this weekend, groups from across Gwent, including Usk and Caldicot, have set out themselves to deliver items closer to the conflict zone.
More information, including how to play your part in helping the people of Ukraine at a local level, can be found here.
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