Shropshire rallies to support Ukraine as lorry-loads of donations flood in

And the Polish communities in Shropshire and Mid Wales are among the most active.

Members of Polski Glos in Telford and Wrekin thanked people in the area who responded after an appeal on Facebook. Hundreds of items of food and medical supplies have been received at an empty unit next to B and M in the Northern Quarter of Telford Town Centre.

Ela Matys from the group said: "The Polish community have been touched this very emotional appeal and are overwhelmed with the support given by everyone in Telford. "

Meanwhile children at Tilstock Church of England Primary School near Whitchurch have been collecting toiletries and other items for child refugees in Poland.

Head at the school, Rowena Kaminski, said it was important to show the children that they could help in a positive way.

"Children of course know that something is happening, however much we try to shield them from bad news. We have both Polish and Ukrainian families in the community and we have five families from Poland in our school," she said.

"One of the families has contacts with the Polish organisation that is sending lorry loads of aid from Shropshire on Friday and so they came in and explained to our years 5 and 6 children in a child friendly way that there were children with no home, who may not have their families with them and how our pupils could help.

"They looked at the journey their donations would take and explained that whether it was a toothbrush or a teddy to hold, it would go straight to those children."

She said the school had also had many donations from the wider community.

In Market Drayton, company director Chris Williams, his partner Natalie Willers, and Jordanna Jones of the community Facebook page the Drayton Crier have teamed up to bring the town together in an effort to help.

They will be using financial donations to buy products, and Mr Williams will be using one of his two removal vans to take items to collection points organised by The Polish Integration Support Centre which is leading and coordinating the ‘Polish-British Solidarity with Ukraine’ action.

He said: "Natalie had the idea that we have to do something. We have children, and watching other children going through such suffering is heartbreaking.

"I am ex-forces and I feel we are not doing enough to help Ukraine. But we can do something for the children."

He has also got support from the local branch of Morrisons to buy Easter Eggs for children to help them.

But the group are also looking for thermal clothing, sleeping bags, pencils, toys, life blankets, blankets, patches, shampoos, blood bags, pharmacy, clothing new underpants, and metal cups. They can be contacted via the Facebook page.

Newport Foodshare and Save have been collecting toiletries this week to be taken to Eccleshall today for transportation to Poland to meet the needs of Ukrainian people forced out of their homes.

The group of volunteers normally collect edible food from supermarkets and local businesses that can no longer sell the produce and it would otherwise be wasted. But they have been concentrating on toiletries since the trouble in Ukraine began, using Newport Library and the Royal British Legion as hubs.

Tina Dean from the group said: "We decided to concentrate on one thing, in this case toiletries, because it is easier to collect, sort and distribute them.

"We are indebted to the people of Newport such as library users who have donated there, the Rotary Lite group and the regular visitors to the Newport Food Share and Save group who have all been very generous.

"So far we have filled a people carrier and this will be going to Eccleshall to be unloaded and the lorry will go on Friday at 8.30am as organised by the London White Eagles group. We hope to fill another car before then as well but would like to thank the people of Newport for their great efforts so far - I think everyone thinks they should be doing something to help and this is a big help for those who are in need."

In Denbighshire, the owners of the Rhug Estate have set up a conference room up as a donation site, acting as a drop-off point for essential items which are urgently needed.

Blankets, coats for women and children, warm clothes including hats, gloves, scarves and socks can be dropped off at the conference centre, behind the farm shop, between 9am and 5pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Lord Newborough, Owner of Rhug Estate said: “I have friends who are still in Ukraine. There are Rhug Estate staff who have family still in Ukraine. These are normal families who are now concerned for their lives.

"They have sent me terrifying footage of the war that is going on on their doorstep. We have to do all we can to help. We searched for a local donation site but couldn’t find one in this area of Denbighshire so the team here at Rhug have rallied round and we will become that local drop-off site for everyone to come to and donate items.”

Welshpool also hosted a collection site as part of efforts to get items to Ukrainian refugees.

The town's masonic hall was stacked with items donated from locals, with enough to fill five vans received in just a few hours.

Graeme Harkness, who helped co-ordinate the collection with the local Polish community, said they had been overwhelmed at the response from residents and businesses.

He said: "We did three hours this morning and the response was phenomenal. Within 20 minutes of being there we filled a fairly large van. A second van followed, a third has gone off to Telford this afternoon and there are two more."

The appeal has been co-ordinated by the Polish Integration Centre in Wrexham and has seen huge levels of support from communities in Telford, Oswestry and Whitchurch, while Liverpool, Chester, Manchester and Flint are also part of the appeal.

The items will be taken to refugees who are fleeing Ukraine via the Polish border.

Mr Harkness said: "The collection point at Wrexham has been swamped today too and had to stop any further collections."

He added: "The response from Welshpool was absolutely amazing. the amount of goods and the amount of people turning up was incredible.

"A lot of people had been out and bought brand new clothes, sleeping bags, toiletries, hygiene products.

"I think people just want to respond in the best way they can and can appreciate the plight people are going through, through no fault of their own.

"We had a lot of people turning up saying can we take money, I said no and they went off and did shopping and brought it back."

Meanwhile the Shropshire Star has already reported on Lawley resident and single mother Magda Benadda, who said she was determined to help.

And an appeal being run by another group of Polish residents is hoping to provide 12 lorry loads of items to help with the refugee effort.

It is being run by Anna Buckley from the Polish Integration Centre in Wrexham, and has collection points across the county and wider afield.

They are looking to provide foil survival blankets, toys, nappies, sanitary towels, first aid kits, towels, sleeping bags, shampoo, toothbrushes, children's clothes, and more.

In Shropshire collection points are in Telford, Oswestry and Whitchurch, while Liverpool, Chester, Manchester and Flint are also part of the appeal.

Mrs Buckley, director of the integration centre, said that through close contacts in the Polish government they have been given the bleak picture of the situation at the border, with around three to five million refugees expected to need help in the coming weeks.

By Monday the appeal already had enough for two lorry-loads, and expectations are it will reach 12 by the time they depart.

Mrs Buckley said: "It is essential items we are asking for, it is horrendous what has happened there."