Polish centres across Greater Manchester have set up donation points to support refugees fleeing Ukraine.
More than 660,000 people have now left Ukraine as air strikes and street fighting continues in what the Prime Minister has called a ‘barbaric’ move by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Poland has already accepted 450,000 Ukrainians, and so the Polish community of Britain have set up the campaign – ‘British & Polish solidarity with Ukraine’ – in order to allow people to donate items for Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Donations received will be sent on trucks directly to the Polish border to be distributed among those who need it.
One volunteer at Bury Polish Social Club, Agne, 25, who is Lithuanian, said: “I’m feeling so worried all the time about what’s going on and you cant do anything else other than helping out like this.
“It’s really good to see how much has been donated, because that’s what we need at the moment, to stand together and spread positivity.
“I have a friend in Ukraine who I spoke to, and he told me about his friend who’s just had a baby a month ago, she’s hiding in the metro and she needs formula milk for her baby.
“I have two children, I spoke to my four-year-old about it and he said, ‘Mummy, can I put some of my cars in the bags? I want to make the children smile?’
“I can barely imagine myself what it must be like, I was in the military when I was younger and I’d be over there helping if I could, but my kids need there mum.”
The centres are appealing for new clothing and shoes, toiletries, blankets, sleeping bags, bandages, nappies and baby wipes, sanitary products, crayons and colouring books.
The centres are also asking for volunteers to help sort through the donations on Friday, March 4 from 10am before they are collected.
Donations can be taken to:
Polish Social Centre, Back East Street, Bury, BL9 0RU. Monday- Friday 7:30pm- 9:30pm.
“Vilnius” Polish Centre, Manchester, Worsley Road, M30 8BL. Monday 2pm- 8:30pm, Tuesday 2pm- 10pm, Wednesday- Friday 2pm- 7pm.
BeeHouse, Deansgate Locks, 2 Whitworth Street, M1 5LH, Manchester. Monday- Friday 12pm- 10pm.
Donations are being accepted until Thursday 3rd March 9pm, after this date financial donations only will be accepted and any money will be used to purchase medical equipment and packs.
Details for monetary donations are:
Polish Integration Support Centre
Sort code: 40-47-26
Account number: 32758903
