Dumfries & Galloway Community Combine Efforts To Boost Ukrainian Aid

Amazing efforts are taking place, across Dumfries & Galloway, to send aid to the people of Ukraine.

Robyn Peden, a Health Care Assistant at DGRI, has been patiently waiting for two years, to be crowned the next Guid Nychburris Cornets’ Lass. Robyn co-ordinated an emergency donation effort from her colleagues on the Outpatients’ department and also their friends and families to donate much-needed supplies.

With contributions flooding in, a donation centre was sought. Newstart Recycle in Annan was identified as a regional centre passionate about the collection and delivery of donated goods for the benefit of Ukrainian refugees.

Tony Nisbet of Newstart recycle in Annan told DGWGO “We’ve got 20 -30 people working in here, we’re picking up at Ecclefechan, we’re picking up at Langholm.”

‘We need essential goods’

“We’ve had a van going every day to Poland this week. We need essential goods like medication, toiletries, blankets but not duvets and pillows as they take up too much room, children’s clothes, baby clothes, ladies clothes but no men’s clothes at the moment, the men aren’t at the refugee camps.”

“We are also sending dried dog and cat food. Some of the pouches are okay but tins are too heavy and too bulky”

“We’ve sent over at least 20 or 30 prams and we’ve sent off about the same amount of toddler chairs. They’re great but they’ve gotta be right. If they send one that’s no good then there’s a massive amount of paperwork to do now that we are out of the EU.”

“We’ve sent off tons and tons of soft toys. We can’t send plastic toys and big toys.

We’ve got a van load of sleeping bags to go that came in yesterday. So anything like that is excellent.

We’re working flat out here and we can’t go collect stuff. We just haven’t got the capacity at the moment.