A collection for the people of Ukraine will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at the Saffron Walden Common car park from 9.00am until 1.00pm. Organised by Saffron Walden Rotary this will be the twenty-sixth overall that Rotary has organised since Ukraine was invaded.
It is over four years now since Russia invaded Ukraine and according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission, the relentless shelling and drone strikes have killed at least 15,850 Ukrainian civilians and nearly 45,000 injured. The energy crisis is disrupting public access to water, electricity, heating, healthcare, education and social protection. More than 2.5 million homes across the country – 13% of the housing stock – have been damaged or destroyed, leaving many Ukrainians in damaged homes or in buildings ill-prepared for life-threatening freezing temperatures.
As the war continues, humanitarian needs are multiplying and spreading. An estimated 10.8 million people in Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance in 2026, with the hardest winter yet for Ukrainians.
Donations, together with food and generators bought using cash contributions, are taken to UK-Aid, the local charity also known as Felsted Aid for Deprived Children. UK-Aid checks each item for suitability, cleanliness and quality before packing and weighing for the customs manifest.
As UK-Aid already has a large amount of clothing to process, it has asked that clothing not be donated for the time being.
Other regular donations are still needed, including tinned and dried food, toiletries, sanitary products, shoes and bedding in good condition (but not pillows or duvets), mobility aids, toys, educational items, washing powder and other cleaning products, wet wipes, hand sanitizer and more. UK-Aid has also urgently requested generators, candles, torches and batteries, power packs, and solar panels or solar power packs, as Russia continues to target power stations.
Lead Rotarian John Tapscott said “The response to our previous collections have been truly heart-warming so I am hopeful it will be the same this time. Please help us.”
If you have any queries contact John at tapscott24@btinternet.com.