Generous tenants at our Woodcote sheltered housing scheme have raised £900 for the Red Cross. The fundraising will help support children and elderly people caught up in the conflict in Ukraine.
The 60 residents at Woodcote in Hethersett held a special coffee morning, where they watched 2 films about the background to the conflict. One film was presented by Red Cross workers on the ground in Ukraine.
Stephen Baxter, scheme manager (far right in picture), said:
Lots of residents had been asking what they could do to help. They were moved by images of families and elderly people suffering terrible conditions as a result of the conflict,
Also, one of the carers who works here has a Ukrainian husband, so that has also brought the crisis closer to home.
Woodcote tenant Richard Headicar said:
The suffering of elderly people and children and families caught up in what is going on in Ukraine has tugged on all of our heartstrings. We all wanted to do what we could to help mitigate their plight.
Fellow tenant Molly Allison added:
I have cried every morning when I see what is happening on the television.
Humanitarian aid
Red Cross teams are working both in Ukraine itself and in neighbouring countries, where they are providing humanitarian aid to the influx of refugees. This includes food and water, first aid and medicines, warm clothes and shelter.
The charity has distributed over 90,000 food and hygiene parcels and provided food, warm clothes and other aid to around 7,000 people sheltering in metro stations in Kyiv. It has also delivered first aid training to over 12,000 people in Ukraine.