The woman behind the Wiltshire for Ukraine Facebook page has said that “help is needed now” in England, after co-ordinating 1,017 boxes of donations.

Magdalena Najman, 37, from Teffont Magna, says she is liaising to send donations in the next few days to Poland to help the refugees.


Read more: 7 ways Salisbury is supporting Ukraine - and how you can help


Magdalena is from Poland and her family has already taken in two refugee mothers and their children.

“My parents are helping to settle down and find schools for the children,” she said.

Magdalena said of the situation in Poland: “There’s plenty of help. People are trying to get together and find help for everyone.

“But Poland cannot cope with what’s happening. Everyone is trying their best to help.

“Help is needed and it is needed now, and it is all good taking goods, but people will need other things and schools and accommodation in England – and that is hopefully the next chapter.”

For now, collecting donations has paused at Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre and the Nadder Centre, Tisbury, while she works out her next steps: “I am going to Poland in a week’s time to meet refugees and see what the situation is like in Poland and see what we can do to help them from the UK, and discuss what their biggest need is.”

To join the Wiltshire for Ukraine Facebook group, to keep up to date with efforts, click here.

Today we launch our fundraising campaign to help the victims of this war. Please join us: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/therewithukraine

Donations made via JustGiving and use of the JustGiving website will be subject to the JustGiving privacy policy https://www.justgiving.com/about/info/privacy-policy/privacy-policy-v30 and cookie policy https://www.justgiving.com/about/info/cookie-notice 

None of the donation will be collected by Newsquest. Financial transactions are with JustGiving to donate to the British Red Cross Society DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross Society raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.

For more information visit  https://donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/disaster-fund Charity Registration No. Eng/Wales 220949,Scot SC037738, IOM 0752, Jers430

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