Berwick farmer raises over £27,000 for war-torn Ukraine as part of Pickups for Peace campaign

Following his own journey across Europe to deliver a fully loaded pickup earlier in the year, Daniel Whiteford came up with a brilliant initiative to create a unique ‘Pedigrees for Peace’ online sale of top British beef genetics, including his own Aberdeen Angus breed.

Donations from around the UK of Angus, Hereford, Limousin and Charolais genetics, gave Harrison & Hetherington a top quality timed online sale of 51 lots that sold out for almost twice the expected target of £15,000.

The money will pay for three or possibly four used pick-up trucks and their full complement of supplies, to be delivered to the 24th Lviv Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade, as part of the Pickups for Peace campaign.

Daniel, of Borewell Farm, near Berwick, can still hardly believe how successful his fundraising venture has been.

“When I went out to Ukraine last month to donate my own truck, I saw for myself what the Ukrainian people were facing, and what a difference these pickups are making to the 24th Brigade,” he explained.

"So, working with Josh we started asking other beef farmers if they would donate lots for an online sale, and the response and generosity was incredible. So was the response from Harrison & Hetherington and Mart Eye, who organised and carried out the sale at no charge, and from the buyers who raised this amazing total of over £27,000. I can’t thank everybody enough. It’s a brilliant result.”

Scott Donaldson, managing director of Harrison & Hetherington, said: “This whole initiative was a wonderful testimony to the UK farming community and their determination to support the Ukrainian people, and it just shows what can be done in two weeks.

"Daniel secured some top class lots from the leading beef breeds and buyers from the four corners snapped them up for very generous prices to give us a result far beyond our expectations.”

Pickups for Peace is an initiative aiming to send at least 200 used pickups filled with essential supplies to farmers in eastern Ukraine. The NFU is hoping to hit the target by the end of the year.

For more details visit: https://www.nfuonline.com/media/lurh3oy4/pick-ups-for-peace-9-mar-23.pdf