Collection point created by Alnwick Town Council for donations to Ukrainian refugees

A central collection and distribution point has been arranged at the Northumberland Hall (the former tourist information office on the ground floor).

It will be open from Friday, March 4 from 10am to 6pm and be staffed by volunteers and councillors.

It won’t be open Saturday or Sunday but will re-open at 10am on Monday, March 7 and operate from 10am to 6pm for the whole week.

The council is aware of the fantastic work already being done at various collection points in the town and surrounding areas and encourages this to continue.

The Northumberland Hall may be used to collate all items from these venues to facilitate easier collection and distribution.

The town council is working with Northumberland County Council to ensure goods are collected from this point.

If you need help moving your collections to the Northumberland Hall please contact the town council and it will do all we can to help. To arrange collections or if you have any queries please contact the town clerk by email on [email protected]

To facilitate communications on this project the town council will act as the main point of contact and will update volunteers through its website and Facebook page.

Suitable items to donate include:

Personal hygiene products

– soaps, shower gels, shampoos and hair conditioners, hairbrushes

– toothbrushes and toothpaste, for children and adults

– antiperspirants and deodorants (mainly for women but also for men)

– face creams and tonics, hand creams for women.

– sanitary towels, tampons, panty liners

– larger sanitary pads for women in puerperium and nursing pads (breastfeeding pads)

– wet wipes, nappies of various sizes, tissues, cotton pads

Medical supplies

– first aid kits

– bandages, gauze and swabs, tourniquets, plasters, disposable gloves

– anti-pain, anti-fever and anti-inflammatory drugs for children and adults

– vitamins for children

– something for the cough, sore throat, stomach problems, nasal drops.

For children, to keep them occupied and distracted, to make them smile:

– colouring books and crayons/markers

– small puzzles

– small soft toys/ cuddly toys

– sweets: chocolates, bars, snacks, etc.

And also:

– baby porridge, baby rice, fruit/vegetable snacks in tubes (not jars),

-instant foods such as soups, etc.,

-long-term foods such as canned food, etc.,

-paper towels, cutlery and disposable plates

– sleeping bags, mats, blankets

– power banks, batteries, flashlights

Clothing in different sizes (please bring NEW items):

– women’s and children’s underwear

– cotton T-shirts, sweatshirts and tracksuits,

– thermoactive clothing

– cotton leggings for women

– women’s slippers, children’s and women’s pyjamas

– bath towels

At the moment, used clothing is not wanted. It may be asked for at a later date, if needed and requested by charity organisations in Poland.

The collected items will be sent to the strategic reserves warehouse located in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and will be distributed to centres of temporary stay for Ukrainian families who are cared for in this area or, as needed, transferred for transport to Ukraine.

Do you know of other collection points in Northumberland? If so, please email [email protected] with further details.