Morpeth does itself proud with response to help Ukraine refugees

Sackloads of goods full of items such as nappies, toiletries and clothes have been donated, including at Morpeth Town Hall after residents were encouraged to bring them along on Saturday and Monday.

Individuals have organised their own collections too and people have also been given the opportunity to donate cash to help the relief efforts, most notably on Saturday when Morpeth Lions Club members and other volunteers were stationed in streets across the town (see page 5).

Morpeth town councillor Alison Byard arranged for the Town Hall to be open for donations after being contacted by Lidia Michalak from the Polish Centre in Newcastle.

Coun Byard said: “I know Lidia and some of her colleagues as I happened to be at St Mary’s Church on November 1 when a group came to do their annual tradition of lighting candles at the war graves in the churchyard.

“We got talking and this led to us restoring the civic link with the Polish community.

“Lidia mentioned offering to pick up donated items from Morpeth and transport them to Poland to Ukrainian refugee centres in the country.

“Like other communities across the world, Morpeth has come together to respond to the dreadful situation in Ukraine and with Morpeth Lions organising a big street bucket collection, we felt it would be useful to have a goods collection in the Town Hall.

“The Corn Exchange and Butter Market were both packed with donations, and volunteers.

“Many came to donate and stayed to sort, and all of the town council staff worked hard from lunchtime on Monday, sorting and carrying out to vans.

“Linda Bright from Price’s did a trip to the Polish Centre in her van and Year 2 at St Robert’s First School turned up with a donation each.

“I would also like to mention donations collected by Lidl staff and customers, Stobhill Link, WI, donation of food by Iceland and significant cash donations from St Aidan's Church and the Parish of Morpeth Youth Group.”

A retired couple, Ken and Pauline Gray of Oakland Park in Fulbeck, organised their own collection in their local area and did a leaflet drop so people would know about it. Lidia works for a company that cleans for them and so items donated to the couple were also collected by the Polish Centre van.

Ken said: “We had a fantastic response and it gives you a bit of faith in humanity.

“A lot of thought went into the donations and some of our neighbours helped to sort the items out before the van arrived.

“One of the people who got in touch has a factory in Cramlington and he ended up donating 1,700 pairs of trousers.”

Financial donations can also be made via the Disasters Emergency Committee at www.dec.org.uk