Banbury charity workers make fresh, urgent appeal for aid to help recently devastated areas of Ukraine - new video

Magdalena Kwiecinska, who leads the charity organisation originally inspired by Polish residents in Banbury, produced a new list of items needed, ranging from baby milk to diesel generators. The group’s work has been taken to heart and supported by hundreds of local individuals, families and businesses.

"We urgently need food - any non-perishable food and children’s stuff, baby milk, bottles, snacks and so on,” she said.

"We desperately need stuff for Bucha, Irpin and Borodyanka - three of the worst affected towns next to Kyiv. They haven’t received any humanitarian aid yet. I am in touch with the mayors of two of these towns and we know they need our help badly.”

The list starts with children's needs including nappies (sizes three and five), baby milk, infant meals in jars, baby milk powder, wet wipes, bottles, teats, thermos flasks plus children's clothes and shoes for the spring.

The requirements needed for general use include food items with a long use-by date or meals for quick preparation, long life milk, cans of meat, fish and vegetables, sunflower oil, rice, breakfast cereals, pasta, soups and instant sauces. The list continues with energy bars, biscuits, dried fruit, nuts, freeze dried food, preserves and packaged semi-finished products.

The group is also appealing for warm blankets, pillows, bedding, personal hygiene products including toothbrushes and toothpaste, soaps, wet wipes, shampoos, gels, toilet paper and paper towels, women's hygiene products and adult incontinence pads.

The call has also gone out for 5-10KW and 10-25KW diesel generators, external extension cords, lamps, lanterns (preferably with chargeable batteries), head torches, candles, lighters, camping gas cookers and cylinders, medical equipment and supplies, painkillers, antibiotics, bandages and plasters, disinfectant for wounds and non-permeable plasters.

There is also an appeal for equipment and articles for territorial defence including batteries and powerbanks, chargers, sleeping bags and mats, knee and elbow pads, gas lamps, tactical glasses, fuel for heaters, blankets, thermal underwear and socks plus fleece clothing.

A lorry left from Banbury for Lviv yesterday with two members of the group who will be staying for two weeks to help in a hospital shelter. They have taken with them a consignment of aid for soldiers and hospitals.

The group is in the process of registering new charity called Hope and Help Together in Banbury.

Items should be taken to the former Debenhams premises in Castle Quay Shopping Centre, Banbury between Monday - Friday, 10am - 7pm; Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 11am-3pm.

The collection centre will be closed from Good Friday - Easter Monday, resuming work on Tuesday.The Help for Ukraine Facebook page can be found here and the page for potential volunteers to offer their help is here.

There is a site where volunteers can offer their services for specific time slots on this web page https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4caaa62ba6fec34-volunteering. The group is looking for volunteers to help with sorting, packing and labelling items ready for packing and loading onto lorries bound for Poland.