Gaan the Distance for Ukraine: £10k milestone nearing ever closer

An appeal to help fund the transportation of vital supplies from Orkney to help Ukrainian refugees, and raise money for The British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal, is now closing in on £10,000.

Gaan the Distance for Ukraine is a collaborative effort by The Orcadian and McAdie & Reeve, aiming to personally deliver a lorry load of aid items from Orkney to Suceava in Romania, close to the border with Ukraine.

The appeal’s JustGiving page has been inundated by donations and messages of support since Friday, March 4, and the initial £6,500 target was achieved in just three days.

Now, close to £9,000 had been raised online but when cheques and cash donations are added, the total is closer to breaking the five-figure sum.

Any money over the original target is set to go to the British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal.

The Orcadian’s sub editor Mark Harcus has expressed his huge gratitude to all those who are assisting in the appeal.

The campaign to raise funds is running alongside a huge call for items to help fill the lorry and help people who have had to flee their homes after Russia’s invasion.

After an outstanding response in the appeal’s first week, in which the public’s support has been overwhelming, volunteers and McAdie & Reeve staff processed a lorry load of items this week.

In order to comply with customs checks, all items need to be processed, re-packed into boxes, weighed and an inventory created.

During the first week, more than 400 boxes have been sorted and donations continue to flood in from members of the public and the business community.

As for items, the appeal continues to seek:

• Clothing (small amount)
• Mattresses (in clean good condition)
• Bedding
• Pillows
• Sleeping bags
• Sanitary products
• General toiletries
• Hats, scarves and gloves
• Toys for children
• Blankets
• Baby items such as nappies and wipes
• Baby clothing

Unfortunately, strictly no food, water or medicine can be accepted.

Please can all boxes and bags be labelled with Gaan The Distance for Ukraine appeal.

The collection points that people can drop items off at are:

Kirkwall

• McAdie and Reeve, Hatston
• Orkney Photographic, Bridge Street
• Co-op (Picky store)
• RBS, Victoria Street
• VAO, Anchor Buildings, Bridge Street

Stromness

• Barbara Smith, 24 Faravel, Garage #8, (07592895325 — please make arrangements by phone to ensure garage is accessible)

Dounby

• Co-op