Ukraine-Russia war: Hibs fan-backed charity Dnipro Kids deserves huge thanks for bringing Ukrainian orphans to safety – Steve Cardownie

Heartfelt thanks are due to the Hibs supporter-backed charity Dnipro Kids for their unstinting and successful efforts to bring almost 50 Ukrainian children to Scotland.

Having adopted an orphanage when on their trip to, what was then, Dnipropetrovsk, back in 2005 to see Hibs play, they have continued to provide much-needed aid and support, culminating in their outstanding victory in securing a safe haven for these children whose city was ravaged by Putin’s invading armed forces.

Aged from two to 19, the children, from five different orphanages, are currently in Poland awaiting clearance to board a flight for London before arriving in Scotland soon thereafter.

The charity’s media manager, Duncan Macrae, told us: “They are in good spirits, glad to get clarity about their immediate future. They were happy and smiling and happy today. The UK is a place they’ve always dreamed of visiting but never imagined it would happen for them. It’s not the circumstances we’d hoped to have planned a trip here for them but I’m happy we’re able to get them out safely.”

So congratulations to Steven Carr, who chairs Dnipro Kids and who has been instrumental in securing their safe passage from Lviv to Poland. I am sure that he will agree with me that all the people who have been associated with the charity also deserve a huge vote of thanks for their efforts – were it not for them, who knows what the children would have been forced to endure.

I hope that they are all walking a little bit taller today.

Anyone can donate to Dnipro Kids via its website

Katya, 12, is one of nearly 50 children brought from Ukraine to Scotland

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.