Ukraine-Russia: Edinburgh man drove to Poland to drop off supplies for Ukrainian refugees

An Edinburgh man has driven to Poland to drop off essential supplies for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.

Stewart Ford, a business consultant living in the Capital, said he was “horrified” to see what was happening in Ukraine.

Wanting to help, he and his wife Agnieszka donated money and offered their assistance to the Edinburgh Ukrainian Club. However, they still felt like they could contribute more.

Springing into action, Mr Ford began to track down and purchase essential items, such as sleeping bags, clothing, and food. Agnieszka, who is Polish, arranged a drop-off with the regional government of Lubuskie – who agreed to distribute the items to Ukrainian refugees entering Poland.

Mr Ford then hired a van, and made the 1,150 mile journey from Edinburgh to Lubuskie, Poland.

After two days of travelling, he dropped off the items at the Marshal’s Office in Lubuskie. Here, he saw around 250 Ukrainian women and children coming in daily to collect items.

He is now on his way back to Scotland – but he does not intend for this journey to be his last.

Stewart Ford, and his wife Agnieszka, with a van full of items for Ukrainian refugees.

Through a JustGiving page, Mr Ford is currently raising money to buy more supplies.

Together with a logistics company, which has offered to transport items free of charge, he has arranged another delivery, which contains around 70 pallets. These items will be delivered to Poland next week, and from there, will be given to Ukranians in need.

While Mr Ford intends to continue helping refugees in Poland, he said: "There’s going to be people coming to Scotland, and I want to make sure that they’re also welcomed with open arms”.

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The Marshal's Office in Lubuskie, filled with donations for refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

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