The old H&M unit opposite Boots in the Ashley Centre has been set up as a collection centre for Ukraine and opened yesterday Monday 7 March and the local community showed up with massive hearts donating £4,788 plus hundreds of items on the first day.
Essential items have been flooding in and volunteers are working alongside a national group to coordinate what items are most urgently required and arranging the transportation to get things to where they are desperately needed. Many of The Ashley Centre retailers have offered to help volunteer in the unit sorting the donations and already the local community and businesses have been arriving in their droves with essential items and financial donations.
Essential items currently urgently needed are medical supplies (bandages, wound pads, elastic bands, paracetamol, ibuprofen and anti-burn cream, torches (not too large) powerbanks 10,000MAH+, night and thermal vision equipment, sleeping bags and yoga or camping mats (preferably dark colour), men’s thermal socks, gloves and hats, large thermal tops and bottoms, military men’s boots size 42+ and warm insoles, balaclavas, dark medium size rucksacks, knee pads, military vests, hunting or fishing vests with pockets, thermoses, cereal bars, dried food and sandbags.
More volunteers to help take in donations and sort them are also desperately needed in the hub during the centre trading hours 9am – 6.00pm (Monday – Saturday) and 10.30am – 4.30pm on Sundays. Please email or call Councillor Neil Dallen for details of volunteering at: neildallen@hotmail.co.uk or call 07775 610332.
Chris Grayling MP visited the hub on Monday to show his support for this great initiative.
Donations can be made at the hub or online on the website at: www.surreystandswithukraine.org For more information please contact The Ashley Centre at info@theashleycentre.co.uk or call 01372 742548.
