Town Continues to Show Their Support for Ukraine
Penny & Sinclair estate agent windows have lit up their windows with the Ukrainian flag. Each of the property detail screens are switched to Ukraine flags in the evening to show their support.
James Donnegan from Penny & Sinclair said, “We did it just as a show of solidarity. We have all been shocked and upset at the news, I have two young children and it has been tragic to see what is happening to families in Ukraine. We are supporting financially the relief efforts and hoping, along with everyone, for a stop to the aggression and a peaceful resolution.”
The School Council at Valley Road School decided rather than support Red Nose day today (Friday), they chose to follow other Oxfordshire schools and host a Ukraine Support Day and asked the children to come in wearing blue and yellow clothes and make a donation to DEC (Disaster Emergency Committee). They have raised over £450. Jack, Aaron, Romilly and Frances, Year 6 School Councillors. Jack said, “Red Nose has rather been taken over by Ukraine Day. Frances added, “I think at this stage Ukraine is more important today than Red Nose Day.”
Jack said, “I think the war is unreasonable. I think it is a betrayal because 14 years ago Putin signed a peace treaty with Ukraine. Aaron added, “Why do it what is the point of war!” Romilly hopes “the money raised will go towards helping refugees to get food.”
Austin Lawrence, a Year 4 pupil at St Mary’s School has set up two flower stalls at the school on St Andrews road after school this week. He has been selling sunflower seeds (Ukraine’s national flower) to sow in pots and pansies in sunflower decorated pots. He has raised over £300 so far.
Austin’s Mum, said “At home, we were talking about how the people of Ukraine were just like us – living a ‘normal’ life going to work and school until only a few weeks ago. I mentioned all the fundraising that was going on and Austin decided it would be good to help in some way. The school recommended the British Red Cross DEC Ukraine appeal as a good charity to donate to. I’m really pleased with the enormous effort that Austin has gone to. It’s great that he wants to be involved, and I am very proud of him. His friends in his class were super keen to help so he’s hoping to organise a book and toy sale with them after Easter.
Austin added, “I decided to sell sunflower seeds in pots 🌻 as it’s Ukraine’s flower of peace. My Nan donated the sunflower seeds and we bought pots and earth. I painted a huge sunflower – and my dad then printed it smaller for book marks and gift tags. I painted pots in colours of the Ukraine flag and I made gift tags for the pots – I got a few finger burns using the glue gun! We sold them to parents, children and quite a few St. Mary’s teachers. For the first sale, my friend Alexandre helped me on the stall – I think we were quite good at selling! For the next sale lots of friends wanted to help – I painted a few more pots and we sold some small plants including sweet peas.”
Mr Woodley Caretaker and Elisabeth White, Nursery TA from Rupert House School took the school’s donations of new medical suppliers and nappies to the Town Hall.
Councillor David Eggleton has been continuing to pick up donations from the Town Hall and Swiss Farm this week as well as businesses including a large van load from Bremont HQ on the Reading Road. The donations are then taken to London and distributed from there to the Poland/Ukraine border. From there they are then distributed to various sites in Ukraine. All donations are sorted and marked up so that they go to exactly where they are needed. The photo below shows an example of coach full of donations that is on its way to the final destinations in Ukraine. David said, “There are many links in the chain. Each link is important. If there is a broken link I am working with everybody to fix this and replace it with another link.”
