As always, I am hugely impressed by the approach of so many people living in my Brentwood and Ongar constituency when faced with a crisis. For two years, local people helped those who were unable to get out and about because they were shielding or could not be visited by their family during the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, many of those same helpful people have turned their attention to raising money for humanitarian aid to be sent to the people of Ukraine who are living in unimaginable conditions as Russia brutal and unprovoked attack on their country continues.
Over the weekend I know volunteers from Brentwood Mutual Aid, the Rotary Club and the Daily Bread Café in Hutton, as well as the owners of shops and cafes in Brentwood and Ongar, including the Woodland Café and Schmidt in Brentwood and Capital Flowers in Ongar, were collecting donations of food, money and medical supplies. Bonnets Garden Centre in Warley is helping to transport donations to Poland and other countries which are receiving the first wave of those fleeing the violence in Ukraine.
The work being done is admirable, and I am extremely proud of all those who are knuckling down to do what they can to help, in the face of a situation about which many feel helpless.
The Prime Minister visited Poland last week and committed another £80m in aid to Ukraine to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside the country and in the wider region and to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis. This brings the UK’s overall aid support for Ukraine during the current crisis to £220 million.
The Government is also matching the first £20 million donated by the British public to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, see: https://donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
I know many constituents are worried about family and friends in Ukraine, and want to welcome them here. Please keep looking at the Government’s www.gov.uk website for the very latest information in this rapidly changing situation, and refer to the information here if you want to find out what else you can do to help: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukraine-what-you-can-do-to-help
