Donations for Ukrainians flood in across Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough - here's how you can help

Twenty boxes have already been filled with items
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Donations are flooding in across Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough to help supply Ukrainians with essential items.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the eastern European country after Russia's barbaric invasion, with many others taking shelter or stranded in their home country as Kremlin-backed troops launch missile strikes.

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Provision of food and essential items are running low - and residents across Northamptonshire are stepping up to help those in desperate need.

Some of the items collected by Magdalena and her team were also donated to load to be given to people in Ukraine.Some of the items collected by Magdalena and her team were also donated to load to be given to people in Ukraine.
Some of the items collected by Magdalena and her team were also donated to load to be given to people in Ukraine.

Magdalena Paćko, who lives in Kettering, was so moved after watching news footage of the invasion that she set up Facebook group 'Northamptonshire Help for Ukraine' to co-ordinate donations.

Magdalena, 26, said: "I really wanted to do something to help and the best way I could think of was setting up a group for donations.

"I made a group and invited about ten close friends and another woman who is also Polish offered to help.

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"Overnight it went from ten people to hundreds. It's been overwhelming, but in a good way."

Some of the donated items.Some of the donated items.
Some of the donated items.

So far so many items have been donated that 20 boxes will be transported this week to Ukrainians through Poland, and a further 120 boxes will go straight to Ukraine next week.

Donations have included blankets, sanitary products, soaps, nappies and more, but they are in desperate need of first aid kits and medical supplies including paracetamol.

Magdalena, who moved to the UK from Poland in 2020, has support from other volunteer co-ordinators Bożena Maczka, Martyna Kurkowska, Sabina Bazaud and Alex Blyskosz who are all giving up their time to help.

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There are now seven collection points - three in Kettering, two in Corby, one in Wellingborough and a further one in Northampton.

Some of the donated items.Some of the donated items.
Some of the donated items.

Both Corby locations and one in Kettering are public drop-off points where people can visit during each site's opening hours.

They are at:

- Alter Ego Atelier, George Street, Corby, NN17 1QE. Contact name: Alex.

- Worksafe Direct Ltd, St James Road, Corby, NN18 8AL. Contact names: Emma, Jan, Emily.

Donations keep coming in.Donations keep coming in.
Donations keep coming in.
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- The Shack Food Project, Lower Street, Kettering, NN16 8DH. Contact name: Claire.

The other drop-off points are private addresses and are by appointment-only by messaging the Facebook page.

The group initially intended to organise one lot of donations to be sent out this Friday - but they've received so many offers of support they will now be organising it for as long as they are needed and able to.

Magdalena said: "I feel like Northamptonshire has been united on this. It's an awful tragedy happening right now but people are united in the face of this tragedy.

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"We are getting responses from British people, Polish people, Romanian people. Everyone is helping.

"Every time I speak to someone from Ukraine, these people talk about how important our support is. How much it lifts their spirits when they see that the whole world is supporting them. Every little bit helps, every mention, we have to talk about what is happening because Russia is effectively running disinformation propaganda."

The Kettering resident, whose own sister lives in Poland near the Ukrainian border, said she feels connected to what is happening after the Nazis' 1939 invasion of Poland which marked the beginning of the Second World War.

She added: "I have had many sleepless nights. I have cried a lot. It's just awful.

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"I have friends in Ukraine but most have crossed to Poland now. Putin needs to be stopped."

The most-needed items currently are first aid kits (bandages, plasters etc), medicines (painkillers, cold medicines etc), blankets, sleeping bags, disposable crockery, thermoses and thermal mugs.

A full list of items for collection can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/northamptonshirehelpforukraine/.

They also have an Amazon Wishlist for those who want to buy items, which can be found here.