Lewisham Local visited Lewisham’s Polish Centre in Forest Hill and spoke to volunteers and staff who have dedicated their time and efforts to organising and distributing donations to Ukraine to support those fleeing the country.
As a result of a viral twitter post, Lewisham Polish Centre received an influx of donations and willing volunteers eager to sacrifice their time to help out.
Since Sunday the Polish centre has filled four full vans and a lorry of donations, totalling around 10 tonnes of food, toiletries, sleeping bags, baby clothes and other essentials to support refugees on the borders of Poland and in Ukraine. The first van load has already arrived.
Aga, the Chair of the charity, works diligently to lead the operation. She spoke to us about how the Centre has been collaborating with other organisations within Lewisham to collect as many donations as possible and how touched she has been by the generosity of the local community.
Why is this appeal so important?
‘I cannot even express why. Ukrainians are very close to us Polish people, we know how to organise transport from there to the UK. It would probably be more difficult for us if it were going outside Europe. That is why we were able to get together and do that. Polish people have always been helping. We were helping other organisations with appeals but this is one we could do because of our knowledge and contacts in Poland, so it could be done. It is important because they are people.’
What has the support been from the local people, community groups and businesses?
‘Wow, where do I start? Most people here today are from everywhere, from the local community but everywhere. We have individuals helping but we have organisations like Sydenham library that are collecting donations for us. We have had some people bring us snacks for the volunteers, one all the way from South West London! We get people dropping stuff and saying ‘we just wanted to help’.
We are also doing a fundraiser which is raising money for select organisations so the trustees will select the organisations that need money. At the moment we have over £15,000, it’s like people are giving their life savings! I had a guy today who came and wrote a cheque for £1,000, I just burst into tears. I said this is your savings sir and he said it doesn’t matter’
The Volunteers
Among the stacks of boxes and bags of toothbrushes, baby food and sanitary products that filled the centre, we managed to speak to volunteers who were working to pack, label and sort donations. We spoke to Kylie who started helping out today after hearing about the Lewisham Polish Centre through a friend.
We asked a volunteer what made them want to help out?
“I was thinking about it as I’m in between jobs at the moment and I’ve been watching the news and it’s absolutely horrific. I’ve only started this morning, so I’ve just been taking receipt of what’s been coming in, organising them and boxing them. Notes have to go on to them as they have to go through customs, so I’m just organising things so they go where they should go.”
What has been your experience so far?
“It’s been chaotic, but very rewarding, it’s very all hands on deck. It has been so nice to meet new people, everyone is so friendly and just mucking in. We are all here for the same reason; everyone has a role to play’
Kate, from the US, also spoke to us about her positive experiences of volunteering at the centre over the last couple days:
‘I’m from the US and lived in a Ukrainian Polish neighbourhood and I live over here now, from knowing so many wonderful people from Eastern Europe and Ukraine specifically, I absolutely had to do what I could’
‘I think everyone is really keen and eager to help and everyone has their own story and their own really beautifully compelling reasons to help, I mean it just shows the beauty of humanity’
Written by Community Researcher Volunteer, Caoimhe McCullough
For more information and to donate to the appeal, click here.