Weybridge Friends of Ukraine ask for Your Help
Weybridge Friends of Ukraine ask for Your Help
Dear Weybridge residents, neighbours and friends!
Sadly, it is now a month since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24th, and despite all the Western aid so far and promises of more support and assistance, the terrifying war continues to rage.
We have now rallied twice on Monument Green in Weybridge, on March 6 and 20th, to call out Russia’s unfounded aggression against Ukraine.
Public turnout has been amazing both times, showing that local residents do care and #StandWithUkraine.
Our rallies have been a way of updating on the situation inside Ukraine, talking about personal experiences and sharing information, and assessing the latest measures and laws for refugees here in the UK. A huge thank you to all who have come out – many great new contacts and links between individuals and organisations have resulted, meaning our community is stronger for it!
As ever, though, the situation remains urgent, so we continue to need your help. So far our government has not waived visas for those fleeing, which has made it difficult for them to come here in any numbers, and there is now a high risk of exploitation as fleeing women and children try to match themselves with hosts.
The Home Office’s recently announced Homes for Ukraine programme allows anyone to register interest in hosting refugees www.gov.uk/register-interest-homes-ukraine , and hosts are advised to go through vetted charities to match up with guests: www.refugeesathome.org/ and https://resetuk.org/
To end the war itself, Ukraine is still desperately asking for air cover as it cannot withstand another month of relentless shelling on its cities and rural lands. Civilians and infrastructure remain vulnerable to Russia’s terrifying campaign of destruction, which feeds the ongoing humanitarian disaster.
If we don’t stop Russian bombs now, the West risks even more economic, environmental and humanitarian catastrophe. Putin’s strategy is to target homes, hospitals, schools, and nuclear power plants to make Ukraine’s people and the West afraid. But this shouldn’t stop us from acting. If we don’t push Russia back, we face worse: a global food crisis if Ukraine’s farmers cannot soon start spring planting. We will also witness the destruction of priceless world heritage as churches, monasteries, memorials and ancient sites are bombed.
More than 10 million people have been displaced in and around Ukraine — how many more before the war ends? We already know that Russia is committing genocide and crimes against humanity in its targeting of civilians and its attempt to exterminate the people of Ukraine. It has violated international law and is trying to destroy a sovereign democratic state. There must be something the West can do to stop this onslaught.
The links below contain all you need to stay up to date; the first link to the Ukrainian Institute London includes updates on the latest issues, a template to write to our MP, and a special tab devoted just to resources for refugees and those hosting:
https://refugee-support.ukrainianinstitute.org.uk/
There is also a link to trusted charities, and the London events website updates regularly with protests around the UK. Weybridge residents are urged to join the protests in London – there are events nearly every weekend where you can participate and find support.
Turn anguish into action! Please pass on all this information to all your contacts, especially via social media, including the hashtag #StandwithUkraine and #Stopthewar.
Ukrainians will keep fighting for their freedom and so that democracy prevails over tyranny. But we cannot do it alone — PLEASE HELP NOW! THIS IS URGENT!
With overflowing thanks,
Lesia Scholey
Weybridge Friends of Ukraine
Ukrainian Events In London
Ukrainian Institute London
You can also keep up to date and find more events and ways to donate here:
Russia’s war against Ukraine. What can you do to support Ukraine & Ukrainians?
The Guardian
You can keep up with the latest in Ukraine here. This is not meant as political recommendation for domestic politics. It is simply now the best free-access UK coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Please also consider donating here and elsewhere to support brave UK war correspondents and reporting on the details of the UK response so far.
About Weybridge Friends of Ukraine
Weybridge Friends of Ukraine is a campaign to help local residents deal with the war. There has been an outpouring of grief and desire to help refugees and this initiative is meant to help local people to come together and do what is useful and necessary.
Briefly, our aims are to INFORM, DONATE, RALLY, WRITE, and REACH OUT with various events and initiatives for the Weybridge area.
In more detail, our goals are to:
1. Inform – advising residents and getting them to inform themselves and others by using verified and credible news sources
2. Donate – getting residents to donate to where help is most needed, giving what is asked for by charities and media to help support independent reporting
3. Rally – organising events locally to promote efforts to bring war to an end and to support those who need an outlet for their grief and desire to help
4. Write – continuing letter-writing campaigns to those in a position to influence UK policy by providing templates, links and updates on the issues
5. Reach out – staying connected, building our community in Weybridge and supporting our local businesses that are helping. For example, Weybridge Books, is setting up a special table and has a list of books to read about every aspect of this crisis. In addition, with Weybridge in Bloom, we have announced a PLANT FOR PEACE initiative to plant sunflowers seeds around the area.
Lesia Scholey
Weybridge Friends of Ukraine
Peace Rallies in Weybridge
Thanks to everyone who came along to our first Weybridge #StandwithUkraine rally for peace on 6th March, and our second one on 20th March.
Stay tuned for more activities here and on social media!
