The Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill responds to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

The Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill has donated a total of £1,500 to help ease the suffering of the victims of the war in Ukraine

Refugees cross the Ukrainian border to safety

In common with almost all the British people, the members of the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill are appalled at the events taking place in the Ukraine and are anxious to offer whatever help is possible to relieve the distress and suffering of the victims of the Russian invasion of their country.

Apart from individual members making donations to the various organisations that are organising collections in our area, the Rotary club have chosen to donate a total of £1500 to three different charities in order to try to cover different aspects of the relief effort.
 

The club has chosen to donate £500 to UK Aid, £500 to Hope and Homes for Children and £500 to Rotary Foundation UK. UK Aid, Felsted (www.uk-aid.org) - since 2001, every eight months, UK Aid Felsted have been sending donations of supplies to the Revival Centre in the town of Chernihiv, Ukraine, in the area of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The journey is 1,700 and costs the charity a minimum of £3,000 per trip. The cost is funded solely through people’s generosity. Since 2001, they have delivered 340,000 kg of aid to the Revival Centre. Since its inception in 1996, the Revival Centre has treated over 27,000 children. In the current war in Ukraine UK Aid Felsted will not venture into the Ukraine but left Felsted on 24th March in 3 trucks to deliver much needed supplies to Moldova where the donations will be used to ease the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian families who have been forced to leave their homes and family members behind in the wake of the Russian invasion. The Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill donation will help to enable this vital work to go ahead.

Hope and Homes for Children (www.hopeandhomes.org) - since 1998 Hope and Homes for Children has been the major force in moving 100,000 orphans from 663 Soviet era orphanages into family-based alternatives. During this time they have also created services for mothers and babies to enable the mothers to keep their babies in a safe family environment instead of the state institutions. The work Hope and Homes for Children Ukraine has been completely transformed by the Russian invasion. The charity is now trying to ensure the health and safety of orphans who have been displaced by the shelling of their orphanages and is working with partner organisations in adjacent countries to support those children who have managed to escape the carnage in their country. No-one can predict the outcome of the current war in Ukraine but, whatever the outcome, it is certain that the children in Ukraine’s orphanages will be some of the major victims of the conflict. Hope and Homes for Children are using their expertise to make sure border crossings are as safe as they can be for vulnerable children and young people and to advocate for the safe reunification of families as soon as possible and where this is not possible, for emergency foster and family type care for children. It is hoped that the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill’s donation will make some contribution to Hope and Homes for Children Ukraine’s work in resolving the issue of re-settling the children and keeping them safe. 

Rotary Foundation - Rotary International is a huge international organisation and, as such, has quickly responded to the situation in Ukraine by utilising funds from its own charity, Rotary Foundation, to respond to the deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Rotary Foundation has created an official channel through its Disaster Response Fund for donors around the world to contribute funds to support the relief efforts underway. Rotary districts that border Ukraine and the Rotary districts in Ukraine may apply for grants to provide relief to refugees or other victims of the crisis including items such as water, food, shelter, medicine and clothing. other impacted Rotary districts that wish to offer support to refugees or other victims of the crisis in their district can also apply for grants from the Disaster Response Fund. Rotary Districts, wherever they are, can transfer unallocated District Designated Funds (DDF) to support the Disaster Response Fund, directly supporting these Ukraine-specific humanitarian grants. 
 
In addition to support provided through the Disaster Response Fund, the Foundation is coordinating with partners and regional leaders, exploring effective solutions to the increased humanitarian needs. Rotary International has acted quickly and effectively to release funds from its Rotary Foundation charity to try to alleviate the refugee situation in Ukraine and the countries adjacent to Ukraine. In normal circumstances the Rotary Club of Rayleigh Mill, as do all Rotary clubs, donate to Rotary Foundation and, in the current humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, has responded by donating extra funds to the charity in the hope that it will help to to alleviate the suffering caused by the Russian invasion.

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