Chorleywood Aid for Ukraine
CHANGES TO ITEMS BEING COLLECTED: We no longer collect clothes or shoes, child soft toys, or cushions, based on revised priorities from our charity colleagues in Brovary near Kyiv. Please refer to our “Needed” page both now & on an ongoing basis due to changes driven by the changing war situation. Thanks.
Chorleywood Aid for Ukraine charity was started shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, becoming a UK registered charity on July 7th, 2022.
We collect both cash and goods (see our Donate & Needed pages), and assist a registered charity operation in Brovary, near Kyiv, Ukraine, with an emphasis on special needs children, orphans, displaced persons, families who have lost fathers, the injured, amputees, and the very needy.
We also help our local Chorleywood guests from Ukraine, mainly mothers with young children, alongside the Chorleywood 4 Ukraine charitable group, who provide assistance to both hosts and guests, coordinated by Eileen and James Gardner.
We are an extremely low overhead charity and provide ongoing pictorial / photographic feedback of exactly where your aid money and goods end up (see our Galleries pages, especially Recipients). We have 2 main partners:
1A Shire Lane (next to florist)
KentRelief
UK registered charity
Kent Relief, Tunbridge Wells, UK (Registered Charity No 1204501)
Based at the Tunbridge Wells TN2 Recreation Centre, Kent Relief consolidate goods donations from mainly Kent charities on to full size artic lorries for shipment direct to Ukraine, usually 15 tons, every 3 months. As at Nov 2024 KR have shipped over 90 tons including 9 tons from CAFUKR.
Kent Relief have a hub in Lviv, have used our hub near Kyiv, and are working on a hub at Dnipro operated by Swedish charity colleagues.
Kent Relief supply around 15 charitable operations, throughout Ukraine, who in turn distribute to most areas of Ukraine, including from Lviv, Odessa, Kherson, Dnipro, Kyiv, Kharkiv, etc.
Receiving charities include hospitals, schools, evacuees from Mariupol, evacuees from Bakhmut, military service dogs, and a dog & cat refuge centre, to name just a few.
Kent Relief have visited all the recipient charity operations.
From Dreams to Reality charitable foundation, Brovary, UA (Registered Charity No 41452314)
Founded by Anastasia Volodymyrivna, founding trustee, in 2017.
Prior to the invasion of 24 Feb 2022, supported:
2 schools for children with disabilities (85 and 105 children respectively).
School (65 children) near Belarus border in very poor area (was under occupation).
150 children in Brovary living with low-income families.
13 families and 25 pupils who have lost their father.
Kindergarten for treatments.
"From Dreams to Reality" charitable foundation
Since the invasion of Feb 24, 2022, additionally supporting:
Kyiv Military Hospital and other hospitals.
Working with a charity in Lithuania where injured soldiers are transported by bus for treatment and rehabilitation.
Boarding school in Kyiv which temporarily housed orphans from Mariupol & Bakhmut (55 children aged from 6 to 15 years).
Prior to the invasion, FD2R operated with volunteers, donations of goods, and 2 grants from the British Council. Since the invasion FD2R need money for poorer people to buy medicines & toiletries, plus for schools. FD2R operate from an office and storage facility in Brovary, near Kyiv. Anastasia has received numerous awards for her charitable work.
CAFUKR have visited the FD2R operation at Brovary, Ukraine.
Note: CAFUKR has a policy of only sending financial aid (cash) to registered charities.
Your donations of goods and funds to our charity are most gratefully received and Chorleywood has been quite remarkable in its overall support, including towards our Ukrainian guests. Thank you all most kindly.
Local Ukrainian Ladies Sorting & Packing Team
Pierre Bosdet, Taisiia Rantiuk, Gagan Mohindra MP, Ukrainian guest, Lesley Gray
Chorleywood Aid being delivered to Eastern Ukraine, Donbas Region