A mother of two young boys from Barry has organised a raffle to raise urgent funds for Save the Children following the recent developments in Ukraine.
Ruth John, 35, who previously worked for the charity, was devastated by what she saw unravelling on the news and decided to reach out to small businesses for donations.
“I woke up to the terrible news and upsetting images of children crying, fleeing their homes and hiding from war in Ukraine. I took one look at my own children and put myself in the shoes of those mums, frightened of what might happen and scrambling to protect their little ones,” she explains.
“I felt I just had to do something and decided to reach out to small businesses, both local and from further afield, through Instagram, asking for raffle prizes. Within hours, I had over fifty incredible prizes including children’s toys, jewellery, gardening vouchers, pedicures and personal training sessions. I’ve been blown away by the generosity of others and the comments from businesses thanking me for giving them a way to support the effort to help Ukrainian children.”
Save the Children has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, delivering essential humanitarian aid to children and their families. As this war unfolds, the charity aims to reach 3.5 million vulnerable children and their families by distributing essential supplies such as food, water and winter kits of clothing and blankets as temperatures plunge below freezing. Cash and vouchers assistance will also be provided to families to meet basic needs like food, rent and medicines and vital mental health and psychosocial support offered to children and their families. Providing access to safe, inclusive and quality education is also essential.
Ruth added: “As a former employee of Save the Children for almost seven years, I know how well placed they are to help young children and their families in traumatic situation such as these and how various teams in the Ukraine and bordering countries are working around the clock to deliver life-saving aid and to offer vital mental health support. Every penny really does make a difference with £13 providing a child with enough clean water for a month and £75 providing them with safe shelter.”
Melanie Simmonds, Head of Save the Children in Wales said: “Children have already lived through eight years of conflict, enduring violence, shelling, and being displaced from their homes. There is no safe place in Ukraine, and the situation is changing by the hour. Enough is enough and we are ready to provide life-saving assistance such as food, water, cash transfers, and safe places for children as people flee the conflict amid freezing temperatures and brutal conditions. We are able to do this because of the generosity of people in all corners of Wales currently donating or organising fundraisers to support our emergency fund. Diolch yn fawr.”
If you would like to support Ruth’s fundraiser and buy a raffle ticket, send your payment via PayPal as friends and family only to: [email protected] adding your full name and telephone number is the note box. Each raffle ticket costs £5.
