A MERCY team from West Devon say they have been flooded with offers of help as they prepare to take vital supplies to Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
The team, from Horrabridge and Princetown, jumped into action after an initial appeal by Princetown Pre School. Medical and other supplies, including cash to help them fund their trip, has flooded in and the response has been overwhelming.
One of the organisers, Toni Willmott, whose fiance Marcus Allen, who runs a groundworks business, is one of the drivers in a three-van convoy, said they would be using their home in Tor Bridge Road, Horrabridge as a pick-up point for donations.
Other offers of drop-off points have come from such places as Drake’s Vets in Tavistock, the Prince of Wales pub in Princetown and Princetown Pre School and Primary School also stepping in to help.
Since they launched their appeal earlier this week, others had joined the appeal, with collection boxes drop-off points at The Game Larder, Scarlets Kitchen and The Cutting Company in Yelverton, Tyre Marks in Tavistock and the Burrator Inn at Dousland.
Other members of the organising team are Maddie Hayes, Jan’s wife and Neil and Zuzi Francis, who run a building contractors’ business in Princetown. Ella-Mae Francis designed the convoy’s teddy bear logo. Toni said they were also getting backing from popular group Mad Dog Mcrea, who are putting an event on for them in June, plus a Zumba exercise event at King’s in Tavistock tomorrow night (Thursday) at 6.30pm.
The convoy will be setting off for Poland next Wednesday (March 23) and expect to make the 1,500-mile round trip in four days.
The group are asking for donations such as bandages, plasters, burn gel, sterile wipes, wound dressings, eye wash and tweezers.
Other items badly needed by the refugees include medicine such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, aspirin and Calpol, sleeping bags, nappies, toothpaste and tooth brushes.
Toni, 28, said the idea for setting up a convoy came from Princetown Pre School and then it became a conversation in the pub and went on from there.
She said: ‘We decided we had got the vehicles and we had to do something. I think everybody just wanted to help and thinking how we can do our bit and make a difference, even if it is a small one.
‘Marcus is going to miss his son’s birthday while he is away, which is hard and I am extremely worried about him going over, but feels it’s something he’s got to do.
‘He should be all right, because he’s driven across 20 countries in Europe and Neil has done the trip to Poland before.
‘The refugees absolutely need medical supplies, baby formula and baby food. I heard that there were 2,000 people living without food and water.’
She added: ‘We’ll be told the exact location where they will be dropping off supplies when they get to Poland.’
If anyone wants to follow the journey there is a dedicated Facebook page: UKkyi Bear. Devon to Ukraine