At Christmas we all take for granted access to heat and power to cook our festive feats for family and friends. Ringwood & Fordingbridge Lions Club saw the appeal from New Forest for Ukraine for portable gas cookers to help families struggling without consistent and regular access to power for cooking food and responded.
As a result, 25 portable gas cookers were acquired and delivered to the New Forest for Ukraine (NFFU) Hub in Lymington on Wednesday 27 December. Pictured above is John Allison at NFFU taking delivery of these.
The cookers will be delivered out to families in need in Ukraine on the first transport leaving Lymington this January. Lions Club President, Stephen Sherring was amazed at the scale of the operation and the work of NFFU explaining
“The dedication of the volunteers who work tirelessly in their Lymington Warehouse to make sure every lorry load destined for Ukraine is full to bursting with essentials that we all take for granted here is incredibly humbling, and it is both our honour and pleasure to help support the amazing work they do”.
The Club is one of over 46000 Lions Clubs around the World and is currently exploring the possibility of acquiring the gas cannisters for these cookers with a Lions Club in Poland as these cannot be easily transported from the UK. NFFU accept donations of food, utensils, cookers, medical supplies and warm clothing/bedding for the cold winter months which will be shipped out to aid centres and hospitals in Ukraine and Poland for families in need.
There are collection points assembled all over the New Forest for anyone who would like to donate items needed for aid centres and hospitals in Ukraine.
Anyone wishing to know more about either organisation or how they can help or volunteer can find out more at their respective websites:
www.newforestforukraine.co.uk & www.randflions.org.uk.
