£10,000 worth of mobile phones delivered to Ukraine following gift from Whiteley-based WeBuyAnyPhone.com

Volunteers supporting rescue work in Ukraine have taken delivery of £10,000 worth of desperately needed mobile phones donated by tech recycling specialist, WeBuyAnyPhone.com, which based in Whiteley.

The package of 100 brand new Alcatel devices, chosen for their long battery life, were included in a van load of aid delivered to Poland by a group of volunteers from Hampshire.

From there, the phones will go to the Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement, who will use them to co-ordinate search and rescue efforts, as well as for counselling people traumatised by the conflict.

The delivery was co-ordinated by Mick Balch, managing director at Portsmouth-based L&S Waste Management, who has completed several deliveries to the region since war began in February.

Mick is connected to a network of volunteers including Graeme Warnell, who lives in Krakow with his wife Aga.

Graeme said: ‘There is a fantastic group here of people who are helping, just using their own time to do whatever they can – whether that’s housing refugees, getting aid to where it needs to be or feeding back what people need.

The couple have been helping house refugees and get donations to those who need them.

‘I heard through this network that one of our volunteers had received two letters from the Association who were desperate for mobile phones because so many have been stolen by the Russians – they take everything they can get their hands on.

‘Mobile phones are crucial to co-ordinating the effort and they needed simple phones with long battery life to keep the lines of communication open.

The mobile phones, which are in short supply in Ukraine due to ongoing looting by Russian forces, will make a ‘huge difference’ to those on the ground says grateful Graeme.

Aaron Brown, co-founder of WeBuyAnyPhone.com, said: ‘All of us at WeBuyAnyPhone.com have been shocked and appalled to see the suffering in Ukraine.

‘When we heard about the need for mobile phones, we saw a way that we could have an immediate impact. We’re pleased to see that these devices are now going to be put to good use, and grateful to Mick and all the volunteers involved for getting them where they were needed most.’