Hampshire couple who travelled to the Ukraine-Poland border in their motorhome filled with sweets said they ‘had no idea it would be this horrific.’

As reported, Laura Rice, 62, and her husband Ken, 65, from Andover, decided to stock their motorhome with donations including tea, coffee and food as well as warm clothing before going to help people fleeing Ukraine in the wake if the Russian invasion.

They have been working as volunteers at a refugee centre in the south-eastern city of Przemysl, Poland, where temperatures have dropped to -7C.

Now home, the couple have reflected on their experience.

‘For two or three nights it was like -7C, felt like -10C. It was so unbelievably cold, you just feel so sorry for these people… standing, waiting for buses all over,’ Laura said.

‘It’s just adding to the woes of people.’

The refugees, who are given a green tag to show their refugee status, then sleep in those rooms until they can find, or are offered transport.

The pair have been turning their hand to whatever is required, with Ken using his background in logistics work to help organise the flood of donations – the centre is inundated with donations but short on volunteers.

‘There was a clothing section, a medical section, a food section, so as stuff was unbundled, I put it onto different pallets and transferred it,’ he said

‘At least we started to get some sort of motion going with the stock, but there was a shedload of everything, whatever you want, whether its biscuits, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary towels, nappies.

‘I think there’s enough clothing to re-clothe the whole of Ukraine. And that’s just one warehouse.’

The couple have raised more than £5,000 through their GoFundMe page with the money going towards helping Ukrainians – they were preparing to help one woman they met with a flight before a distant relative came through with an offer of accommodation.

‘It was almost like it was a child of mine,’ Laura said.

‘I just put my arms around her and I said: “I’m so pleased, look after yourself, and if you need us we still do have funds.”’

To view their fundraising page, visit gofundme.com/f/direct-help-to-the-ukrainians.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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