Nuneaton’s first collection point for Ukraine soldiers and families
Nuneaton’s first collection point has opened for desperately-needed donations for families and soldiers in Ukraine. Aneta Warlikowski has opened up her ABW Studio & Event Media business in Attleborough to accept donations that will be sent to the Poland-Ukraine border. It is her connections with the Polish community that has led to her joining forces with a restaurant in neighbouring Coventry, Slovianka restaurant, which is organising the huge collection.
Nuneaton news “I know a lot of people have been touched by what is happening and want to do something,” the 42-year-old said. “I am involved in a lot of Polish events, with artists and football, but we have been approached by the Polish church in Coventry who have organised the transport over to the Polish border.
They asked me if I could find some space in my studio to help collect all of the donations as the main collection place is at the restaurant in Coventry, “I am Polish, we are brothers and sisters with those in the Ukraine. We have the same kind of history and roots and experience with Russia, so we wanted to show solidarity with Ukraine.
“My background, I was Red Cross nurse and when I was younger and living Poland, I was a nurse and I took part in all humanitarian and charity action, for me, this is something that I need to do.” She said that the collection point is open to the whole community: “I did a Facebook post and asked the people of Nuneaton if they want to help as I know that they want to be part of this. “Even if they just bring one packet of paracetamol or one packet of diapers, it will make them feel that they are doing something to support the people in Ukraine.”
Aneta Warlikowski, right, with some of the items already donated to the collection point at her studio in Nuneaton
The collection point only opened at 10am on Monday morning (February 28) and so far she has been amazed with the donations already given.
“We started collecting this morning and the response has been amazing,” she said. “One of our Centenary Business Centres donated protective equipment from soldiers and we have also been given money from another local businesses to help buy supplies, like blankets and sleeping bags.” She said that they have a specific list of items of things that they are short of and they are:
What they need
- Sleeping mats
- Sleeping bags
- Flashlights with batteries
- Bandages
- First aid kits and dressings.
- Tooth brushes
- Toothpaste
- Paracetamol for children and adults
- Shaving equipment
- Bed linen
- Blankets
- Towels
- Disposable bowls
- Cutlery
- Nappies
“This will be sent to the Polish and Ukraine borders,” said the photographer, who has been in Nuneaton since 2005. “I have been told there are long queues there – some people are walking three days to get there and they need all of these supplies. “Before they are allocated anywhere else, they usually stay there for 24 hours and overnight, so they especially need sleeping bags and blankets.”
She is opening her studio on the Centenary Business Centre in Hammond Close every day from 10am until Thursday (March 3) to collect any donations. They will then be taken over to Coventry and packed up ready to be sent over to Poland. “Once we know what else is needed, I will probably open for collections again next week too,” she said.
“I am using what would normally be my editing time to do this, I feel like I have to do something.”
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