North Yorkshire man who fled Ukraine sets up camp to support other refugees
Lewis Edwards and his friends have spent over £2000 in the last few days buying essentials
Last updated 10th Mar 2022
A North Yorkshire man who escaped Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, has set up a hub to help other people fleeing the war-torn country.
Lewis Edwards, originally from Ripon, and his partner and friends travelled for several days on foot, with nothing but the clothes on their back, to safety at the Slovak-Ukraine border.
The first time we spoke with Lewis, our interview was interrupted by air raid sirens sounding across the city, so he had to get to shelter.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lewis' journey so far
The team now reside at a summer camp location and have set up a station for people crossing the border.
They are hoping to raise enough funds to support others who have made the same journey and to send back to those fighting in the war.
He said:
"We've spent about £2000 I would say after just one week but at this rate we can only last about six weeks. We're being asked to do more and more and more everyday as more people find out about us here. We don't want to say no to anyone so the more funds that we have, the more of those requests we can fulfil.
"We've been finding and sending back a lot of military equipment, camo, boots, helmets, armoured vests, mini drones. We're also buying as much medication as we possibly can.
"When we get families that have a baby or young children they get a ready-made bag with all the essentials like baby food, nappies, wipes, blankets, dry foods and vouchers to go to a supermarket to buy whatever they think is missing.
"I have the option of going home but the rest are refugees. We all arrived with one small bags, all that we could carry, because we had to run. Unfortunately in this world, nothing moves without cash. The more cash that we've got, the more things we can move and the more help we can provide."
To donate to the fundraiser to support Lewis' work, click here.
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