Inside the warehouse at the centre of Dorset's Ukrainian relief response
10 lorries-worth of nappies, medicines, clothes and bedding are headed from Dorset to Ukraine tomorrow
Last updated 3rd Mar 2022
In just under a week the former Argos warehouse at Castlepoint has become the base of operations for a massive humanitarian effort.
Over 120 volunteers are working all day to prepare nappies, medicines, clothes, food and bedding to make their way to Ukraine tomorrow.
The Facebook page 'Help from Bournemouth to Ukraine' only launched last Friday as an idea to collect some items in shops and schools. The warehouse has so many donations that they've had to close for the day.
But according to organisers, it's snowballed massively and now is enough in the warehouse to fill around 10 lorries. They will leave tomorrow morning in vans. Next week lorries have been arranged to pick up the items and there's also talks of a plane being filled up too.
Karol Swiacki sent the request for aid out to his followers last week. He said:
"On Friday with my wife, we thought 'we're going to have to do something about it.' we've created the event because I had the contacts around Dorset.
"It's hope that we're sending there. It is amazing that we can help them because these people need help. We can help each community and the refugee centres that are creating in Poland right now."
One volunteer, Ukrainian Ina Alexander is one of the volunteers there. Greatest Hits Radio Dorset asked her if she thought the support would make a difference:
"The difference is overwhelming. I've been coming here for two days volunteering and what I see, the kind of messages that come in these boxes is unprecedented.
"It literally feels like the whole world has come together."
Dave Pickett is the centre manager for Castlepoint. He said:
"No one really knew the extent, or the amount of good will that's been shown.
"It is massively overwhelming. I was expecting a few vans full and here we are running out of space when we never thought that was going to be anywhere close to what we thought."
It comes alongside reports that Ukrainian supermarket shelves are now bare and many are starting to worry about food.
Organisers are currently asking for the following items:
first aid kits, painkillers
batteries
They are asking us to refrain from bringing in clothing, bedding, pillows and duvets.