A Ukrainian aid depot based in Errol is one of Scotland’s last remaining major volunteer lifelines to the war-torn country - and its warehouse is almost empty.
Tayside and Strathearn Help for Ukraine (TASH4Ukraine) has sent tonnes of aid to Ukraine since the war began and its role is more important than ever.
Kenny Simpson, who co-ordinates aid donations at TASH4Ukraine’s Errol depot, told the PA that Edinburgh’s donation hub for Ukraine aid had closed after the loss of its warehouse.
A centre in Inverness had also closed down its operations and, in Glasgow, there were no longer the volunteers to keep donation processing going.
So the base in Errol has never had a bigger role to play in Scotland’s effort to help.
Since March it is estimated to have sent 600 tonnes of donations East. A lorry leaving on Monday carried donations worth £30,000.
Kenny said: “Ukraine has completely dropped out of public awareness and we fear that after a lorry goes to Ukraine from Errol next month, we will have no more aid left to give.”
The volunteer group is just that - not a registered charity - and as such is not getting money from any public authorities.
Kenny went on a four-day visit to Poland and Ukraine recently “as a duty of care” to the thousands of Perthshire people who have given food, clothing, medical equipment and baby supplies to help the humanitarian crisis.
He and three others from Perthshire, including Morris Leslie the owner of the Errol warehouse where the items have mounted up since March, went on July 8 first to Kraków in Poland and then to Lviv in Ukraine to inspect where aid was ending up.
Kenny commented on the visit: "We were humbled by what we saw and impressed by the people’s resolve.
"The churches were full and a flag is put in the graveyard for each dead soldier. We passed many cemetery’s and saw plenty flags.
"The situation is getting worse and the way the refugees are living, we fear for them this winter. Donations are getting less, when they should be getting more."
Following the recce, it was decided to concentrate aid at a single safe site in Koluszki, Poland where there are English speakers working with the Folkowisko Foundation.
Kenny explained: “We had to see for ourselves. You hear about the black market.
“Well we found the organisation at both border warehouses between Poland and Ukraine to be superb. Everything looked to be pretty much perfect.
“We know exactly what they want, what they need and we’ve agreed to do what we can."
Kenny explained that a forklift truck is desperately needed. One was lent by a farmer but it is now needed back on the farm.
TASH4Ukraine has put a bid in for a forklift coming up at an Errol vehicle sale and, if successful, the volunteers hope to transport it with the next lorry.
“The border was a bit of an eye opener,” added Kenny.
“We saw around 500 trucks queuing to get into Ukraine. Queues of Ukrainians too, queuing to go back home.
“Everyone we spoke to was super enthusiastic about doing their very best.
“The biggest concern is donations drying up and the need is far greater now than when we first started.”
He explained that people in Poland were “getting on with life and smiling”.
But in Lviv, the population got on with life but smiles were absent. “They do not know when they could be hit by an artillery attack,” he said.
Kenny saw a gymnasium with 90 bunks, one toilet for all and two outdoor showers reached across waste ground.
He explained: “The gym was filled by listless, traumatised people lying on bunks.”
Kenny added: “We desperately need to send trousers and socks to help the young men fighting to defend their country, big firms will help civilians but don’t want to be linked to Ukrainian fighters.
“Soldiers don’t have two sets of uniform so wear the same clothes for months.
“There’s a huge demand for wheelchairs and zimmer frames too.”
TASH4Ukraine has also been helping to provide welcome boxes in Perthshire. Dundee Council has asked it to supply host families taking in fleeing Ukrainians in its area too.
Forty-eight welcome boxes were recently distributed in Aviemore where 80 refugees are based in a hotel.
TASH4Ukraine is hoping to organise a ‘bean Friday’ when schools go back where each pupil would be asked to donate a pot noodle or a can of baked beans, potentially gathering thousands of instant meals.
Kenny said the Perthshire public had an important role to play and help was desperately needed now even if the war in Ukraine was being pushed out of national headlines.
“A great thing happened recently,” he said. “I was at Perth North Church Sunday week and I spoke about my visit to Ukraine.
“The sealed collection tin passed round after contained £400.
“It was unbelievable, so amazing to get that response from 15 minutes of me telling it like it is.”
