The number of casualties and displaced people is mounting since Russia’s shock invasion of Ukraine, so what we can do to help? We’ve put together a list of things you can do – locally and online – to support the people of Ukraine. We’re updating this regularly, so please let us know if you hear of anything we should include.
EAT
The Macs Farm in Ditchling are hosting a coffee and homemade cake for Ukraine day in the Old Chook shed on Wednesday, 20th April at 9am. All proceeds will go to the @disastersemergencycommittee for Ukraine. Ouicreperie will also be there with their tasty crepes and the farm will also make a donation for every box of their free-range eggs they sell.
Some of Brighton’s (and BOTI’s) best-loved chefs and restaurants have teamed up for a special fundraising #CookForUkraine supper club. Join Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen, Fu Fighters, The Set Restaurant, The Chilli Pickle and Carbo Wines on 28th April for a night you won’t want to miss. The location hasn’t been revealed yet, so watch this space!
Chef Diego Ricaurte is holding a Ceviche masterclass at the Brighton and Hove kitchen, with all funds raised going to the Disaster Emergency Committee. The £59.99 class on 7th April will help boost your confidence at selecting and cooking with seasonal, sustainable seafood, using traditional Latin American flavours.
Brighton’s Boul Kitchen is cooking up some tempting-looking poppyseed babka in March and donating 30 percent from each sale to the #CookForUkraine initiative, which is raising money for Unicef. Each babka costs £10 + £2 delivery – DM on Instagram to order.
DRINK
We’re particularly fond of this initiative: The Southern Belle in Hove is selling yellow and blue “Fcuk Putin shots” aka Ukrainian Nemiroff vodka shots with all proceeds going to support Ukraine.
WATCH AND LISTEN
Brighton Dome and Charleston are holding an evening of music and word on 24th April in the Dome concert hall, featuring well-known actors Adjoa Andoah, David Morrissey and Joely Richardson reading the works of Vanessa Bell, WH Auden, EM Forster and more. The readings will be accompanied by live music from pianist Melvyn Tan and cellist Steven Isserlis. Tickets start at £25 and all of the proceeds will go to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.
SWIM
Hot on the heels of the #CookforUkraine initiative, sustainable swimwear company Deakin & Blue have come up with #Swim4Ukraine. It’s simple: all you have to do is swim 4k, donate £4 and challenge 4 friends.
HOST
You can help refugees in Brighton by registering as a mentor with Voices in Exile by emailing administrator@voicesinexile.org.
If you have a spare room or any other housing to offer those fleeing the conflict, you can send your details to refugeehelp@brighton-hove.gov.uk and you can find out more about the Homes for Ukraine accommodation sponsorship scheme, which allows you to apply to sponsor someone from Ukraine to live with you for at least six months (or register your interest in doing so) here.
If you’re an employer, you can offer full-time, part-time or voluntary work to people coming from Ukraine. You can find more details about what’s expected and how to register here.
BUY
You can help Etsy sellers in Ukraine by buying their digital products (posted by @daydreamsofquilts). Go to etsy.com, search for ‘digital file’, select ‘all filters’. Then scroll down to find the ‘shop location’ category, select the custom option and type in ‘Ukraine’. Easy! You’ll get something great (such as a cool pattern) and the seller will get some money to live on.
You can also support Ukraine by booking rooms for rent on Air BnB (suggested by @quentin.quarantino) – try to pick small places for rent in cities that have been hit hard by bombing and book dates for as soon as possible so the payment goes through once the booking happens. And obviously tell the host you won’t actually be coming!
It’s an important thing to remember when there’s so much awfulness going on that not everyone is a c*nt. This brilliant ring by Silver Spur jewellery helps you do just that. £5 from every £40 ring sale will be donated to the British Red Cross’s Ukraine appeal.
READ AND SHARE
Staying informed about the conflict and raising awareness is great, but it can be hard to weed out the fake news from the vast swathes of (dis)information online.
So, if you’re looking for trusted news sources on the ground, have a look at Kyiv Independent (and their crowdfunding campaign) and the New Voice of Ukraine (both publish in English).
This is a great list of reliable journalists reporting from Ukraine compiled by International Center for Journalists’ programme director Cristina Tardaguila. and you can use this toolkit from Full Fact, a team of independent fact-checkers and campaigners, to verify information you come across yourself.
Full Fact also publish regular fact-checked updates about what’s going on.
Feel free to share this article too!
WRITE
A good way of effecting change can be writing to your local MP to call for the government to place more sanctions on the Russian government. You can find a good template here.
The MPs for Brighton are Caroline Lucas (Pavilion) and Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Kemptown) and Peter Kyle for Hove. You can find all their contact details here.
DONATE GOODS
There’s a permanent drop-off point at Community Base (113 Queens Road, Brighton; Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm). They need: nappies, baby wipes, baby food, breast pads, maternity sanitary pads, bandages, painkillers, sanitary towels and tampons, batteries, torches, tinned food, loo rolls, toiletries, thermal gloves and hats, and brand new adult and kids underwear.
If you can get to Worthing, there is a collection point at the Quaker Meeting House for donations to be sent to Ukrainian refugees arriving in Poland. Some of the things they need include hygiene products, nappies, underwear and masks.
Nanny and maternity nurse influencer Nanny Luenna is collecting essentials for children that she will send over to Crokshaw, Poland where refugees from Ukraine are arriving with no belongings.
Some of the things they need are: nappies, wipes, blankets, bedding, Calpol, clothes, shoes, baby bottles, baby food, soap and toiletries.
Send your boxes to: Nanny Louenna, PO Box 283, Newmarket CB8 1HF
DONATE MONEY (if you can afford to)
Jim Deans of Sussex Homeless Support is raising money to take supplies directly to Ukraine and to assist women, children and disabled people with getting to the UK. They have already made one trip and want to return with more supplies for the front line.
United Help Ukraine works to raise awareness of what’s going on in the country and provide medical supplies.
The British Red Cross have launched an emergency appeal and are helping provide food, water, first aid and shelter to people affected by the war.
Choose Love provides emergency medical care, food, shelter and support for the LGBYQIA+ community.
Local charity Sunflower of Peace are using funds to provide first aid and medical supplies to people on the ground. They’ve reached their limn Paypal, so are only accepting donations via Facebook.
Support Hospitals in Ukraine provide trauma-related equipment and surgical tools.
Ukrainian organisation Voices of Children provide psychological support for children caught up in war.
WHAT ELSE?
Check out Stand With Ukraine Brighton and Hove regularly for updated information on ways you can help and their Facebook page here, which lists local people accepting donations of goods, as well as details of planned protests.
If you hear of any other initiatives that we should include, please let us know by emailing hello@brightontheinside.co.uk.
Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
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