Great Wyrley primary school pupils send vanload of supplies to Ukraine

Parents, children and friends of the Landywood Primary School responded to a call requesting shoe boxes full of items to send to those affected by conflict.

The school has been working with Bethany Baptist church to support a nationwide appeal from charity International Aid Trust.

Sarah Preston, a teaching assistant who has been coordinating the effort, said: "We have been blown away by the generosity of the families of Landywood who have gone above and beyond to support the drive for much needed supplies for Ukraine."

In addition to the donation drive, the school held a non-uniform day where children were invited to wear the colours of Ukraine to show their support for the country and raise much needed cash for the cause.

To date, more than £380 has been raised, with donations continuing to come in.

Andrew Clewer, Landywood’s headteacher, said: "Many of our pupils have naturally been asking questions about the war in Ukraine, some with concerns and fears.

"As a school, each class discussed the situation to help our children understand what’s happening there in an age-appropriate way.

"It became clear that our pupils felt strongly that they wanted to help children and families like themselves who have been affected by this conflict.

"This quickly turned into the van full of crucial supplies we are sending over.

"At Landywood empathy is one of our core values and helping others is close to hearts."

Items donated to the appeal included toothbrushes, toothpaste, sanitary products, nappy bags, first aid kits and other essentials.

The donation drive has seen everyone come together, with Ian Gregorelli, Landywood School governor and owner of local shop Boardwise, loaning his van to help transport the donations from the school to the local donation hub.

Parent Shauni Pritchard, along with her colleague Alan Meehan, also joined in and generously donated 25 airbeds to the appeal.

Shauni said: "After seeing the heartbreaking images on the news of refugees from Ukraine crossing the border with nothing more than a small bag of belongings, we felt strongly that we wanted to help.

"When Landywood put a call out for urgent donations we leapt into action purchasing three boxes full of airbeds in the hope of providing some comfort in such a challenging situation."

Pupil Penelope Askey, aged five, along with her mother, Chloe Askey, got involved by gathering a huge number of donations to support the appeal.