Walsall community groups come together to help people in Ukraine
Two voluntary groups have teamed up to support those in Ukraine in an example of partnership working.
The Walsall Afghan Community Group received thousands of donations to support those fleeing the Taliban last year and, with tons of items still in storage, the group decided to donate the remainder to Nash Dom, a Walsall-based community group that supports migrants from Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
Shortly after the war began in Ukraine, they launched a campaign across Walsall to raise funds and donations.
The campaign has had a large response from residents, groups and organisation that have contributed with donations, volunteering work and even transport services.
Nash Dom, who have been supporting migrant communities in the West Midlands for more than 12 years, had already set up a distribution system with the Head of the District Office in Slovakia, by the Ukrainian border, to deliver humanitarian aid to those cut off from essential supplies.
Items, which include things like towels, toiletries and over the counter medicines such as paracetamol, are then being shipped to Slovakia, with the remainder being used as welcome packs for Ukrainian arrivals to the borough.
Founder and CEO of Nash Dom, Juraj Modrak, said: "We have always had a good relationship with the Afghan community here, as we have with so many of Walsall’s diverse communities, I can’t thank them enough – the people of Walsall have been just brilliant."
Fahim Zazai, who runs the Walsall Afghan Community Group, said: "We could not stand by and do nothing to help when we saw the plight of those in Ukraine.
"We had so many wonderful donations from the people of Walsall during the Afghan crisis, the least we could do was to pass on that goodwill."
