Ukrainian hearts help tattoo studio raise £2,000 for Red Cross appeal
A Dudley tattoo studio has been giving people heart-shaped tattoos of the Ukrainian flag to raise money for a charity helping the war-torn country.
One Shot Charlies, in Stourbridge, has raised £2,000 for the Red Cross's Ukraine appeal from tattoos they inked on Saturday.
Lee Pound, who has owned the studio for 16 years, knew he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
The 38-year-old from Stourbridge said: "I came up with the idea week-and-a-half ago, when things were starting to kick off.
"I wanted to help. I couldn't sit idly by when I could be trying to help refugees and people displaced by the war.
"I saw horrific footage of children in bomb shelters and knew there must be something we can be doing to help.
"I can't go to war, but I can do some colouring in."
The tattoos raised just under £2,000, with Lee rounding the figure up with his own donation.
Around 20 people got tattoos on Saturday, with Lee estimating between 12 and 15 of those had the Ukrainian flag.
The most-popular design was a heart-shaped Ukrainian flag with the peace symbol in it - making the tattoo a symbol of hope for the country.
"It really shows how much people care," he added. "Some people donated without even having a tattoo."
This isn't the first charity venture that Lee has embarked on. Every Christmas, the tattoo studio supports a charity - usually for children in care or to protect animals.
Last Christmas, he designed a colouring book with proceeds from all sales going to the Black Country Food Bank.
To donate to the Red Cross's Ukraine appeal, go to donate.redcross.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-crisis-appeal.
