Mobiles4Ukraine - set up by Ukrainian mother and Denton host - works with Grantham Rotary Club to further support war-torn country

An initiative launched by a Ukrainian mother and her host is now working with a Rotary club to help her home country even more.

Mobiles4Ukraine was launched in August 2022 by Maryna Yakubovska, a mother of two boys who fled from her home in Irpin to escape the war, and her host Olly Tag, who lives in Denton.

The campaign, which recycles old phones to help damaged schools in Ukraine, is now working with Grantham Rotary Club to provide further support.

Donation points are also being set up for people to drop off phones at the Jubilee Church Life Centre on London Road, the Grantham Journal office on Watergate and also the Angel and Royal on the High Street.

Olly said: "The idea is to try and work with more Rotary clubs as they are people who have a bit more time on their hands and are supportive of the community.

"We want to work with them to get the message out. The war hasn't ended as we all hoped, but the 120,000 to 130,000 people that came to the country are going to need the support."

Maryna and her sons Nazar and Demian have been in Grantham nearly one year. It will be one year on Friday (February 24) that the war in Ukraine began.

Maryna had to leave behind her husband Artem, who recently joined the army and is waiting to be deployed.

She said: "Every time people ask me what happened in Ukraine it is hard. The project [Mobiles4Ukraine] is important.

"It is a small help but if we can help, I will. It is nice when someone helps."

Maryna and Olly went to the Grantham Rotary club to see if they would help the organisation and they agreed to.

Rotarian Roger Blakeman said: "They came and spoke to us and we decided to try and help.

"What we are doing now is trying to set more up with schools and other organisations. It is very important at rotary that we do everything we can do.

"We feel honoured to be able to help an organisation like this that is giving directly to the people that need it.

"We feel we can contribute to help a country that needs it."

Mobiles4Ukraine has also worked with the Rotary Club of Spalding and Welland.

If a business or individual has a batch of devices that cannot be dropped off, they can contact Mobiles4Ukraine through its website at https://mobiles4ukraine.com/.

If a business or school would like to register as a collection point, they can also register on the Mobiles4Ukraine website.