Helping Our Ukrainian Friends to lay out 2024 plans in open meeting this weekend at Helpston, near Stamford and Peterborough

A volunteer group set up to deliver humanitarian aid to civilians and soldiers in Ukraine is to map out its plans for the next 12 months.

Everyone is welcome to attend the Helping Our Ukrainian Friends meeting which takes place on Saturday (January 20) at 4pm in Helpston Village Hall.

People can also join remotely via a Zoom link through the group’s Facebook page.

The meeting will discuss how the group can continue to help in 2024 and will be joined via Zoom by its partners in Poland and Ukraine.

Last November, Helping Our Ukrainian Friends set out from Helpston on its 12th – and biggest - aid convoy as three vans of aid and two ambulances made their way to Gliwice, in Poland.

The ambulances, filled with medical supplies, were then driven on to Kyiv for deployment to front line army units.

“Please do come along and not only show your support and solidarity for Ukraine, but help us plan the year ahead,” said founder Richard Astle.

“How we raise money, what donations we collect, and above all, how we keep our communities focused on the imperative of supporting Ukraine.

“It must not become a frozen conflict that we all try to forget about - that would be victory to Russia, with massive implications for our security too, something we mustn’t contemplate.”