Helping Our Ukrainian Friends sees upturn in donations after American president Donald Trump’s clash with Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky
A local aid group set up to support Ukraine has reported an uplift in donations following Donald Trump’s ‘bullying’ of the Ukrainian president.
President Trump was accused of bullying Volodymyr Zelensky at their White House meeting last Friday, and then caused further upset by pausing American military aid to Ukraine.
Helping Our Ukrainian Friends (HOUF) founder Richard Astle, from Helpston, believes the moves have hit the country hard and is urging people to channel their anger into supporting the war-torn country.
“What we’re hearing from our Ukrainian friends is shock and real despair,” he said.
“Several people I spoke with over the weekend couldn’t get their heads around what happened in the White House and the pause in military aid. I think they’re probably at the lowest they’ve been.
“It was a real different tone in the conversation that we shared. They feel like everyone has forgotten about them and they don’t know where to go now.”
HOUF was formed three years ago, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and has a strong core in the Stamford area.
The group reacted to Friday’s meeting by immediately sending over an additional £6,500 of funding to its Ukrainian partners.
It was money which had been earmarked for the summer, but the group will try to recoup it through further fundraising.
“That was something we could do,” said Richard.
“Our message is, let’s not get angry, let’s get out there and do something to help them - even if it’s just sending messages.
“We decided to message every Ukrainian that we’ve worked with over the years, telling them ‘we’re still with you, don’t despair’.
“We had a real flurry of donations over the weekend following that meeting, the best part of £2,000, so I think a lot of people have got that message.
“They want to feel they can actually do something, rather than just sit there and be angry.”
To donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helpingourukrainianfriends2023
On Thursday (March 13), Richard and three fellow HOUF volunteers will set off for Romania to begin the group’s next aid mission to Ukraine.
They plan to pick up two 4x4s from Bucharest and then drive them to Kyiv on Friday and Saturday.
One of the vehicles has been bought through the fundraising of Stamford’s Ukrainian community which included a recent race night at Burghley Park Golf Club.
HOUF has put in £4,500 from its own general funds to buy the second. Both will be passed on to Ukrainian army medical units to evacuate patients from the frontline.
Richard is also taking £16,000 of donations to spend on emergency aid.
But their plans may have to change after Trump’s announcement on US military aid.
“A lot of that has been used for air defence so we’re watching what’s happening,” Richard explained.
“If the air defences collapse over Kyiv we have to be very, very cautious.
“If that happens we will take the vehicles over the border and leave them there to be picked up.”
HOUF members Fiona Parker, Anne-Marie Hamill, Maria Berestovska and Marc Kuh also responded to Friday’s meeting by heading to London, while Rutland and Stamford MP Alicia Kearns called for Trump’s state visit to be postponed.
The volunteers hit the streets to show their support for Ukraine during Sunday’s European summit in the capital, attended by President Zelensky.
While there, Marc and Fiona were both captured by TV cameras and featured on national television news in Ukraine.
“That demonstration of love and support matters so much,” Richard added.
“One thing that has become clearer over the last few weeks, this is not just a humanitarian effort, it’s about our security as well.”
