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This is something that's very close to everybody's heart, I believe, just now
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And it's stuck a cord where people are always thinking, what can we do to help
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And of course, we're talking about the refugee crisis following the events in Ukraine
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And it just so happens that I was approached by somebody that we know very well
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met many, many years ago as a student in a school, is a young man with an enormous amount of drive
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and in a very short period of time he can make things happen
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The Ukraine project under Valdapopop Ukraine has been set up by Richard McKenry
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as I say, somebody that I met as a student many, many years ago. But it's an absolute privilege to talk on his behalf and on behalf of the organization that he has set up almost overnight
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and the idea is to support Ukrainian refugees who require accommodation and all of the infrastructure that comes thereafter
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once they move to this part of Spain. Valdapop Ukraine has agreed with nine town halls
1:09
to support the Ukrainians with schooling health food and other essentials So Richard has set up a website which is valdepopukrania
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where you can offer access to accommodation and volunteer in many different ways
1:27
I might say that in the period of about four to five days, Richard's had so many people approach him to offer both accommodation and volunteer as drivers
1:39
or as support workers. What's really, really important is that this isn't just thrown together
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This will follow some very careful and strict protocols to ensure that both the families who are offering support in housing
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are protected and are looked after and are advised and will be signing a contract to that end
2:01
And equally so, to look after those Ukrainians who are coming over
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to a place they don't know, many of them will not speak the language
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but they will have support through Richard's network to ensure that the appropriate protocols are followed by them and for them
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So to this end the hosting families will sign a code of conduct and the refugees will sign an asylum agreement so that they know that they will be protected and that social workers can then call on them to make sure that they are looked after and that their needs are met People are very worried
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People are very concerned. They want to do something and they want to do the right thing
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They don't want to donate and it happened to go to the wrong place. Here I know, we know
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that there is a bona fide good guy who's managed to mobilize people so fast and the money will get to
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those in need. It will go to the front line of those who need it. It doesn't get lost or swallowed up
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into some huge organization where, in fact, the trickle that ends up at the end doesn't really
3:02
fulfill the requirements of those who absolutely are in need of this. But I suppose the thing that we
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need to focus on right now is, you know, how can our wonderful helpers, the people in the community
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really support this on a daily basis? And we're looking for donations of clothing and food
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for clothing for all ages and food to be dropped off at the following places
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The Hallam Valley help shops, the original charity shop in Javier, help in Lahara, and any of the three XIC sites
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Now, with regard to the clothing, it would be enormously helpful if it were bagged with the age of the person that it would be specific for and the sex. so that
