NEWS

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OTHER NEWS

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• Eleon Charity Foundation, a Ukrainian Non-Government Organisation (NGO), has joined the NFFU network supported with a supply of humanitarian aid. This foundation focuses on helping sick children and low-income families as well as those in crisis in the Chernobyl Oblast. The first pallets of aid for Eleon formed part of shipment 32 which left from Lymington on 18th November.

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• NFFU met the objective of getting Christmas Gifts out to Ukraine in November, so that recipient NGOs could distribute to schools, facilities, and families before Christmas Day.

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• NFFUs Events team led by Mandy Haynes, spread news and awareness by taking part in seven public events in the run up to Christmas. With visitors buying a large quantity of hand-crafted gifts and festive ornaments and plenty of public donations, these events continue to fund NFFU support for Ukraine.

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• Collection of bulk incoming donations from drop spots across the Forest is now easier with Dorset based ‘Heroes Don’t Wear Capes’ making a van available on loan to NFFU.

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• Five more NFFU volunteers have completed formal training to drive the Locators.co.uk donated forklift, used within the Ampress sorting hub to move and load pallets onto Articulated trucks carrying aid to Ukraine.

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• The Autumn Barn-dance was a remarkable success, with close to 100 crowding into Brockenhurst Village Hall on November 9th. Between them, the partygoers raised £1000 for Ukraine.

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• The NFFU Winter Campaign for generators continues. Our 400th generator, kindly donated by Judith and Anthony Kirk of Milford on Sea, was part of shipment 33 that departed for Ukraine on 28th November.

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• NFFU have collaborated with Romsey Ukraine Support Group in the production of Trench Candles for Ukraine. These candles, duplicating the WW1 initiative, provide light and heat in locations where power is not available. Part used candles and wax collected and donated to NFFU goes to Romsey, where trench candles are fabricated by volunteers who join in Candle Making Workshops. The completed products are returned to be shipped out to Ukraine by NFFU. The next Romsey workshop is planned for 19th January 2025. More information by emailing Roland at roljmat@gmail.com

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• New Volunteers continue to join and give of their time. We warmly welcomed David, Mary, Jan, Ann, Marion, Claire, Matthew, Stephen and Hilary to our growing happy crew.

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• Martin Plaut (London based author and ex BBC journalist) has joined NFFU and is now reporting for us.

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• Sandra Quinn has accepted the role of Press Coordinator with NFFU. If you have a story or if you edit a publication and require some amazing news content, please contact Sandra at press@newforestforukraine.org.

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• Karen Downie has accepted the role of Fundraising Coordinator with NFFU and is spearheading the ‘Ink Cartridges for Ukraine’ appeal and supervising the allocation of cash tins into suitable public outlets. Contact Karen at  fundraising@newforestforukraine.org.

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• Anna Shevchenko who collected stories for her book ‘Around the War in Twenty Stories’, was welcomed on her recent visit to NFFUs Ampress hub. The book is a compilation of stories printed in Ukraine whilst under shell fire, and a charity project with all the money from sales shared across charity projects. More information at www.aroundthewarin20stories.com.

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• NFFU hub volunteers sorted, checked, packed and palleted a record monthly volume of aid during November 2024, with 35.937 tonnes shipped out in that month to Ukraine. 

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• From January 2025 the NFFU Newsletter will revert to a monthly publication schedule. The Newsletter now has over 1,320 subscribers.

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• Grant funding activities have resulted in welcomed donations from Chernobyl Spirit Company, Eden Aid, and the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF).

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