Hordle woman Jane Marriner sets up home hub to take in donations for Ukrainian refugees

A HORDLE woman has set up a hub for people to donate items for the people of Ukraine – and says she has been "amazed" by the response so far.

Jane Marriner is using her Ashley Road home as a base where people can drop off items such as food, clothing and nappies. They are then taken to Southampton from where Polish delivery drivers transport them to the Poland/Ukraine border to hand out at refugee camps.

"I have been really amazed at the amount of kindness and the compassion shown by people in Hordle," she told the A&T. "It makes me proud to be part of such a fantastic community.

"I’ve been left absolutely speechless by the kindness of the people of Hordle and the surrounding areas."

Jane (60), a retired director of an international courier company, got the idea to help when a Polish friend of hers, Marta Janaszek, pointed out the Polish Social Club in Southampton had pleaded for help.

It requested items including nappies, wet wipes, baby milk, long-life foods, sanitary towels, tampons, pet food, warm blankets, sleeping bags, gloves, and hand warmers, which it said it would transport to Ukraine.

She volunteers at Lymington Cat and Kitten Rescue and mentioned it to bosses there, who gave her pet carriers and food.

After that first tranche of help Jane put out a call on Facebook and says she has since been inundated with tins of food for humans and pets, clothing and supplies, while other shops – including Everything Pets in Hordle – are also taking donations on her behalf

But while the help has been "brilliant", Jane says more will be needed, and has urged people to bring items to her or buy items on an Amazon wish list she has set up – which will be deliv-ered straight away to the depot in Southampton for onward transportation.

She also would like drivers to volunteer to take the items from her home to Southampton.

"To stress I am not doing this for any financial reward – and I won’t take any financial donations," she added. "I was up until 4am this morning sorting through bits, which I don’t mind at all as I get a lot of gratification from being able to help people.

"There is no telling how long and how bad this war is going to be. We need people to keep helping, keep donating, even if it’s just logging on and buying something on the Amazon site – which they can do at home without going out."

To make a donation to Jane contact her via her Facebook page Jane Marriner or visit her Amazon wish list www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2A65JMFJHATFX