Staff from Warwick business fly out to aid centres in Poland help Ukraine refugees

Two members of staff from a business in Warwick flew out out to aid centres in Poland to help Ukrainian refugees.

Krzysztof Bruski and Chris Stafford, who work for ENGEL UK in Tachbrook Park, flew out on March 10 and returned after five days.

The work was inspired by staff hearing the news about what has been happening in Ukraine and because Krzysztof is Polish and wanted to help his countrymen in their effort to help refugees feeling across the border.

Staff at the business had been raising money so that Krzysztof and Chris could buy items that were needed by the aid centres while they were in Poland.

ENGEL UK donated £5,000 for the initiative and, along with other donations, the fundraising page has surpassed the £10,000 mark.

Krzysztof and Chris worked constantly since arriving and driving large distances to fulfil all the requests.

ENGEL UK used it’s business contacts within the plastics and manufacturing industries to help raise money to be spent entirely on assistance for the refugees.

Business platform LinkedIn has been their prime method of reaching out to people and they have also received support in publicising their effort via plastics industry publications and the like.

The first items Krzysztof and Chris were able to supply was a very large number of sleeping bags, which had been requested through Krzysztof’s connections even before they left the UK.

They were able to purchase these and arrange to collect them as soon as they arrived in Poland.

In the days they were in Poland they visited the reception centres on the border with Ukraine, finding out which items they are desperately short of and going out and buying them and delivering them back.

These items have ranged from kettles, microwaves, and babycare products for an emergency orphanage, through sanitary products, warm hats and gloves, foodstuffs and on one particular occasion, a fridge for a group of women working very hard to supply sandwiches every day to refugees.

Originally, the women had asked for assistance in obtaining fresh ingredients, but Krzysztof and Chris quickly realised that the lack of a fridge meant that they were unable to store fresh ingredients safely.

Nigel Baker, managing director of ENGEL UK, said: “We are very proud of the work that Chris and Krzysztof have done in Poland.

"We know that to them it seems like a drop in the ocean, but we are sure that they have made a difference for some people. We were keen to support them, as a team here and this has extended across the plastics and manufacturing industries.

"Even including a number of our colleagues in other European countries. We are extremely grateful for this support.”

Krzysztof and Chris returned to the UK this week and any money remaining from their efforts and any that continues to come in will be donated to one of the humanitarian agencies working in the region.

To donate go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/engel-uk-help-ukraine