Why we do what we do...
The Story of where it all started and why we want you to get involved.
Why...
My name is Olly Tagg. At the start of the war I met lots of families fleeing their homes to the Polish border. I was helping taxi families from the border to Krakow and Warsaw in Poland where the Poles were providing amazing support and help. When I returned to the UK two weeks later I signed up to the Homes for Ukrainians programme and Marina Yakubovska and her two boys arrived with my family on the 2nd April.
They fled Ukraine on the first day of war from their home city in Irpin, a commuter city, 15 minutes train ride from Kyiv centre. The Yakubovska’s city has suffered terribly. Melinda Simmons the UK Ambassador in Ukraine visited Irpin on the 9th May and stated.
“The town centre is a horror story of destruction by Russia. Homes, schools, kindergartens, clinics and shopping centres destroyed. I met residents still living in pitch dark cold basement shelters,”
The Yakubovska’s street has been largely destroyed and their own home received significant damage. All of their schools have been shelled and some very badly.
Marina and I discussed how we could help and Mobiles4Ukraine was born. Before retirement I was a partner in a mobile recycling business for 20 years and we felt this was an easy way for people to help Ukraine and get rid of unwanted items at the same time.
There is a burgeoning Ukrainian community of Mums and Children in Grantham and the Mums all need work. Jobs are scarce in Ukraine and a British income is essential to help support extended families in Ukraine. The business is not for profit. After wages and running costs all profits will be sent to Ukraine to help rebuild schools and communities.
How:
The concept is simple. Schools, colleges and communities can collect old, broken and unwanted mobiles. Mobiles4ukraine will sort, process and cleanse the units and they will be either donated or resold. The proceeds from these sales will assist two Irpin schools badly damaged in the war.
- Irpin Secondary School Number 17, Irpin City Council of Kyiv Region. This school educates more than 2,000 students and is attended by children aged 6 to 17
- Irpin lyceum School Number 3 . Severinovskaya Street,129a, Irpin