This page has been created by Jonny Turnbull and Karolina Uskakovych to organise sustained financial support for grassroots organisations in Ukraine via several fundraising initiatives across the UK and the Netherlands. Jonny and Karolina are sending funds directly to local humanitarian charities and their friends running grassroots initiatives across Ukraine.

Jonny lived in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, for the last three years. He moved there to conduct his PhD research in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, which was under russian occupation for five weeks at the beginning of the invasion. Karolina is from Kyiv and now studies in Den Haag, The Netherlands. Together, they have organised several fundraising events and are already seeing their donations provide direct support to families and friends across Ukraine.

Right now, they are helping their friend Stefania Bodnia, a design student at the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, and her mother Olga to build a new life in the Netherlands. Olga, a schoolteacher, stayed in their hometown of Mariupol when russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24th February. She couldn’t leave for more than three months, the most challenging time of their lives. Their family car was stolen by the russian army, and the so-called donetsk people’s republic illegally withdrew the ownership of their apartment, despite it already being destroyed. After several weeks of careful planning, Olga left everything behind and fled to the Netherlands. With nowhere to return, these amazingly strong women are building a new life together 💙💛

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In partnership with The People’s Film Club and Kate Hodkinson, they have organised several film screenings at Cine Lumiere, Genesis Cinema, and the Tyneside Cinema to raise funds for medical aid, refugee support, and children’s psychological support groups on the ground in Ukraine. These events were in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute in London, Cambridge Ukrainian Studies, and Migration Collective. They have also arranged art sales and Ukrainian dinners.

On Sunday April 3rd, the brilliant Alex Lockwood ran the Manchester marathon to contribute to Jonny and Karolina’s fundraising effort.

Thus far, they have supported local Ukrainian organisations including Voices for Children (https://voices.org.ua/), Everybody Can (https://everybodycan.com.ua/), and Hospitallers (https://www.facebook.com/hospitallers/), as well as several of our friends in Ukraine who are voluntarily providing medical aid, coordinating civil defence supplies, and cooking for soldiers and sheltering civilians.

Follow Jonny (@jonnyjt), Karolina (@north.carolinau), and The People’s Film Club (@thepeoplesfilmclub) on Instagram to find out about upcoming fundraisers.

Any donation you can make will go a long way.

Слава Україні, Героям Слава!

Glory to Ukraine, Glory to Heroes!