Polish Centre ‘Wilno’ on Worsley road in Salford have received thousands of donations and volunteers to help Ukrainian people who have lost their houses and belongings due to the Russian invasion of their country.

Since the war began on February 24th, people around Europe have been raising money and donations to help in every way they can. With explosions continuing around the cities of Ukraine, many people have lost their homes and loved ones.

Eva Szegidewicz who works at the polish centre shared her thoughts on the tragedy, “I was contacted by the Polish Integration Support Centre who asked if the Polish Centre “Wilno” Manchester could be a collection point for people to bring their donations.  I immediately said yes because I wanted to help.”

She went to share her families experiences with war, “My family went through a similar situation during the Second World War.  They lived in pre-war Eastern Poland which is now part of Ukraine. I still have distant relatives there.”

“Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and on 17 September 1939 Russia also invaded Poland.  On 10 February 1940 my family were forcibly deported to Siberia by Stalin and the Soviets.  They were woken with a loud banging on the door at 3.00 am in the morning by two Soviet NKVD officers and were given just five minutes to pack warm clothes and leave their home.

It was the coldest winter on record, -40 degrees…

They endured two and half years slave labour and experienced hunger, starvation, extreme cold and disease.  When they were released in 1942 my grandfather joined the Polish army and fought at the Battle of Monte Cassino.  My mother and grandmother were taken to a refugee camp in East Africa where they stayed for 6 six years during the war…

My grandfather arrived in UK in 1946 and was reunited with my mother and grandmother two years later in 1948.  They had lost their home and were unable to return to Poland”

 

The centre received thousands of donations and is now shut to anymore donations for now, “We collected tons of donations.  I really didn’t expect so much.  The Centre was heaving with the amount of stuff.  It was heartwarming to see the generosity of people.

The donations will be sent to the Polish border where the refugees are gathering to enter Poland…

I hope it helps the Ukrainian people to survive and provide them with things that they need.  Many women and children are hiding in the mountains.  They will have left their homes with only the things they could carry.  They will desperately need warm clothes and medical supplies

The war is senseless.  It reminds me of what my family went through”

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