SHAP (The Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership) collect candles and candle ends from people to send to those struggling without power in Ukraine. At their warehouse unit, close to Swindon Railway Station, they make trench candles to provide a heat source for cold Ukrainians - winter temperatures can dip to an alarming minus 29 C - as well as creating large blocks of wax from odd ends that are sent to volunteers in Ukraine who make huge numbers of candles for the local population. All in all they have probably sent around 30 tonnes of candles to Ukraine.Sadly the need is still there. The infrastructure in Ukraine is under immense pressure and huge areas of the country are regularly without electricity.A second collection of used or unwanted candles is being made in the VaCE. There is also a request for used clean 400g food tins, for example tins that have held pears or mixed beans. Please check that a tin does not have any white plastic lining inside (eg tinned tomatoes), as these are not able to be used. Boxes to leave donated items will be placed at the back of churches in Blockley, Ebrington, Bourton on the Hill and Chipping Campden this week. It is planned to take candles to Swindon in the middle of February. Please look out any candles you don't want any more and donate them and also keep back any suitable cans from your recycling bins and add them to the donation boxes. For further information or to arrange a drop off, contact Naomi Morris - email BOHChurch@Outlook.com
Thanks to donations left in churches at Ebrington, Chipping Campden, Blockley and Bourton on the Hill, I was able to take several bags and boxes of candles and tins down to Swindon this month. While there she was shown around the small warehouse unit that the Swindon Humanitarian Aid Partnership operates from and met two of the volunteers, Carol from Swindon and Svitlana from Ukraine. Svitlana said that it helps her to feel she is doing something for her country. The candles are a small part of what is loaded into empty trucks returning to Ukraine. I saw a couple of mobility scooters, first aid equipment, medicines, nappies, boxes of clothes and donated gifts for children. They had wrapped well over a thousand Christmas presents that week. The most moving thing was the huge pile of walking frames, drawing attention to the cost of the war to so many people who have been injured in the fighting and bombing. Our candles are but a drop in the ocean but every bit helps bring a little relief. We will do another collection in the new year.