Leicester's Ukrainian Community Centre presented with late Queen's Platinum Jubilee Award
A special award has been presented to Leicester's Ukrainian Community Centre in recognition of the work they do.
The site is packed with hundreds and hundreds of boxes full of everything from toiletries to medical supplies. The aid has been donated to the centre by people in the city and country. A local distribution company collects each and every box and delivers the aid, free of charge, to people in Ukraine, which has been ravaged by war for almost a year.
Volunteers work tirelessly collecting the supplies. Many have close family members in Ukraine and know how important it is for the aid to reach those who rely on help from outside the country.
Wol Wowczuk, Secretary of the Ukrainian Community Centre, said he’s been overwhelmed by the support from the public. He told me: “The people of Leicester and Leicestershire have been absolutely amazing.
"They’ve been so generous. It’s not just people from Ukraine. Most of the donations are from people who have no links to Ukraine, as are the people who walk through the door every week to do what they can. It’s wonderful how people have come together, it’s been great to see.”
The centre also helps women who fled Ukraine and have now settled in Leicester.
Yulra Woodall, a teacher at the Leicester Ukrainian Community Centre says it's nice to do something for Ukrainians who may feel forgotten
Today, the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant, Robert Allison, presented the Chairman with the Platinum Jubilee Community and Business Award.
He told ITV News Central how impressed he was with the work they do at the centre.
Robert said: “Just look at the people here. In this city, they have collected more than 15,000 boxes so far and sent them out to Ukraine and I think that just a fantastic achievement and absolutely right that we should recognize everything they do here.”
The award was one of 70 given out to various schools, businesses and community groups to represent each year of Her late Majesty's reign.