Firstly a huge thank you to those of you who have been in touch either offering to sponsor refugees or to volunteer. If you haven’t been in touch yet and would be willing to sponsor a Ukrainian refugee or offer to volunteer any help then please get in touch with me at ionalancaster12@gmail.com
Aberfeldy are in the process of welcoming their families who have begun to arrive and meanwhile they have also made a start at matching sponsers with refugees in the Pitlochry area. As yet they have not moved into our area but that will happen over the next few months if the need is there. In terms of what we as a community could be doing now here a few ideas:
Fundraising
There are several ways to help:
Donate to – www.gofundme.org and search for Highland Perthshire Welcomes Ukraine (by Samantha Leighton).
Direct payment into their bank account – Highland Perthshire Welcomes Ukraine business account: Sort code 80-05-22, Account number 10116262. Please put a reference eg. Dunkeld and Birnam Support.
Enter the Holiday Bonanza raffle at £20 a ticket run by Mains of Taymouth Castle Country Estate for fantastic short holiday stay prizes to the value of £10,000 to be drawn on the 31st August. Visit www.taymouth.co.uk/ukraine to purchase tickets.
See the Schiehallion Hotel facebook page for details of some fundraising which has already happened and if anyone is interested in planning a fundraiser for HP welcomes Ukraine themselves and wants some help let me know and I can see if any of the folk who have offered to volunteer can help.
Other information
Peter Donaldson in Aberfeldy is asking for people to donate children and adults bikes which he can refurb for guests use, let me know if you have any going spare and I can arrange to put you in touch with him.
If anyone can offer job opportunities locally that may suit guests I would be keen to know.
Iona Lancaster