West Yorkshire woman launches fundraiser for Red Cross to help Ukraine residents

Jennifer Smith, 39, said she had started to search online to find the best way to make a difference amid the conflict in the country.

Jennifer, originally from Leeds but now of Normanton, has started a GoFundMe page to collate donations from family and friends to help the appeal.

"I set the fund up as I was reading the news about the conflict, in particular the impact on civilians", Jennifer told the YEP.

"I couldn’t help but think there are ordinary people out there just going about their lives like me and they could be the victim of an attack at any minute.

"How do you function on a day to day basis with that knowledge and ultimately what happens when people do lose their homes and their livelihoods?"

The fundraiser has raised more than £800 in less than 24 hours.

"I thought maybe if I set up a GoFundMe Campaign it would give people a platform to donate directly to the Red Cross and I could easily share across my network and get the word out", Jennifer added.

One person who donated on the page said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with [Ukraine]."

To visit the fundraiser or donate, click here.Elsewhere, Volunteer Magdalena Timmins has organised a collection of essential items for Ukrainian people who have fled over the border to Przemyśl in Poland - the town where she grew up.

She plans to send a van full of blankets, clothes, toilet rolls, nappies, toothbrushes, wet wipes and more to the town at the end of next week. Leeds Polish Centre, in Chapel Allerton, was open for collections on Sunday and people poured into the centre with bags of supplies.

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