Ukraine: Hurstpierpoint father and son raise £17,000 on 1,000-mile trip to Poland to deliver vital supplies

Richard Paisley, 50, said he felt compelled to drive to the Poland-Ukraine border with his 22-year-old son Finn after hearing about the terrible situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He said he was in his car on Friday (March 4) and heard someone on the radio speaking from Przemysl about their shortage of supplies.

“They hadn’t expected the number of people to cross the border and were getting thousands a day coming over,” said Richard.

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Richard, who works in recruitment and lives in Hurstpierpoint with his wife and two daughters, said he had also seen the news and the upsetting images of people displaced by the war.

“I just got out of my car and I thought to myself ‘I need to do something’,” he said.

Richard said he rented a van for Tuesday (March 8), booked a ferry and phoned his son Finn, who goes to the University of Manchester and was keen to help.

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The duo filled their van ‘right to the brim’ with supplies like food, clothing and hygiene products after telling people about their mission on WhatsApp.

Richard said they had help from Brighton-based Youjuice owner Anita Drozd who put them in touch with humanitarian charity Caritas who were helping in Poland.

“On the way we kind of hatched a plan,” said Richard, explaining that they set up a JustGiving page so they could buy more supplies in Poland and respond to people’s immediate needs.

Their target of £1,500 was quickly smashed and has now raised more than £17,000.

Richard is amazed by the financial help and said the messages of support motivated him and Finn to help more, often spending 16-18 hours a day buying and delivering supplies.

“It changes every day what people need,” said Richard.

“The big thing yesterday (Sunday, March 13) was sleeping bags,” he added, saying that a WhatsApp group of Polish people in the UK helped them find shops in the area that stocked them.

Richard said he and Finn have now delivered supplies like tinned food, hygiene products and underwear to various groups near the border, visiting towns like Medyka, as well as the main Caritas distribution centre in Przemysl.

At one point, Richard said they were spending money quicker than it came in, but now it looks like there will be funds left over for charity.

Richard said the journey has been full of poignant moments.

“You’re seeing the people queueing in minus 10 at the border,” he said, adding that they look ‘shellshocked’.

“It’s all women, children and old people,” he said, explaining that they said goodbye to their husbands, fathers and sons at the border.

But Richard said he had been moved the kindness of the Polish who had let so many refugees in.

“They have been just incredible,” he said. “They’re just determined to get on with it and help people.”

“There’s an awareness now that this is going to be a long-term slog, it’s not going away overnight,” Richard added, saying that the refugee issue should not just be left to Poland, Slovakia and Moldova to sort out.

“I think that we as a country and as Sussex need to help out as well,” he said.

To donate to Richard and Finn’s mission visit www.justgiving.com.