Brits have now donated more than £100 million to a fundraising campaign providing aid to refugees fleeing Ukraine.
With the conflict continuing to rise and as the Russian invasion of Ukraine said to be “turning lives upside down”, a group of 15 UK charities last week launched a government-backed fundraising appeal – known as the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) – to club their efforts together to provide aid to those fleeing what is being described as one of the most “heartbreaking” situations the charities have “ever seen”.
The impressive £100 million total – which has been accumulated over four days since the launch of the appeal – is said to include “generous” donations from the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of Cambridge, as well as hundreds of thousands of members of the British public.
The amount raised is equivalent to more than £1 million per hour.
The DEC said the funds are already being used by charities in Ukraine and at its borders to give people food, water, medical assistance, protection and trauma care.
The British public has helped raise £100 million in just four days to support the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal – the equivalent of more than £1 million an hour!
The DEC said the funds are already being used by charities in Ukraine and at its borders to give people food, water, medical assistance, protection and trauma care.
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“This amazing show of support for people fleeing the conflict has meant that we have been able to start spending money straight away to help more people,” said Jo Kitterick, head of supporter engagement at the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development – which is one of the charities involved in the committee.
“I want to thank everyone who has donated to help us support them in their moment of greatest need,” she added.
Ms Kitterick said the charities part of the committee are currently setting up safe centres with beds, food and washing facilities inside Ukraine and on its borders.
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Transport, information, psychological support, and child-friendly spaces are also being provided.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) was set up amid growing concern for civilian welfare following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after it was estimated that up to four million people could flee Ukraine due to the conflict.
Brits have now donated more than £100 million to the DEC providing aid to refugees fleeing Ukraine / Credit: DEC (via Twitter)
The DEC said that people fleeing Ukraine are in desperate need of food, water, medical assistance and protection.
Many refugees are being forced into hiding to stay safe.
“The majority crossing the borders are women and children arriving with only what they can carry,” the DEC added.
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Giving an insight into the current situation from the perspective of someone on the ground, Andrew Morley – chief executive of World Vision International, who has recently returned from Siret on the Romanian border – explained: “We support children in countless crises across the world, including those I have recently visited such as Syria and the DRC, but I have never seen a more heartbreaking situation.
“All the children I met were crossing the border in tears, with pain and fear in their eyes.
“They were lost and scared.
“They need the basics, simple, practical help [and while] our staff have been present in this area for decades and there on the ground to deliver it, we need financial support to do this.”
The DEC said that people fleeing Ukraine are in desperate need of food, water, medical assistance and protection / Credit: DEC (via Twitter)
The DEC’s 15 member charities are – Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund, and World Vision UK.
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Appeals for public donations to the committee are currently being broadcast on various UK news channels, with every pound donated by the British public set to be matched by the government up to the value of £20 million.
The DEC has stressed that monetary donations are needed as opposed to specific items, which are often challenging to transport and not always relevant.
You can find more information and donate via the DEC here.
Stockport paedophile who abused teen girls in early 2000s handed five extra years in prison
Emily Sergeant
A prolific paedophile who ‘groomed, exploited, and coerced’ teenage girls in the early 2000s has had his sentenced extended.
It was reported on back in June that Christopher Oates, from Stockport, was brought to justice after he subjected vulnerable girls to what Greater Manchester Police (GMP) referred to as a ‘campaign’ of violence and sexual abuse 20 years ago.
Oates was charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15 years old, and two counts causing / inciting a child aged 13-17 years to prostitution.
He was originally sentenced to 13 years in prison for all his crimes.
But now, following a successful appeal by GMP, working with the survivors and the Crown Prosecution Service, to take the ‘unduly lenient’ sentence to the Court of Appeal, Oates has now been handed an extra five years in prison.
Paedophile who abused teenage girls twenty years ago has sentenced extended by five years after successful appeal
We’ve worked with the survivors and the CPS to take Christopher Oates’ unduly lenient sentence to the Court of Appeal. pic.twitter.com/4yfgjpWxCN
His sentencing increase comes after the 45-year-old groomed one of the survivors from when she was just 14 years old, by providing her with a false sense of security, paying her compliments, and pretending to be her boyfriend, all before he proceeded to ply her with drugs, gifts, and affection, and using the trust and control he gained to persuade her to start sex work on the streets of Manchester.
When the teenage victim began to doubt his intentions and asked to go home, Oates dragged her down an alleyway, violently attacked her, and threatened her with a gun, stating: ‘You do as I say, you’re mine now,’ commanding her to go to her ‘spot’.
It was this incident that prompted the teenager to confide in her mother and support services, and from here, found the strength to move forward with her life, while still courageously supporting the police investigation.
From this investigation, detectives were then able to identify a second teenage victim, a 17-year-old, who Oates also coerced into sex work.
Speaking on Oates’ sentencing increase, DI Eleanor Humphreys, who was a senior investigating officer for this case, said: “We join both victims in expressing our relief and delight that the Court of Appeal has reviewed Oates’ lenient sentence and increased it by five years.
“Oates will now rightly serve consecutive sentences for both victims, meaning that his time behind bars reflects the totality of his offending against both women – whose lives he has so badly impacted.
“We will not relent in ensuring child sex offenders are brought to justice and face the full consequences for their horrific crimes.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Football fans on the way home from Man United match injured in Huntingdon train stabbing
Danny Jones
Following the tragic news of the stabbing on a train in Cambridgeshire over the weekend, it’s been confirmed that a number of those injured in the senseless incident included football fans returning home after the match been Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.
A 32-year-old man, who is now said to be the only suspect in the attack, was detained at the scene.
Initially, another man – also British-born and of Caribbean descent – was arrested on suspicion of murder, but he has since been released “in good faith” that he was not involved in the mass stabbing.
A total of 11 people were hurt in the attack at approximately 7:42pm on Sunday evening, 2 November; while nine were said to be treated for serious injuries, five have since been discharged, and one is still in a critical state.
'I hope this results in a broader review of security'
The man who remains in a life-threatening condition has been named as Andrew Johnson, a train driver from Peterborough working on the line from Doncaster to King’s Cross in London.
His Iraq War veteran’s intervention is already said to have protected multiple lives, with the LNER staff member calmly bringing the carriages to a halt in an appropriate location as soon as he could.
Nigel Roebuck, a regional organiser for the railway drivers’ union Aslef and lead officer with the train operating company, told the BBC: “The driver did everything he was trained to do, at the right time and in the right way.”
“He brought the train into a station where passengers could disembark safely and where police, fire and rescue, and ambulance crew could get on to the train and attend to the victims and, we believe, catch the culprit.”
Roebuck went on to add: “He showed real courage, real dedication, and real determination in the most difficult of circumstances. Our thoughts tonight are with his colleague, who is still in intensive care.”
Another man who has been praised (following what the authorities have said is not being considered a ‘terrorist act’) is Forest supporter Stephen Crean, who is reported to have confronted the culprit; he was later seen getting off at Huntingdon, having been left visibly injured and needing medical attention.
Get well soon Stephen Crean, This Forest fan is one of the people who stood up to the attacker on the train yesterday.
A true hero, well done Stephen for putting your life on the line for the safety of others. RESPECT to you.❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/dl7eUEtj86
Writing on Facebook, his friend Sanj Beri said, “Get well soon, Stephen Crean. We are all thinking of you. One of the very best and a true hero.” It is not thought that any travelling fans in the United away end were on board at the time.
Another post by a group of local NFFC fans from Munster also reads: “On behalf of the branch, I would like to wish a speedy recovery to Stephen Crean. He was stabbed yesterday evening on a train going back to London after the Forest v Manchester United game.
“He bravely put himself in front of some children to protect them from the evil assailant(s) who wounded at least 10 more people in total. He is a longtime friend of the branch, having attended a couple of our Charity Dinners in Killorglin and was indeed a member at one time.
“I have known him for at least 10 years and he is one of the most gentlest souls you could meet. He follows Forest and Ireland home and away, and I have regularly met him at The City Ground over the years, as well as the likes of Luton, Spurs, Wembley, Ipswich and most recently in Seville.”
Both men have rightly been praised for their quick thinking and heroics in deeply distressing circumstances. It goes without saying that we wish those injured a speedy recovery. You can find out more of the latest info on the situation down below.
Sending our thoughts and strength to all those involved in the incident.
Emily Sergeant -
7th March 2022 
