Dear Friends

As the Principal of Cherwell College Oxford who served as the First Secretary at the British Embassy in Kyiv 2000-2003 and who has many friends and family from Ukraine, I experience first-hand the devastating effects the war in Ukraine has on Ukrainians and those closely related to them.

Likewise, as a British Citizen, living in the UK, I am aware of problems in the UK which are a by-product of the wider, far-reaching consequences this war in Europe brings to the world.

Hence, my message is clear and unambiguous: the war in Ukraine concerns everyone – or rather anyone not indifferent to the prosperity and peace in their own country and for their future generations.

Although, we all may have our own view as to what the world leaders should or should not do to resolve the crisis, in all these differing opinions there is one aspect which must be integral to us all: humanity.

As such, the college community is following the terrible news from Ukraine with distress and empathy for our Ukrainian friends and colleagues at Cherwell College.

Being a small tutorial College, with a student body of 50 (a close-knit community), both staff and students have been actively involved in fundraising as well as awareness-raising in and around Oxford.

Cherwell College Oxford has now partnered with the international charitable foundation – “Stand With Ukraine” and smaller local volunteering organisations in Kharkiv, Eastern Ukraine (one of the worst affected regions).

One of our friends in Kharkiv is Svetlana Filatova of Telesens Ukraine who works tirelessly for the volunteering organisation called “Peace to Kharkiv” which provides basic aid (such as food and medicines) to the most vulnerable residents of Kharkiv: children, elderly, sick and disabled.

We receive numerous appeals from people on the ground in Ukraine requesting financial and humanitarian aid.

Any further money raised will go to the ongoing costs of sending any financial and humanitarian aid as this aid is going to be needed for many months ahead.