Thanks to your generous support, our Artistic Director Rachael has raised £4,176 for the people of Kherson, Ukraine - £3,776 through Crowdfunder and an additional £400 in personal donations. With an original aim of £700, she is delighted to raised nearly six times that figure.
As an actor in the late 1990s, Rachael toured Ukraine in a co-production between UK and Ukrainian theatre companies. She stayed in touch with colleagues in the city of Kherson and when she learnt of the ongoing hardships they are suffering, she was determined to find a way to help them.
The response to the campaign has been amazing - over a hundred supporters responding with such generosity and warmth, sending messages of support as well as financial help.
Rachael wants to personally thank everyone who has helped, writing "A massive thank you to everyone who has donated to my Crowdfunding campaign. To say my friends in Kherson are grateful would be a ridiculous understatement, they say you have saved their lives. They are also bowled over by your words of support."
Most of the money has already been sent safely to Kherson, where it is being distributed to help provide food, clothes and medicines. Messages from friends in Kherson include,
"Thank you very much for your kind words. In this difficult time, a kind word supports the soul. And the most important thing is that you are not alone, with you are your friends thinking of you. We hug you and everyone who remembers us tightly."
"Rachael, thank you very much and everyone who helped us. The money we got it. We hope to stay alive and healthy. I think there will be no connection soon. Don’t worry about us, everything will be fine."
Our hearts go out to everyone who is suffering in Ukraine and in particular to our friends and colleagues in Kherson. Thanks to your generosity, they have s chance to stay safer over the coming weeks and the messages of support, in particular, have made a great difference.
Thank you.