To not understand why people are driving to Poland?

[Tgbiyr]

Genuinely interested in whether I’m missing something.

I have a friend on Facebook who’s driving part of a convoy of goods for Ukrainian refugees from the UK to Poland. Toiletries, clothes etc. He asked people to donate goods, and now he’s asking people to donate towards fuel costs.

I cannot understand why anyone is doing this. Would it not be better to donate to the Polish charities supporting the refugees than transport lorries full of goods thousands of miles? Or ask for donations of goods to support refugees who come to Britain? What am I missing?

AIBU to think that driving lorries from the UK to Poland isn’t helpful, and the money would be better spent being directly donated to organisations in Poland?

@mamabear715

What a bitchy thread! Along with other people locally, I bought nappies, baby milk, sanitary pads etc, on the first or second day and they went straight off to Poland. Neither I nor anyone I know would dream of sending old clothes. Oh, and by the way - this is the first time I've mentioned it. I have put NOTHING on social media. How disgusting that a lot of you think this is what it's all about.

Now that more goods are going, my daughter has donated cash, but as others have said, how do you know it's going to the people it's supposed to help?
Can I just mention Oxfam, RSPCA..

Agree…am wondering what all these lovely posters have done ,apart from bitching on MN 🤔

@MorrisZapp

Whatever you do, stay off Martin Roberts twitter. 😬😬😬

OMG, I just went to look. What a load of self-indulgent, sickly, vom-worth parp. Tweet after tweet after tweet, of his 'LOOK AT MEEEEEEEE' drivel!

He is SO full of himself, and his JOURNEY, and I need a sick bucket for some of his tweets! BLEH!

@mamabear715 @Stroppypeople

I am wondering what all these lovely posters have done, apart from bitching on MN... 🤔

I am sure many posters 'bitching' on here about all the attention-seeking 'virtue signallers,' have done their bit for Ukraine. I know I have. I just don't feel the need to crow about it all over social media, for attention and praise, and 'likes' and 'aww hun your an angle' type comments.

It's pretty ignorant to assume that people haven't done anything or given anything, just because they don't blather on about it.

And yeah, I am fully aware I have just announced I have given, but no-one knows who I am!

THANK you, @Stroppypeople, just as I thought.
Must be some guilty consciences here if that's what some people think others are doing? (Sending tat..)

Our local FB group has a few members that are just obsessively driving between here and Poland constantly, with mini vans full of god knows what.

Definitely not on here to bitch about people donating lovely things, BUT… pretty much every town seems to have a truck going out to the Ukrainian borders. Imagine how many trucks that is, and presumably the same is happening in France, Italy, Germany etc. So much of this stuff is going to end up in landfill.

@Tictocrobot

Definitely not on here to bitch about people donating lovely things, BUT… pretty much every town seems to have a truck going out to the Ukrainian borders. Imagine how many trucks that is, and presumably the same is happening in France, Italy, Germany etc. So much of this stuff is going to end up in landfill.

This. ^ You can tell who the 'desperate for likes' and 'aw hun your an angle' types are on here

A few people are taking this waaaay too personally. Have some people hit a raw nerve?

Some nasty comments on this thread...

@Tictocrobot

Definitely not on here to bitch about people donating lovely things, BUT… pretty much every town seems to have a truck going out to the Ukrainian borders. Imagine how many trucks that is, and presumably the same is happening in France, Italy, Germany etc. So much of this stuff is going to end up in landfill.

Bearing in mind P&O ferries aren’t operating and they have a third of the Channel routes, a lot of trucks aren’t going to get very far.

I don't understand but surely, rather than exporting nappies, we donate money to established charities/orgs (of which there are numerous) and let them handle it

All this energy and money trying to reinvent the wheel seems counter productive

It went down really badly when I said to my friend that that donating money was better than random people filling random vans with random stuff. Turned out they saw it as an opportunity to declutter some things. Neither giver nor recipient seemed to be thinking it through at the Ukrainian end, but just really liked the idea of ‘helping’. I do get the impulse, but its fraught with problems doing it that way.

Its not like mainland Europe doesnt have nappies and medical supplies and are easier to access from within the EU

The export costs don't make it feasible

what a load of critical folk you are

are you doing something?

Exactly, MrsLE.

@gonetogroundnow

It's next level virtue signalling. A lot of people I event with are taking their horse boxes over and had a weekend collecting stuff this weekend just gone.

You will never see a more painful demonstration of try hard middle classes than a mass convoy of Oakley horse boxes driving to Poland and sharing their trouble on insta.

Love this and so true.

Basically, you’re just wasting money and everybody’s time and energy by donating items in this way.

Earlier this week, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched a Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to raise funds for food, water, medicine, protection and trauma care for people fleeing the war. At times of crisis, the DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities (including the British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International and Save the Children UK) to raise funds quickly and efficiently.

donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

This is one of the best appeals to give to because if you donate via the main DEC Ukraine appeal every pound given by the UK public to the DEC is matched by the government, up to the value of £20m. You can donate at a Post Office, as well as directly.

[quote MrsLargeEmbodied]what a load of critical folk you are

are you doing something?

[quote MrsLargeEmbodied]what a load of critical folk you are

are you doing something?

amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/10/ukraine-humanitarian-crisis-what-is-the-most-effective-way-to-help
Pretty clear evidence that money is the most effective way to help.

It takes a certain kind of person to be repeatedly told by reputable sources that the best way you can help is to donate money to a charity working on the ground. Charities which are staffed by people with experience in conflict, trauma, working with refugees etc, who speak local languages, and who have experience of building logistics networks in conflict areas.

And then to conclude - nah, I’ll drive to Poland with a van of random stuff anyway.

Yes of course! I wouldn't criticise otherwise

I have donated cash to the British Red Cross

Even more annoying - I bet so many doing this were the same ones pro Brexit, getting rid of those Eastern Europeans taking our jobs.

Suddenly, the idea of being a humanitarian hero trumps (pun intended) the need to rid little England of furriners.

@Ncwinc

Earlier this week, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched a Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to raise funds for food, water, medicine, protection and trauma care for people fleeing the war. At times of crisis, the DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities (including the British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International and Save the Children UK) to raise funds quickly and efficiently.

donation.dec.org.uk/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

This is one of the best appeals to give to because if you donate via the main DEC Ukraine appeal every pound given by the UK public to the DEC is matched by the government, up to the value of £20m. You can donate at a Post Office, as well as directly.

This 👆 It's so difficult and I haven't been brave enough to call anyone out in person for organising collections, because people are trying their best and really think they're doing something helpful, but please everyone read this!

[quote MurmuratingStarling]**@mamabear715* @Stroppypeople*

I am wondering what all these lovely posters have done, apart from bitching on MN... 🤔

I am sure many posters 'bitching' on here about all the attention-seeking 'virtue signallers,' have done their bit for Ukraine. I know I have. I just don't feel the need to crow about it all over social media, for attention and praise, and 'likes' and 'aww hun your an angle' type comments.

It's pretty ignorant to assume that people haven't done anything or given anything, just because they don't blather on about it.

And yeah, I am fully aware I have just announced I have given, but no-one knows who I am![/quote]
Touched a nerve by any chance? Not sure what your vocabulary is like but ‘Hun’ is not an expression that myself or any of my friends would ever use ! Virtue signalling is a very common ,popular expression on MN but I have never heard it used in RL !
Oh and also I don’t actually put anything about my life on SM ..it’s not my thing !