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?

@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.

This made me lol Rightly or wrongly!

Yanbu, OP.

If people have stuff to donate rather than being able to donate money then surely they should hold onto it for when refugees arrive in this country and need clothes, duvets, tinned good etc to set up here?

YANBU

People want to help. Of course they do. But they need to donate money, not stuff. There was an article online earlier today asking people that if they were going to donate stuff, at least do so sensibly.

Apparently a church / community organisation had to get rid of over half of what was donated as people were using 'donating' as an excuse to have a clear out. Lots of dirty duvets, some designer handbags (to be fair I think they should have accepted and sold those), Nespresso pods, clothing with stains / holes on them.

Money would go a lot further as well.

I agree. But rather than being uncharitable about it, I prefer to think the people making these collections and driving them to Poland haven't really thought it through.

Very early on I donated 4 first aid kits to a Polish group who had a lorry driver ready to drive to the Polish/Ukrainian border within the first few days of the invasion. I wasn't aware at that point how needed first aid kits would be. I'm hoping they have helped someone in need.

I'm a bit uncertain now how helpful the large number of lorry loads of clothes etc will be. I imagine it might be quite daunting if lorries are now arriving en masse full to the brim.

Having said that though a local man has driven his own van over with donations and they absolutely are being used and are very welcome. While he was there people donated further money to him and he bought £500 of food for women and children sheltering in a hall. He's going back as soon as he can and the thing he intends to fill his van up with is tinned food.

It seems like it's now the very basics that are needed, food, water and medical supplies. I'm assuming these will be running out and so delivering more from elsewhere will help.

I think the majority of people feel very helpless and just want to help in whatever way they can.

Completely agree OP, it’s painful on FB ‘they need everything!!!!’ And then people donating cash to the collector too. Completely ridiculous. Donate to charities with the infrastructure to cope. I’ve absolutely no idea how it would even work with a van load of stuff- if you have zero local links how would you even know where to drop it off? Clearly just causing issues for people with enough on their plate. Actually quite arrogant imo to imagine that this is a better solution than donating to a proper charity, with buying power, connections and contracts for goods and an accurate understanding of what’s needed.

its going to warehouses and being taken into Ukraine from there. There are still many in Ukraine and all banks etc have gone so everything is needed. Especially those bombed out etc and relocating. We sent physical medical things which went to Poland and then had military escort to hospitals. It does need to be a combo of things as if you just send money then there isn't enough stuff to buy. BUT the stuff sent needs to be properly packed and organised so that it is easy to distribute and warehouse so can be accessed etc. From different vlogs etc I have seen nothing for the general population is hanging around too long and as soon as its in warehouses its out again.

The hard bit is going to be keeping a distribution line in over a period of months, keep the flow going.

It’s bonkers. At best it’s well intentioned but misguided, and at worst it’s using war to virtue signal and seek attention. There is no circumstance (at the moment - there’s no shortage of good to buy) where sending money is not the better option

I completely agree with you. It's hugely inefficient, costs more money and time. Could easily donate to charities that are already out there doing the work. And needs can change on a day by day basis, which is assessed by the charities already out there. I don't understand why schools are encouraging donations to be sent over there. Surely it would be better for schools to do a fundraiser and donate the money. If people already have things that can be donated but not the money, this should be for refugees as they arrive, not uselessly sent across the continent.

ideas.ted.com/after-a-disaster-dont-send-toys-or-clothing-send-money-heres-why/

There are links for communicating what you are taking and where you need to take it to - and you keep track as you travel and if things change you are informed.

I do however agree a more formal chain in would be better but that takes time to build. The cash goes towards building that and getting suppliers organised to start the flow in of more formal supplies - this messy bit is the initial stop gap.

This is Hero of the Day stuff.

YANBU

From the Polish government- stop sending stuff!!!

Action: Any actions undertaken should not disrupt the local economy and should draw as much as possible on the expertise of the entities experienced in the provision of professional assistance in order to manage it effectively.

We call on everyone wishing to help not to organise further collections of in-kind donations, as their transport to Poland – followed by a lengthy unloading, storage, selection and distribution procedure – generates disproportionate amounts of additional work and cost, which proves ineffective and counterproductive to the needs of those affected.

We encourage everyone wishing to help to organise fundraisers and direct donations of funds to verified organisations that will use the funds received for assistance provided in accordance with the strict needs and effective operation in the long term.

I saw an interview with a red cross staffer who said clothes donations are being left in huge piles all along the Polish border. No warehouses to store, no volunteers to sort etc

If people have stuff to donate, they can give it to the refugees coming to this country. 1M poor children in England and people are driving tins of food across the continent 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ Apart from the fact that everything is cheaper in Poland and EE.

@chineseanyone

Lady from my area aswell, hired a lorry and a driver and has taken lots of tinned foods and updates everyone daily on Facebook. I don't really get it to be honest..

Some people have a burning need to be "in on the action".

There was a bloke on the news who had driven a lorry of stuff to Poland and when interviewed, he said it was a waste of time and that donating money was far more useful.

The official advice from those agencies on the ground out there is that

1 - donate money as its cheaper to buy needed items in Poland or Hungary
2 - driving all the way there wastes money on fuel which could have been donated
3 - once arrived, the vans and vehicles clog up main roads needed for military and medical vehicles
4 - once dropped off,, personnel are needed to wade through bin bags full of UK tat

If i'm being generous, i'd say that they feel helpless and want to do something more than pressing a few buttons on a smartphone to transfer some money.

But realistically, I agree that most want a tale to tell

If an HGV driver wants to help, then being in Poland would be useful as they are struggling to cope. But bringing a lorry load of more shit they have to sort out is no use at all.

@Walesrecommendations

YANBU, I don't understand it either. At the risk of sounding unsupportive I find it really virtue signally and it comes across as mainly something to document on your Facebook..

Your post made me wish Mumsnet had a like button for posts.

Totally agree. Donate money to the charities who are better placed to give support where needed.

@TeaForTiger

They want to be a hero, say they were there and have a gorp at the people.

Gorp? what does that mean?

I understand the various Aid Charities have stated they do not want items, but just money donations.
There may be some people who have friends they are hoping to help and therefore meet them at the border, but otherwise no.

If I thought it would help, I would have organised a transit van and gone over there, but the cost of the fuel, ferry etc and Food is probably more expensive here, makes it kind of seem crazy to me.

We gave money and wanted to do more, so decided to organise a quiz and raffle as a fund raising event. It keeps us busy and some friends who want to help are getting involved and we hope to raise a fair bit. It seemed more sensible to use the extra energy to do the most productive thing.

They are doing it so they can post about their generosity allover Facebook. Donating money quietly wouldn't have quite the same effect.