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?

Another odd thing is people donating clothes . I’m not meaning to be rude, but the average woman in the UK is a size 16. I can’t imagine the average woman in Ukraine is that big. They must have been donated lots of clothes that are far too big for the intended recipients.

I’m not fat shaming: I’m a size 18

@newusername2009

I thought that polish shops would run out of baby milk etc with the increased demand (remember petrol crisis and supermarkets during covid) and so money alone wouldn’t be enough for things where demand will outstrip supply, at least initially until supply can adjust

No because if you donate cash to proper charities they have the connections, supply chains and logistics to get what is needed to where its needed. They will stock up tens of thousands worth of stock on articulated lorries in the UK or other European nations and a professional driver will take them where needed. Or will be delivered via airfreight.

Better targeted, less wasteful and no social media narcissism compared to a bloke in some clattered out van full of pampers and pot noodles.

@RosaBaby2

I get what you're saying but some people don't have money to donate but do have goods/clothes/hats/scarves

...so they're DRIVING?

I am so glad other people have this train of thought. I have been saying the same but I'm sure people think I'm just being heartless.

We have a local Pong site (like freecycle) there is one woman 'pinging' every single thing saying her husband is taking a wagon to Poland. Today she claimed a slow cooker for the cause. Someone said, I don't the plug voltage would work and she replied maybe someone has an adapter. Utter madness

@MorrisZapp

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

I came here to say this. The 'poor me this has been so hard', accompanied by 'you're such a hero' is a bit painful.

@MissAmbrosia

It's madness. People sending stuff people don't need and clogging up the infrastructure. Ukraine needs food and medical supplies and Joe Bloggs from up the road cannot deliver this. The big charities have ways of getting that help there. Much better to send money. I'm in EU where we have a flood of people. They need accommodation and ideally jobs, and their kids in school. Not your hand me downs.

Exactly this. People sticking a few hats, gloves, and sanitary towels (into the collection box the local virtue-signaller has in their garage,) to make themselves feel good is just cringeworthy.

As many people on this thread have said, giving MONEY is a much better idea, not a load of tat you don't need, or a bunch of crap you got from 'Savers,' took a photograph of and put all over facebook and instagram to make people say 'aww hun your an angle.'

I have got a lot more time and patience for the quiet people who just donate quietly and don't make a song and a dance about it, than I have for the virtue-signallers bragging all over social media (and mumsnet) about what items they have given. Most of which will not be of any use anyway!

Oh and yeah, as I said earlier, Martin Roberts is cringeworthy to the extreme. Bet a few posters on here think he's an 'angle.'

Isn't he the bloke off homes under the hammer!? Nick Knowles will be out there next!

He's getting right on my wick.

As my wise mother said... "I think these people are doing it more for themselves than anything else"

Everyone knows that people in Poland do not have access to shops/ Amazon/ the world wide web. That's why it's a great idea to buy a load of stuff from China, ship it to UK and then truck it in a diesel powered van to Poland.

Not !!

I can't bear watching it. We have an amazing advanced digital finance system - just use it.

If you cannot afford to donate money, donate your unwanted items to local charity shops for Red Cross etc or your local foodbank where there are many people who would be grateful to receive them.

@ newusername2009

"I thought that polish shops would run out of baby milk etc with the increased demand (remember petrol crisis and supermarkets during covid) and so money alone wouldn’t be enough for things where demand will outstrip supply, at least initially until supply can adjust"

So who us the expert in global baby milk supply chain - Nestle, Danone, Reckitt Benckiser or Rob from Shepton Mallet who has a Polish friend?

I read the most nauseating self congratulatory article in the local paper this morning about someone who did exactly this.

They went one step further of course and rather than handing over to a centre set up a stall near the border and pressed teddies and shaving foam and goodness knows what else on refugees whimpered reduced to tears by the generosity.

Why not send donations?

That said our local community centre did do a collection of stuff but in conjunction with a Polish organisation who sent exact lists of what they wanted. Everything was sorted as instructed by organisation boxed marked in English Polish and Russian (e.g tooth paste, jumpers, sleeping bags, pain killers, first aid kits etc. etc.) and two large lorries took stuff across. I could see merit in that as well organised and done to very perceise specification but these random loads probably hinder the efforts to some extent well meant and sent with compassion though they are

A guy on our local Facebook posted that he was going to fill his car ( a large car but still) with things and drive to Poland. I didn't comment but I worked out it would cost at least £600 in fuel and that was using very generous mpg, once you include the ferry and other costs then I can't see how it can possibly be a good use of time and money. It's well meaning but it's stupid unless it's done for specific reasons.

Poland has taken in 1.8 million refugees, the UK 5000, so maybe just do what you can. I'm helping a single mum who walked 8km across the border last week with no money and only what she could carry, I'm hoping she will make it to the UK next week. Do whatever you can to help people and don't whine about others doing what they can.

@Againstmachine

I trust charities a lot more than a random on FB asking for contributions to their petrol to take this stuff.

Whilst I sort of agree with you, charitys in recent years have a fairly dodgy past, take Oxfam. And many people don't like the how the money filters down amongst a myriad of of 'costs'

But there are costs. Just as there are in taking all this stuff to Poland in vans. And NGOs have to pay skilled staff to manage distribution at the other end.

The Red Cross is doing amazing work over there at the moment. Because their teams are highly skilled and their admin and logistics people likewise.

Even allowing for their costs, I think a £10 donation to them is going to achive more than sending your old clothes in a van

I know of 2 people who've done this and you can bet your life they wouldn't have bothered before Facebook/ social media was around

It's well meaning but it's stupid unless it's done for specific reasons.

It is done for specific reasons, to give them SM bragging rights. Self promotion at its worst.

@Saffy321 - it's not about whining about what others are doing - it's about trying to discourage people from doing things that are well meaning but inefficient.

IMO - if you can't afford to send money to established charities, donate your second hand goods to local UK charities, who will either be able to give them to local people in need or sell them to raise funds.

Sending a pack of Pampers half way across Europe is not an efficient use of anyone's resources.

Even allowing for their costs, I think a £10 donation to them is going to achive more than sending your old clothes in a van

More than people appealing for donations of "stuff" to send (and money obviously is going to be a lot more effective, provided it gets to the right place...)

What I find troubling is the proliferation of JustGiving pages set up by Joe Bloggs, purportedly working as a middleman for the Red Cross. And people are actually giving money to these things, presumably oblivious to the fact that (a) JustGiving keeps 10%, and (b), Joe Bloggs may very well pocket the rest.

@Curlywurlyontoast any idea where we can see that interview?

Thank goodness for sensible on here. I had another thought too re money. I get that the Ukrainians have left in many cases with nothing or very little, and am sure some clothing would help their immediate needs. However why should they be grateful for someone's old cast offs. Be better off with some cash to set themselves up when they move to their more long term accommodation including new clothing

@PortalooSunset

Not rtft yet but reports from Polish friend are that shops are running out of stock due to generous Poles buying all stock to help refugees, and supply issues are preventing restocking. Help getting any manner of required goods to wherever they're needed by any means necessary, including driving truckloads of stuff from here.

Exactly this!

Never mind the fact that shops in Ukraine must be out of all the essentials!

Locally to us we have two major collection centres - one which was a Polish Club until 2 weeks ago and the other a Ukrainian restaurant which is now a collection centre and sending the donations to Ukraine. Both have been doing amazing work collecting items needed in both Ukraine and the border countries. Do you think that the local shops in poorer countries like Moldova and Romania actually have the goods in their shops to supply to the influx of refugees who’ve arrived in their countries.

I think those who disagree with donations being sent are terribly cynical - have a look at the amount being sent and the grateful message on FB.

Both ways of donating can work in conjunction with each other - donate cash and help with items actually needed on the ground. My donations included 40 packs of ibuprofen - these are actually much cheaper in the UK than in European countries.

I remember when the dreadful Tsunami hit a good few years ago , a women came into College bragging about making boxes to send to the stricken survivors.
It was all about her, far better to donate money to reputable charities.

What REALLY. Irked me though was a post ( sponsored) on Farcebook of a supposed Ukrainian bombed out of her home who has thousands of copper foil humming birds to sell, supposedly in exile.
The business is located in China, and i feel its an absolute con.
10 dollars supposedly goes ti a charity.

@DrManhattan

I think some people just can't sit there and do nothing. Giving money to charity isn't enough. They want to do something tangible and real.

... and photogenic.

I think in part it's charity fatigue, or rather "Big Charity Fatigue". Rightly or wrongly, many have the perception that their money will be used for big CEO salaries, and not get to Ukraine. Not helped by charities such as Comic Relief being revealed to be holding millions in donated money in their bank account. Misguided as it is, I can see why some think that buying items is the way to go.

Yanbu. We bought 10 new sleeping bags and a load of thermal underwear and took them to a charity. They said when we got there they weren’t accepting anything else until they realised it was brand new. The lady said they had tonnes of stuff that was dirty or completely unusable and they didn’t have facilities to wash and sort it. I agree money is best or if you don’t have spare money then save clothes etc for when the refugees arrive here.