Firm’s 100 mobile phones for the people of Ukraine
A TECH specialist has donated 100 ‘crucial’ mobile phones to people in Ukraine.
Volunteerssupportingrescue work in Ukraine have taken delivery of £10,000 worth of desperately needed mobile phones donated by tech recycling specialist, WeBuyAnyPhone.com, which is based in Whiteley.
The package of 100 brand new Alcatel devices, chosen fortheirlongbatterylife,were includedinavanloadofaiddelivered to Poland by a group of volunteers from Hampshire.
From there, the phones will go to the Ukrainian Association of Women in Law Enforcement, who will use them to co-ordinate search and rescueefforts,aswellasforcounselling people traumatised by the conflict.
The delivery was coordinated by Mick Balch, managing director at Portsmouth-basedL&SWasteManagement,
who has completed severaldeliveriestotheregion since war began in February.
Mick is connected to a network of volunteers including Graeme Warnell, who lives in Krakow with his wife Aga.
Graeme said: ‘There is a fantastic group here of peoplewhoarehelping,justusing their own time to do whatever they can – whether that’s housing refugees, getting aid towhereitneedstobeorfeeding back what people need.
‘The couple have been helping house refugees and get donations to those who need them.
‘I heard through this network that one of our volunteers had received two letters from the Association who were desperate for mobile phones because so many have been stolen by the Russians – they take everything they can get their hands on.
‘Mobile phones are crucial toco-ordinatingtheeffortand they needed simple phones with long battery life to keep the lines of communication open.’
The mobile phones, which are in short supply in Ukraine due to ongoing looting by Russian forces, will make a ‘huge difference’ to those on the ground says grateful Graeme.
Aaron Brown, co-founder of WeBuyAnyPhone.com, said: ‘All of us at WeBuyAnyPhone.comhavebeenshocked and appalled to see the suffering in Ukraine. We’re pleased to see these devices are now going to be put to good use, and grateful to Mick and volunteers involved for getting them where they were need