Michelle, Steph and Angela - United with Ukraine

“I have never been so proud to call Orkney my home” – the words of Michelle Green, whose sister has fled Ukraine

Michelle, a Marketing & Communications Manager at the Pickaquoy Centre, is heading to Poland next weekend to be with her sister and her family during this incredibly difficult time.

“It is very personal to me as my sister, Angela, her husband, and three young children are just one of millions of families that have had to flee their homes and are now refugees. They waited at the Polish border for 4.5 days. They finally made it across and my brother-in-law was allowed to go with them due to the fact that they have three children. In Ukraine it is uncommon for families to have three or more children, so that exception was announced from the Ukrainian Government last week. Otherwise all men from the ages of 18 – 60 are not allowed to leave. They are currently staying in a Christian College about an hour from Warsaw where they can stay for the remainder of the month as they figure out their next move.

“I am planning to fly to Poland next weekend for one week to be with her and her family, support her and help her. It also gives me a chance to fill up my suitcase as full as possible and take some essential items to her and the other families she is currently with. They all have so little but, thankfully, they are safe.”

Michelle organised the vigil in front of St Magnus Cathedral on Saturday 26 February in response to the tragic situation that so quickly unfolded in the early hours of Thursday, 24 February when Russia started attacking Ukraine.

“I wanted to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I wanted to raise overall awareness of the dire situation the people of Ukraine are facing. And, although Orkney is only small, I felt if a number of people across the UK come out to show their support, then hopefully that will influence the UK Government to act, such as the tightening of sanctions whilst also supporting the humanitarian crisis, allowing refugees to come in, etc.

“I put the event out on Facebook late Friday afternoon, contacted the local media, and less than 24 hours later around 200 people stood in front of the Cathedral to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and show their support. It was very moving and was a brilliant example of both the strong community spirit we have in Orkney, and the amount of support for those suffering as a result of this senseless war.

“What is happening in Ukraine is unimaginable, there really aren’t words to describe how horrible it is. However, the response from Orkney has been absolutely amazing. You can see it across the entire island. People are starting their own fundraisers to help refugees, large organisations coming together to collect essential items and organising transport to Romania, children baking to help raise funds, the list goes on. It’s been incredible. I have lived in Orkney since 2011 and have never been so proud to call Orkney my home.”

As to what people can do to help, Michelle said: “Find a reputable charity to donate to. There have been statements released, Poland included, that they have enough items at the moment (this of course may change very quickly). But it’s the financial support that is so needed. If you do donate items, ensure the items are of a new or like new quality. These people have lost everything and it’s so important that items they receive don’t make them feel like they are charity. Also only donate what is being asked for specifically. It takes a lot of work to sort through, bag and label these items.

“Continue to write to your local politicians. Alistair Carmichael, Liam McArthur and the Councillors. Apply pressure to get sanctions against Russia tightened. Show your support for allowing the UK to accept refugees. Grassroots action such as this do make a difference, and it proved true when on Monday it was announced that no Russian vessels could enter UK ports. I feel confident that the support from Orkney demonstrated at the vigil and the pressure applied on our elected representatives played a huge role in the stoppage of the Russian tanker, NS Champion coming into Scapa Flow.

“Be empathetic of the situation, whether that be a face-to-face conversation with a friend or over social media. These people fleeing are like you and me, just normal people who want to live their lives, and this right has been stripped away from them overnight.

“This war has been unprovoked, and it needs to end. My heart breaks for the Ukrainian people and what they are facing, I am finding it difficult to see any further ahead than one day at a time.”

Michelle and her sister Steph have set up a Go Fund Me page to try and assist their sibling and her family who may never be able to return to their Kyiv home – visit their GoFundMe page to donate.

Donations can also be made via:

• Red Cross Appeal
• Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal
• Unicef Ukraine Appeal