uniting to support Ukraine

summer 22 uniting to support Ukraine

When news of the Russia-Ukraine war broke, members of the Entrepreneurs' Forum united, eager to support Ukrainian refugees and provide aid to those who need it most.

The support took many different forms. For John Lawler of the MAD Foundation, it meant travelling to Przemyśl in Poland and offering help by recognising and filling a gap in refugee aid. With his wife and friends, John launched Operation Safe Drop, a campaign initially focused on transporting Ukrainian women and children to safe destinations. “They are coming with next to nothing. They haven’t got the money to get transport direct,” says John. “There’s trains and buses, but they’re all packed, everybody’s traumatised and they don’t want to get on a bus again. We’re sort of the ‘last mile’, we’re the sort of point-to-point where there is no transport direct, and so we just focused on this and we realised it was a need.” Since launching Operation Safe Drop, John has escorted hundreds of families to safety and seen firsthand the distress these individuals face, not only in leaving their loved ones behind but in deciding where they should travel to. “When Ukrainian refugees arrive across the border, they have already survived a long and dangerous journey that may have involved sleeping underground, scarce food for days, or walking many miles with tired or sick children,” adds John. “Some of the refugees have a friend, relative, or volunteer host located in Poland or elsewhere in Europe that they are trying to reach but many have nowhere to go. “With few belongings and limited access to funds when they arrive at the border, their first stop is often a humanitarian aid centre but it is only a temporary one. Once at the centre they need to figure out how to get to a more permanent solution.” John explains that at the borders, the government, NGOs from around the world, and individual volunteers have provided transitory support, including assisting with transportation by existing transport systems and providing food, medical, childcare, and other resources. “In the end, each and every Ukrainian fleeing from the crisis needs a more permanent accommodation and a safe way to get there.” John adds this is where Operation Safe Drop has adapted. “Our initial aim after Ukraine was invaded was to provide a safe, efficient, and free "last mile" transportation for those who were forced to make this journey to keep their children safe and to support and assist all those arriving at humanitarian centres as they continue their difficult journey. “Since then we have evolved very quickly as more needs have been identified.” With time, Operation Safe Drop has expanded beyond providing safe transport. While that remains its key priority, the group now has six key aims. The first is to move vulnerable groups John Lawler plus Tom Warburton and his daughter Ella

and individuals from the border and refugee centres to their family and existing friends throughout Poland and Europe. Secondly, Operation Safe Drop help bring refugees who have no transport, in particular from rural areas, as and when corridors are open, from within Ukraine and into safety. Sourcing and delivering small-batch aid and supplies to Ukrainian families is another key aim, as is assisting those who are registered for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. For this, John and his team provide translation and host matching services as well as transportation to and from the Home Office's Visa Assistance Centre. Those who are ready to leave for the UK are provided suitable transport thanks to John and the chaperones at Operation Safe Drop, in line with its fifth mission. Operation Safe Drops final aim is founded on the hope that, when Ukraine is back to a position of stability, John and his team will provide support and assistance to families as they return to their homes. Their ambitious and selfless goal, to help the families of Ukraine, has been featured in news outlets across the UK. It also gained the attention of fellow Forum member Charlie Hoult and the company he co-founded Opencast, which has donated £30,000 towards the campaign. “Like so many others we were sickened by the brutality of Putin’s invasion and the suffering of the Ukrainian people. We wanted to give practical support so have been working with John and the team at Operation Safe Drop to help deliver vital medical supplies into Ukraine while helping refugees get out. “John is operating a support hub in Przemysl, in eastern Poland, which is processing Ukranian refugees coming one way – helping some to find their way to the UK - and sending in vital supplies going the other way. John and his team drive the supplies from the UK to Lviv, from where they’re taken on to Kviv – so the help we’re providing is getting through to where it’s needed most.