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52 Phonebox Magazine | April 2025OLNEY UKRAINE AID NEWSComfort bagsLynne King writes:I continue to receive donations and put together much-needed supplies in the form of %u2018comfort bags%u2019 for soldiers on the front line in Ukraine. Your generosity has been amazing, and I am extremely proud of the Olney community for supporting me with this worthwhile cause. HelpUkraineBAMK, based in Milton Keynes, send the bags and other donations out regularly, and they are distributed upon arrival in Ukraine. We are also making up %u2018comfort bags%u2019 for men and women who fi nd themselves in rehabilitation centres. A similar list to the soldier%u2019s bags includes toiletries (soap, fl annel, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant), sweets, a notebook and pen, cotton socks, disposable razors and shaving gel, ladies and men%u2019s underwear, and sanitary products. These are all gratefully received. Donations can be left at The Phonebox offi ce or contact Lynne to arrange collection 07766425523.Singing TogetherMaddi Forester writes:Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. I know how well supported our Ukrainian community feel, and it makes a huge diff erence.Here are a few photosTwo were taken at a gathering of some of our Ukrainian community and English supporters at our home at Christmas. This is our third year of doing this Christmas event and it always involves singing. Starting with the Ukrainians who share their tradition of going house to house singing in exchange for treats such as breads and meat. That%u2019s then followed by turn-taking with beautiful songs in Ukrainian and not so beautiful singing by us Brits. This year we even had a get together, each singing lines from Carol of the Bells, in our own language. The others are more %u2018offi cial%u2019 and were taken at a service at All Saints Church Emberton on Sunday 23rd February to mark the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine and to pray for peace. The service was led by the Rev Adrian Low and much of the material was provided by our Ukrainian community, with some of the service taken in Ukrainian with a written English translation, and some in English with Ukrainian translation. We showed a video which was recorded earlier in the day by Steve Senior who was in Kyiv at the time and shared with us the memorial to the fallen in the main Square, which was very moving. We had a two-minute silence for those that have lost their lives. The service ended with a message of gratitude from the Ukrainians for everything that has been done by those in Olney, Emberton and surrounding villages. A collection was taken for Ukraine Aid (BAMK) UK Ltd. If you want more details or want to talk to those Ukrainians who were involved, then you can call me on 07769 923787.Belo Our Ukrainian community and English supporters at home at ChristmasAbove: Ukrainian anniversary service at All Saints Church Emberton